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sharonskinner's review against another edition
4.0
Great openings are critical. Les also leaves the reader with hope for future publication.
lkmreads's review against another edition
Quite frankly I don't get the reviews this book got. Yes, I put it under "abandoned" books, but not because I fully dropped it, rather because I didn't read it in it's entirety and instead ended up skimming ahead.
Why?
First the good: Every so often, you might find some sound advice or tips. But you have to look hard.
Now the bad: The book is repetitive and unnecessarily long. The author uses a lot of examples from his own writing (which I don't find good at all). Every time he gives an example line he wonders "who wouldn't read on?" like it's a masterpiece; not a single time did I answer "me" to that - all those opening hooks (which by the way did not seem to match at all with any of the things he said they should have to be good) were terrible to me, and if I truly were to judge those books by their opening line, I would have quit most of them before giving them a single chance.
Considering all those problems made me lose faith in the author, I could not take what few, far in between tips I found might have been of use, as serious.
Also, one of these two books could have used a different cover...
[bc:Hooked|2230444|Hooked|Jane May|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1266655183s/2230444.jpg|2236244] [bc:Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go|414771|Hooked Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go|Les Edgerton|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408313466s/414771.jpg|403983]
And given the publication dates, I'm thinking it should have been this one.
Why?
First the good: Every so often, you might find some sound advice or tips. But you have to look hard.
Now the bad: The book is repetitive and unnecessarily long. The author uses a lot of examples from his own writing (which I don't find good at all). Every time he gives an example line he wonders "who wouldn't read on?" like it's a masterpiece; not a single time did I answer "me" to that - all those opening hooks (which by the way did not seem to match at all with any of the things he said they should have to be good) were terrible to me, and if I truly were to judge those books by their opening line, I would have quit most of them before giving them a single chance.
Considering all those problems made me lose faith in the author, I could not take what few, far in between tips I found might have been of use, as serious.
Also, one of these two books could have used a different cover...
[bc:Hooked|2230444|Hooked|Jane May|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1266655183s/2230444.jpg|2236244] [bc:Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go|414771|Hooked Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go|Les Edgerton|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408313466s/414771.jpg|403983]
And given the publication dates, I'm thinking it should have been this one.
jtisreading's review against another edition
5.0
Definitely one of the more helpful books on getting started in your novel
tenderbrushes's review against another edition
4.0
Great book about writing appealing opening scenes, with lots of examples. Very easy to digest.
rbz39's review against another edition
3.0
A solid craft book about the most important part of the story: the beginning! I was initially wary about this book due to some reviews I spotted, but carried on to find it a rewarding read. By looking at how different beginnings work, I got a wealth of ideas for my own writing. I'm constantly dissatisfied with my story beginnings, so this has been a helpful read! Also, despite being a craft book, it was rarely too dull since the author is quite witty.
pizzamcpin3ppl3's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
kelli_unraveled's review against another edition
5.0
Hooked is a wonderful book packed with useful information--almost 250 pages about nothing but how to start a book. Hooked seems to be focused on traditional publishing but the advice is valuable for indie/self-published authors as well.
warwriter's review against another edition
3.0
Wow, this book made me depressed. But it told the truth, and I suppose I needed to hear it. I realized I'm an old fashioned writer, and my beginnings are not *in media res*...thanks Milton.
lenaf's review against another edition
4.0
This was a helpful read! Definitely opened my eyes to how a good opening should be structured, and gave me some ideas for the next time I sit down to edit a novel. I definitely will keep this around as a resource for when I'm trying to rewrite an opening. The examples that Edgerton lists here are quite useful.
A few complaints I had with it were: not all of the writng advice felt applicable to me (which can probably be said for all writing books), some of the examples really dated the piece (he mentions specifically Borders), and sometimes the humor felt forced. Overall though these things didn't hamper the overall lesson of writing good openings. In fact, I think I'll recommend this to my other writer friends.
A few complaints I had with it were: not all of the writng advice felt applicable to me (which can probably be said for all writing books), some of the examples really dated the piece (he mentions specifically Borders), and sometimes the humor felt forced. Overall though these things didn't hamper the overall lesson of writing good openings. In fact, I think I'll recommend this to my other writer friends.