First impressions: The hook

     First impressions are important.  Psychologists say that your first impression of a person you meet is very difficult to change later. In fact, they say that it only takes a minute or less for you to decide if you like the new person, and what he/she is like. After that, it is hard to change your mind about that person. Think about a job interview. If a person comes to the interview dirty and not appropriately dressed, has a sweaty handshake, and looks nervous,  this makes a bad first impression,  and the interviewee will probably not have a good interview and get hired, even if his/her answers are very good. The interviewer didn't get a good first impression, which killed the interview.

     It's the same with writing, whether it is a paragraph, essay, article, or book.  If  your writing has a strong and interesting beginning, the reader will probably be eager to continue reading.  That is why the introduction paragraph of an essay is so important. The very first sentence should grab the reader's attention. We call this the "hook."  If you are writing a process essay about how to wash a car, don't begin with:  "This is an essay about how to wash a car." This might put the reader to sleep! Instead, start with a question or some interesting comment that will make the reader curious to read on.  For example:  "There is nothing more enjoyable than washing your car on a hot summer day."  Or, "Have you ever noticed how much cleaner your car is when you wash it by hand instead of taking it to the drive-through car wash?"  Once you have the reader's attention with a strong hook sentence, go on to write more interesting things about washing a car in the first paragraph. If you write a strong introduction paragraph, you will make a good "first impression" on your reader that you know what you are writing about. Then you can go on to explain the process of how to wash a car, from beginning to end, in the second paragraph and the rest of the body paragraphs. First impressions are important, and you don't get a second chance to make a first impression!