Thursday, April 28, 2011

Hooking

Today I'm going to die.

Devlin crumpled the paper in his fist and dropped his head against the leather wrapped steering wheel hard enough to leave a mark in his white skin. He'd written other letters, words that couldn't numb the guilt he felt every time he saw his sister's lifeless eyes. He shook his head and straightened up. It was almost over. The pain would soon end for both of them.

All right. So the above is my hook, and the only purpose it serves is to tantalize a reader and leave them going, "What? Who? Why? How?" and then proceed to read the next four chapters which is world building and frankly, not as miraculously fast moving as the rest of it. I took it out because I don't like hooks. They irritate me personally as a reader, they're like cliff hangers and feel like a ploy, a trick, something that good writing doesn't need. So it's my arrogance after all. Down with that! In with the hook! Bring out the gun! Slash all pretensions to ribbons! Catfish fry for lunch!