What Do You Mean, Where's the Hook??

One of the first pieces of advice most fiction writers hear is that they need to start their story with a good hook. Almost no one will disagree, but there are a couple of problems. One is that not everyone thinks of the same thing when they say “a good hook.” It’s also true that there really is more than one kind of hook in a story.
If you’re telling me about your novel and I ask you, “What is the hook?” I’m thinking of he big idea that will grab people’s attention and make them think they might want to read it. This might sometimes be called the high concept. It might be something like, “a guy finds a way to bring dinosaurs back to life” or “Two brothers travel the country hunting monsters.” Many of us don’t need to know anything about the plots to know we want to read or watch those stories.
But if your story is written and I’m critiquing it, “What’s the hook?” might refer to the opening scene. This isn’t about revealing the whole big idea of the book. It’s about some action in those first few paragraphs that pulls readers in right away and makes them want to know what’s going to happen next. And don’t worry, if you don’t write thrillers. This hook doesn’t have to be about people in jeopardy or set up a huge cliffhanger. A really clever puzzle can work well, since readers don’t know your characters yet. Or if you have a strong, interesting voice the writing itself can be the hook. Check out the first page of Moby Dick.
Separately, your key scenes should each have a hook. Some would say every scene but I think that’s excessive. But pivotal scenes must always give the reader a good reason to keep reading. One way is to pose a narrative question that the reader will want the answer to. You can present a plan and make readers want to know how they will unfold. Create tension that makes readers want to know how a situation will turn out. Hint at a secret, or give them reason to wonder if certain characters will get along when they meet.
It is also possible to present individual lines that are hooks. That could be just one sentence that grabs a reader’s attention. They can be funny (as in most James Bond movies) or punchy (Jeff Goldblum’s “must go faster” in Jurassic Park) or alerts that something’s going to happen (Harrison Ford’s “I got a bad feeling about this” in Star Wars.
So try to use ALL the hooks available to grab your readers, and when discussing your work, know which sort of hook you’re talking about.