The purpose of essay hooks is to keep the interest of the reader. For a teacher, who is obliged to read the content anyway, they can be a sign of mastering the art of writing. In this way, they can help you to earn a top grade. At the same time, you should know that creating hooks is not a simple task especially if they do not come naturally with your style of writing. That is why you should first learn the main skills for creating them and the main rules for using them.
Start with the Basics
Some writers tell jokes and use personal stories to engage the interest of the reader. However, this is not easy at all. Besides, it may not be appropriate for academic work at school or college level unless you are taking a class in creative writing. You should focus on using simple essay hooks which any person will understand.
One of the simplest strategies is to ask a provocative question. For instance, in a literary work, you can ask the reader whether he would do something shocking which the main character does in the book. This is a great trick for introducing the subject of the essay or of a particular paragraph. In science subjects, you can use statistical data or the latest findings of a research study. In philosophy, you can quote the provocative opinion of a famous philosopher. This can also work in history. You can quote a historian who thinks differently than the mainstream specialists.
There are two important criteria which the college essay hooks must meet. Firstly, they should be perfectly relevant to the content. You should not spend ages trying to create something impressive which has little to do with the rest of the essay. Secondly, each hook must be short and fairly straightforward. Remember that its main purpose is to capture the interest of the reader so that he can get to the point where you share the most important information which is your own opinion.
Avoid Common Mistakes
One of the most frequently made mistakes is to place the hooks at the end of paragraphs. You should think of each paragraph as a separate pieces of content as it has to be complete just like an essay. You need to complete one point and then move onto the next one. That is why hooks work best when they are placed in the beginning of paragraphs. In fact, you will benefit greatly if you start the introduction with one.
You need to evaluate each hook for essay quite carefully. It should be provocative, but not offensive in any way. It should not touch on topics which are not discussed in the essay. It should not be longer than two or three sentences at the most. You need to avoid going into great detail.
Finally, you should use only a few essay hooks per piece depending on its length. You should avoid placing one in each paragraph. There are other techniques for making a stronger point such as using a lot of adjectives. You should take your time to master the new skills.