I want to talk about something that matters whether you’re writing a book, a newsletter, a blog post or a sales email.
Most people lose their readers in the first paragraph.
Not because the content isn’t good or it’s the wrong topic…
But because the opening doesn’t do the one job it’s supposed to do – make it impossible to stop.
Today’s readers aren’t loyal. They have tabs open, phones buzzing and any number of other distractions.
Your first few sentences are competing with all of that. And if those sentences don’t create a feeling in them, whether it’s curiosity, recognition, unease or something else, then they’re gone.
So what actually keeps them reading?
Read on the find out…
The Hook Isn’t Just The First Line
This is the mistake I see most often. Writers spend twenty minutes crafting a brilliant opening sentence and then immediately defuse it with a second sentence that explains what they just said.
A hook isn’t a single line – it’s a state of mind the reader enters. The best openings pose a question the reader didn’t even know they were asking and instantly makes them want the answer.
Not a clever question but an emotional one. Something that can’t be resolved without reading on.
Want to see this in action? This piece on story hook examples from NowNovel is excellent – it breaks down eight different types of hooks using real published openings, and shows exactly what each one creates in the reader:
https://nownovel.com/story-hook-examples
The First Page Is The Promise
Beyond the hook, your opening sentences or pages form a contract with the reader. They tell them what kind of experience they’re stepping into – the tone, the stakes and the emotional register.
Break that contract later (by going somewhere completely different in tone or pace) and the reader feels cheated even if they can’t say why.
Book editor Alyssa Matesic has a really clear breakdown of the three elements every opening needs – conflict, character and momentum. It applies equally well to nonfiction as fiction:
https://www.alyssamatesic.com/free-writing-resources/novel-opening-hooks
All of that can equally be applied to your emails, copy, social posts etc
What About Chapter Endings?
A strong opening isn’t enough on its own. If your chapters/email/post end with a resolution where everything is tied off neatly and nothing is left unresolved, you’re handing the reader permission to stop. And many will.
The art is in leaving just enough open to make closing the book or scrolling on feel slightly wrong. It doesn’t have to be a cliffhanger or a thread – just something that feels significant without being explained yet.
This piece on chapter hooks covers it well, including the idea of using a recurring unresolved element as a narrative breadcrumb that pulls readers forward:
If You Want To Go Deeper On Structure
Once you understand hooks and endings, the next layer is understanding how to sustain tension across the whole thing rather than just at the seams.
This comprehensive guide from Reedsy covers seven story structures, from the classic three-act to the Fichtean Curve (which starts mid-action and skips the slow setup entirely). Worth bookmarking:
https://reedsy.com/blog/guide/story-structure
And if it’s tension specifically you want to get better at – the thing that makes readers whisper ‘just one more page’ – this piece from Spines on narrative techniques is very practical. It covers ten specific tools for building suspense, from pacing and dramatic irony to sensory detail and internal conflict:
https://spines.com/10-narrative-techniques-to-create-tension-in-your-story
As For Online Content…
As I’ve said, if you write newsletters, blog posts, or social content rather than books, the same principles apply. The vocabulary is just slightly different.
This piece on writing introductions covers six copywriting frameworks (PAS, BAB, FAB and others) that are really just structured ways of creating the same hook-and-thread effect. You also get free templates:
https://www.dslxcontent.com/blog/how-to-write-introductions
Your TED talk this week is Kelly D. Parker on The Art of Persuasive Storytelling. This shows you why stories make any kind of communication more memorable and how to structure a narrative that moves people to action. Relevant whether you’re writing a book, pitching a product or just trying to get someone to read your email to the end.
One more thing…
This Thursday 26th March I’m releasing something I’ve been working on for a while – the 18M KU Code. It’s how I got 18,132,527 Kindle Unlimited page reads across just six books. If you’ve ever wondered why some books keep readers up until 2am and others lose them at chapter three, that’s exactly what it covers…
As well as why this is so important when it comes to KU.
I will, of course, let you know the minute it’s live so you can get in there first. Until then, have a wonderful week!