Hook ‘em in.

Close it out.Freshman Composition

What is a hook?

A hook is your creative

and graceful entry into a topic.

A go

od h

ook…

Should arouse the interest of the reader

Compel the reader to keep reading Establish a tone Allow the rest of the

paper to unfold

What does this hook or opening line do for you? Does it work? Not work? Raise questions? Explain.

How do I hook a reader?

Dram

atic

Anec

dote

Tell a snippet of the story that the narrative will elaborate on Ex) When I was 16 my

cousin suggested that I take a job at a dress factory where she worked…

Desc

riptio

n

Make the reader SEE, FEEL, HEAR, SMELL, or TASTE your story opening Ex) Icy water swirls

around the wading fly fisherman. With experience gained from thousands of casts, he deposits the tiny brown deer hair fly…

Begi

n wi

th a

Di

lem

ma

If your story is about making a tough choice, present that from the get-go I really wanted those

sneakers, but I also promised my friend I’d donate to her fundraiser…

Pres

ent

Surp

risin

g Fa

cts

& St

atist

ics

Intrigue your audience by teaching them something they may not know Ex) Concern about the

hazards of tobacco is not new. In 1604 King James I of England officially condemned the use of tobacco…

Use

a Fit

ting

Quot

atio

n

Famous AND appropriate quotes often help the reader connect your ideas to a larger issue or phenomena They may also help your

reader connect personally to your story Ex) Henry Ford once

said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you

can’t, you’re right.”

Ask

a Pr

ovoc

ative

Qu

estio

n

If your story deals with or answers a question, raise the question for your reader! Ex) Why would anyone

give up a beach house on the Cape to spend the summer volunteering in a

overcrowded, understaffed animal shelter?

Defin

e a

Key

Term

If there is a important but

unknown word integral to

your story, define it! If there is a word that might

have a vague definitions, or

might have varied definitions, define it!

Ex) The term “hero” means

many different things to different people. After one

life changing fishing trip, I

define a hero as. . .

Prac

tice!

!

Practice! Practice! Practice!

Wrapping it all up:How to close out your personal narrative

Clos

ing

You need to close your paper in a way that’s fitting to the tone and topic of your paper

For example, if your paper is a somber paper about your grandma’s funeral, you probably shouldn’t end with, “And then we all went to a party”

Ways to Close

Good

Return to the

hook

Give the

audience

something to

think about

Make the reader

see things in a

new light

Demonstrate

your growth

Bad

In conclusion…

And so I

learned…

In the end…

The End

And they

lived happily

ever after

Revie

w

With a partner, go back to the pieces we’ve read How do they close out

or wrap up their pieces so they make sense and keep with the tone of the piece?

What does the reader feel at the conclusion?