Hooking the Reader : Opening Lines that Sell [Paperback]

Sharon Rendell-Smock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 30, 2001

WHAT hooks the reader? This book contains Original material from more than 100 bestselling authors writing about their openers in fiction (mystery, romance, science fiction, western, mainstream). Authors include Jennifer Blake, Larry Niven, Sir Arthur C. Clarke, Stuart Woods, Margaret Chittenden, Michael Connelly, Claire Delacroix, Loren Estleman, Courtni Wright, Dana Stabenow, James W. Hall, Poul Anderson, many more.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Hooking the Reader is...
In a word -- intensive
In a library -- invaluable
In a classroom -- informative -- Stephen P. Byers, Author, Writing instructor

If you write, you need it. If you simply like to read, it will leave you dizzy and delighted. -- Gene Wolfe, Bestselling SF Author

This book of shocking quotes and generous commentary will teach writers to become much better hookers. -- Priscilla Cogan, Author

About the Author

Sharon Rendell-Smock had nearly achieved a master's degree in social work when she decided to pursue her main interest--writing. She began this new career at age nineteen as a Florida newspaper features writer. Since 1996, Rendell-Smock is regularly listed in the International Authors and Writers Who's Who, published in Cambridge, UK.

Rendell-Smock went on to write more than 30 computer software user manuals. Her other projects include writing for various firms; editing for other authors; writing for numerous magazines and newspapers, including The Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

In 1995, she earned a national nonfiction writing award for her book, Living with Big Cats: The Story of Jungle Larry, Safari Jane, and David Tetzlaff.

Her latest book, Hooking the Reader: Opening Lines that Sell, answers the question "What grabs the reader?" This book presents original material from more than 100 bestselling fiction authors.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Sharon Rendell-Smock (July 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965498123
• ISBN-13: 978-0965498128
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,261,260 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Discover the secrets of other authors!, April 2, 2002

By 

Vicki M. Taylor "author and reader" (Tampa, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hooking the Reader : Opening Lines that Sell (Paperback)

Whether you're writing your first novel or your seventh, you can find useful information in Rendell-Smock's book, Hooking the Reader: Opening Lines that Sell.

More than 100 published authors share their techniques and secrets of hooking their readers.

Rendell-Smock didn't just throw all of the author's responses in a hodgepodge manner and call it a book. She reviewed all the material she received, looked for similarities, and found patterns that she formatted in an easy-to-read, expansive source of "first line" information.

Award winning authors quote first lines from their own creations as well as from authors they admire.

Rendell-Smock arranges her book with insights from each author and examples of first lines from classic to contemporary.

Not only do these great authors share their techniques for hooking their readers with first lines, they share their thoughts and feelings about what motivated them to chose the words they did.

So, what makes a great first sentence? The hook. The hook is what captures the reader's interest and draws them into the author's imagination. Authors who use the hook effectively understand the importance of first impressions and carrying their reader's interest from the first page to the last.

You only get one chance to make a great first impression - Your book is no exception. Sharon Rendell-Smock understands this concept perfectly.

She tells us that "books can start with a bang or a whimper." A great first sentence can be the start of a wonderful relationship between the author and the reader.

Discover the secrets of other authors and learn how to hook your reader from the very first sentence!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hooking the Reader: Opening Lines that Sell, June 11, 2002

By 

Sarah Mankowski "Sarah Mankowski" (FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hooking the Reader : Opening Lines that Sell (Paperback)

Without question, writers must hook the reader immediately. Many will stop reading if they are not hooked within the first paragraph. But how does the writer hook the reader? To answer that question Sharon interviewed over one hundred well-known authors for her ambitious book. Hooking the Reader is chopped full of great examples of winning opening lines, as well as good advice from writers, and deserves a place on every writers' bookshelf.

5.0 out of 5 stars A veritable showcase of useful insights, July 12, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hooking the Reader : Opening Lines that Sell (Paperback)

Hooking The Reader: Opening Lines That SELL by award winning author Sharon Rendell-Smock is a no nonsense compilation of literary tips, tricks, and techniques for hooking readers' attention, as provided and described by more than one hundred notable and successful authors ranging from Anne McCaffrey, Sir Arthur C. Clarke, and Larry Niven, to Poul Anderson, Gene Wolfe, and Greg Bear. From first-rate opening lines to ways to best sustain the reader's interest, Hooking The Reader is a veritable showcase of useful insights, information, tidbits, and examples -- and has the absolute highest recommendation for aspiring authors everywhere, regardless of their chosen genre or subject matter.