The Hook In Mainstream Romance

Does something interesting happen during this jog?

If I start a book with a guy jogging, and then there's a flashback so I know about his past, and then he gets to meet some townspeople or observe the setting... I'd probably lose interest. I think that's one reason the Meet Cute tends to happen fast - at least that would hold my attention better than setting the scene.

That's not to say the characters have to meet right away, just that I need to read something interesting.

In one of my favorite romances, Simple Jess, the story starts with the heroine heading to the local store. She's angry and determined to show people that her being a widow doesn't mean she's helpless and unable to make decisions about her life. The next scene is from the hero's POV. He's heading to the store too, but he gets distracted by a patch of mushrooms and the author shows he's developmentally disabled. Very unusual. I was hooked.

I can already tell you that the most common problems I come across in openings is: Backstory dumping, setting dumping, and nothing happening.

Like Marian said, start on something interesting. I'm going to add: Relevant to the plot. The romance doesn't have to start off the bat, but the opening should get the story moving and keep the reader's interest.

Mhm. What they said. The book does not have to start with a meet-cute. But it does have to start with something interesting happening.

Rule of thumb: start the story with an event or problem that is (1) unusual for the character, and (2) unusual for the reader. An everyday jog through town won't hook me unless the town is full of cannibals.

I don't think it has to start with a cute meet either. I do want to see that something out of the ordinary is happening to a character. If it's just an ordinary day, it better get extraordinary in a hurry. But, I don't need to have them meet on page one. I usually like to learn a little bit about the characters in some way before they collide. I guess it's all in the execution.

I've got my latest book MMC (I'm assuming that's Male Main Character? I'm new to this) in the midst of a gambling circle, thinking about how much he loves the thrill of the dice... tension, interest, but not meeting the girl yet. Oh, and the first girl he meets and fools around with is the sister of the True Love. THAT leads to all sorts of complications.

You can set things up whilst also having something of note and consequence happening in real time.

I had something as what you described as the start to my first novel, too. But once someone pointed out to me to start my novel at a different spot (place of action...and yes meet/cute), it made ALL the difference. I can no longer imagine it starting in the place I had originally started.

Try at the place of action...then you can weave in some of the details you have in your original start in an organic kind of way.

One of my mentors in grad school always used to say "Start with a dead horse in the living room." You'll want something different, unusual, or intriguing. I'd say if your MMC was a military veteran who lost a leg fighting in the Middle East, then his going for a jog (with the help of his new prosthetic) is definitely something your readers could sink their teeth into.

You don't necessarily have to start with a big action--just an interesting one. You can do something mundane (like a jog) so long as there's something fascinating to hold onto and keep the reader guessing.

I assume "meet cute" means meeting the love interest. Never heard that term before!

My male character doesn't meet the girl until the middle of chapter two, fwiw.

Callegro said:

ElleMason, yeah after retooling my first draft, I can't imagine that I once thought my opening was good. It was nothing but backstory dumping. Interesting to me, but a snooze fest to any other reader.

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I always rewrite my openings. The good part is you know your character better, and that can help as you go along.

I recently started a romance where the meet-cute deal was so abrupt and right away, it was obnoxious! Total melodrama right on page one. It had the cutest cover and premise, but after skimming a few more pages, I set it aside. There's definitely a balance!

Another romance I read (and finished) began with an incident in the main characters' life right away, which led to her meeting the guy at the end of chapter one. That worked for me b/c it started with something upending the character's world. Through that event, the character had to make a decision, which led to her meeting the love interest.

greendragon said:

I've got my latest book MMC (I'm assuming that's Male Main Character? I'm new to this) in the midst of a gambling circle, thinking about how much he loves the thrill of the dice... tension, interest, but not meeting the girl yet. Oh, and the first girl he meets and fools around with is the sister of the True Love. THAT leads to all sorts of complications.

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I would totally read this.

in my current draft I don't get the characters together until chapter 2, which is unusual for me. But in chapter 1, the first character heads out on the road, not sure where she's heading, after the place she lives burns down in a forest fire. Meanwhile the other one leaves her husband on the day their son leaves home for college - something she had been planning for several months.

So - I hope - it shows firstly what each person's situation was, by disrupting it. And reveals character, in that one of them acts on impulse, reacting to the situation, and the other is carrying out a carefully laid plan.

Callegro said:

Thanks everyone for the great insight!

ElleMason, yeah after retooling my first draft, I can't imagine that I once thought my opening was good. It was nothing but backstory dumping. Interesting to me, but a snooze fest to any other reader.

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The best part is that you don't have to berate yourself for writing it, because it's stuff about the town that YOU, the author, needed to know. It just might not need to be info the reader needs at that part of the story.

What you might consider is the GMC style of writing (Goal, Motivation, Conflict.) Any one of these can be the hook you need. For example (just making stuff up on the fly):

GOAL: Hero (or MMC--either is fine) is jogging. He sees a woman putting a For Sale sign In the window of an old bookstore that he regularly visits. Wow! He's always loved that building! Could he really afford to quit his job and own his own bookstore? He's got to go in.

MOTIVATION: Hero is jogging. Every step is agony because of his recovery from wounds after serving in the military. Stops to catch his breath at the little bookstore, where a woman is starting her first day on the job.

CONFLICT: Hero is jogging. Nearly gets run over by woman doing distracted driving. What the hell?! She immediately stops her car at the bookstore on the corner and jumps out to apologize, but he's in no mood to hear it while he's picking gravel out of his arm.

Same people, same events---totally different stories. Your hero then finishes his jog and you've got your hook. Just don't worry about doing your backstory for yourself. You need to learn the town too. It's all good. It's just a learning process to discover what the reader needs to know.

Cathy C said:

The best part is that you don't have to berate yourself for writing it, because it's stuff about the town that YOU, the author, needed to know. It just might not need to be info the reader needs at that part of the story.

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This. Sometimes you need to know stuff as a writer and sometimes the way you know it is by writing it out. I'm fortunate to have a CP who will, brutally and honestly, tell me to take a chainsaw to it.

That being said, I've heard tons of editors and agents say they get submissions where the whole first chapter could be cut. Wow. Try and start in the middle of something interesting and then add background later.