A QUICK REVIEW

Effective Introductions

Atmospheric Hookhttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8931602

Puzzling Hook? Direct Speech Hook? Atmospheric Hook? Visual Hook? Funny Hook?

There's a wretched place depression drags me off to after taking control of my thoughts and feelings. It's the place where the longing for relief mutes every other desire, even the desire to wake up in the morning. There are days when I wonder if I'll lose everything: my job, my relationships, my last stitch of sanity. It feels as though I'm breathing hot black smoke.

Funny Hookhttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7780491

Puzzling Hook? Direct Speech Hook? Atmospheric Hook? Visual Hook? Funny Hook?

I believe in old women who learn new tricks — gutsy, wrinkled broads who eat alone in restaurants and pump their own gas.

Visual HookNeuromancer, William Gibson

Puzzling Hook? Direct Speech Hook? Atmospheric Hook? Visual Hook? Funny Hook?

The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.

Puzzling Hookhttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11182405

I believe in what I learned at the grocery store.

Puzzling Hook? Direct Speech Hook? Atmospheric Hook? Visual Hook? Funny Hook?

Direct Speech Hookhttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95895379

"Would you defend Saddam Hussein? How about Hitler? Would you be his lawyer?“

People ask me this all the time; the names of the bad guys change, but the question is always the same. My answer is always, "Yes, I would." It has to be. Because I believe everyone, no matter what they have done, deserves to have one person on their side.

Puzzling Hook? Direct Speech Hook? Atmospheric Hook? Visual Hook? Funny Hook?

Let’s look at some opening paragraphs

Decide which introduction makes you want to read the rest of the essay…

Saying Thanks To My Ghostshttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103412215

I didn't used to believe in ghosts, but I was trained to talk to them. My mother reminded me many times that I had the gift. It all stemmed from a lie I told when I was 4. The way my mother remembered it, I refused to get ready for bed one night, claiming there was a ghost in the bathroom. She was delighted to learn I was a spirit medium.

A Taste of Successhttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96667434

When I say I believe all children can learn, people sometimes misunderstand.

Because I have been working with poor, minority children in Harlem for the last 25 years, some people think I am talking about good kids in bad environments — that if you give a bright kid from a poor family a good educational support system, he or she can succeed. That's absolutely true, but that's not what I mean.

Finding Hope in Hip Hophttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90594411

I believe in hip-hop. And being a white girl born and raised in the whitest conditions, it surprises me that I've come to this belief — especially since I used to hate this music. My husband, Adam, would try to play it in his car while we were dating, and I hated it so much that I would give him the silent treatment.

Telling Kids the Whole Truthhttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88241635

Several weeks ago, I got a call from a good friend whose husband had just been diagnosed with prostate cancer. "Do we tell the kids?" she asked.

"Absolutely," I answered. "Do we use the C-word?" "Yes, I think you do," I said. "The boys deserve to

know the truth, however heartbreaking it is." Adults always insist that children be honest, but how

many of us are honest with our kids, particularly about the tough stuff: death, sex, corruption, our own failings?

Puzzling Hookimmediately makes you ask questions of

the story

Atmospheric Hook

this is descriptive, and could evoke any

variety of moods

Visual Hookappeals to your sense of sight

Funny Hookthis is a tricky hook and only works if it

appeals to your sense of humor

Direct Speech Hook

starts you right in the middle of the

action

“Lyra and her daemon moved

through the darkening Hall, taking care to

keep to one side, out of sight of the

kitchen.”

The Golden Compass – Philip

Pullman

“A cold, wet day in December. The worst kind of day for the backlands. The clouds were

so low they seemed to trail

their mists in the treetops and

already, at half past three it was dark within the

forest.”

The Giant Under the Snow – John

Gordon

“A squat grey building of only

thirty-four storeys. Over the

main entrance the words “Central

London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre” and, in a shield, the World

State's Motto: “Community,

Identity, Stability”.”

Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

“It was the day my grandmother

exploded.”

The Crow Road – Iain Banks

"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents,"

grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.”

Little Women – Luisa May Alcott