06-29-2006, 11:43 AM
Well, Wisemon has a point, however this can't always be done -- fanfiction can exist without any established characters involved, and in such cases his point is worthless.
If Ken is going to play a major role in the story, certainly it will be wise to hook the reader through use of Ken. However if he is only a minor character, there is no sense hooking them with him -- this bait and switch will only leave readers dis-satisfied with the story, as the hook will have left them expecting more Ken. Keep in mind the hook is not only the first sentence, but the opening paragraph, and always remember that the hook should involve the World or the Character. Never confuse your reader by involving anything or anyone else in the hook.
If the focus of your story is your OC, then hook the characters on your OC.
The hook should catch the reader not because of a character they like, but by making a story they will read. Sequels never need as good of a hook as initial stories, because they already have the charater(s) in place. But an original fanfiction treated separately from the series needs to have a good hook.
If Ken is going to play a major role in the story, certainly it will be wise to hook the reader through use of Ken. However if he is only a minor character, there is no sense hooking them with him -- this bait and switch will only leave readers dis-satisfied with the story, as the hook will have left them expecting more Ken. Keep in mind the hook is not only the first sentence, but the opening paragraph, and always remember that the hook should involve the World or the Character. Never confuse your reader by involving anything or anyone else in the hook.
If the focus of your story is your OC, then hook the characters on your OC.
Quote:[OC] was having a bad week, and this latest event was the worst he could ever have seen.
[OC] stood proudly against his rival.
When [OC] had signed up for [activity/unit/froce/etc.], this was not what he had been expecting.
The hook should catch the reader not because of a character they like, but by making a story they will read. Sequels never need as good of a hook as initial stories, because they already have the charater(s) in place. But an original fanfiction treated separately from the series needs to have a good hook.