The Hook

Crafting a Hook

Because of the time limits of a slam, you don’t have a lot of time for introductions or set up. Consider starting your story one of the following ways:

• Question - spark your listeners’ curiosity by asking a question related to your story Have you ever done something stupid to impress someone you were attracted to?

• Announcement - spoil the ending and tell the listener right up front what this is about Most people have stories they could tell you about getting locked out of places, but I have a story about getting locked in. My friends and I got locked in the Berlin Zoo.

• Start in the Middle - jump right in to the middle of the action I sat in the waiting room at the pediatric hospital panicking, soon my mom would know I’d been lying.

• Start at the End - start by telling us how it ended and then work your way back Natasha Elke, Uyen Ho and I are used to this day as a cautionary tale in high school science, but I swear it wasn’t our fault.

• Opinion - start with a strong statement of your personal opinion on a topic related to your story (without labeling it as such) No matter how well you think you’ve covered up your mistake it can still come back to get you in trouble.

• The Mislead - start with an opinion that you will prove to be contrary to your actual views on the topic Nothing good ever comes of letting children watch TV.

• Quotation - a famous quote, a proverb, something people say about you or your main character When I was a kid, my aunt used to say “Naisy’s lazy.” An Interesting Fact - give your listeners a statistic or fact related to your topic to pique their curiosity In December of 1983, a Cabbage Patch doll graced the cover of Newsweek magazine. Three million dolls were sold that year, but the demand was not met. The ‘Imagine’ Lead - start with something like “Imagine...” or “Picture this...” and put your listeners into your opening scene