‘Clare and her monster moved through the

The puzzling hook: darkening Hall, taking care to keep to one side,
this immediately makes you ask out of sight of the kitchen of course
questions of the story.
Who? What? How? Etc.

The direct address hook: Do you ever think about being born?
you are spoken to directly and
feel involved from the start.

The subtle hook: She started with the universe.

this appeals to your sense of
curiosity. Who is she?

A cold, wet and damp day in December. The

The atmospheric hook: clouds were so low they seemed to trail their
this is descriptive, and could mists in the treetops and already, at half past
create a mood. three it was dark within the forest.

The visual hook: Our classroom looked smashing. Lots of silver

appeals to our sense of sight. tinsel and crepe paper and lanterns. We even
had fairy lights.

When Bill Simpson woke up on Monday

The funny hook: morning, he found he was a girl. He was
this is a tricky hook and only standing, staring at himself in the mirror, quite
works if it appeals to your sense baffled, when his mother swept in. ‘Why don’t
of humour. you wear this pretty pink dress?’ she said.

The direct speech hook: “I don’t care if your friend Darren has a python,
this often means there is lots of a cockatoo and a marmoset monkey,” said
action and a fast pace. mum, “the answer’s still no.”