Writerly Stuff: Scene Hooks

Every writer has their own way to approach the craft. It's not as obvious as for, say, painters. One might use digital, or a knife/palette, or fingerpaints etc, but for writers, it's there. That sneaky trick. This little ploy. Whoa -- that notion!
Sometimes, what works for one works for another, so I thought I'd share one of mine with you.
Scene Hooks.
By this I mean more than what a given scene is to accomplish in terms of plot, revelation, or character. This isn't about hooking the reader.
It's about hooking me, the writer.
I need something to grab my attention before a scene starts to really flow from my head to fingers, keys flying, words tumbling out faster than I can keep up (hence spellcheck, yes?). That's glorious writing -- and often it's the best stuff.
How to get it going?
For me, it's in the mechanics.
* How I start the scene. Have I found an image that calls to me? In fantasy, it could be a landscape that creates a mood and inspires the language I need. But, equally valid, it could be the punch line for a bad joke, started in the previous scene. Something that gets me in there and moves my writerly feet.
* Where I set the scene. If I think of a setting and immediately know it will be exceptional for my characters, I'm off and running. It could be a familiar-to-them place or somewhere challenging and strange. Doesn't matter. I can feel when where I've planned to go will cause something to happen for the story.

Don't get me wrong, plot can hook me in as well. Knowing a special moment is about to arrive? I can hardly wait! (Or I really can, and need wine.)
But most scenes are not about special moments. They're about getting there. About caring when you do. Those scenes are just as important to the story, but a bit tougher in the daily motivation of a writer department.

So, look for the hooks that grab your attention. Mine work for me.
I suspect they end up working for readers too.