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Hi Reader,
Let’s talk about hooks... a part of writing that makes me want to crawl under a rock. 😅
I’ve been helping a client update her program and last night I was writing a lesson on hooks. And ugh. Hooks have always been hard for me because it feels like SO MUCH PRESSURE on one sentence. Like, if I don’t get it right, everything else is doomed. (Dramatic? Maybe. But accurate.)
And as I was thinking about hooks, I had a flashback to the night I met my husband.
It was October 2014. I walked into a college group at a new church, my social anxiety already through the roof, only to realize... it was a Halloween costume party.
And me? Not wearing a costume. In fact, I kinda hate costumes. 😂
Wandering around awkwardly, I eventually found another costume-less girl to cling to. But then, across the room, I saw a guy wearing an Eagle Scout uniform. And I rolled my eyes SO HARD.
“Who’s he kidding?” I thought. “That’s not a costume, that’s just his Boy Scout uniform.”
Welp. Fast forward 11 years and we’re married with three kids. 😂
(and now our oldest kiddo is a Scout too!)
Turns out, even though his hook made me roll my eyes, it still caught my attention.
That’s the thing about hooks... they don’t have to make people instantly love you. They just have to make them pause long enough to keep reading.
A strong hook can:
✅ Make someone chuckle
✅ Pique their curiosity
✅ Call someone out (in a good way)
✅ Raise an eyebrow (hello, skepticism!)
Your goal isn’t to be perfect. It’s to make people stop scrolling.
So, next time you’re stuck on your hook, ask yourself: What would make my reader pause?
And scroll down - I have an AI prompt to help you with hooks, too!
Now go forth and write hooks that turn heads. 😉
🧡 Hayley
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💡 Weekly AI Spark 💡
Need a little help coming up with a good hook? Try this AI prompt:
At the end of this message, I'm going to paste a piece of content I’m writing. Give me 10 compelling hook ideas that would make someone pause and keep reading. [paste content here]
If you don't love the tone of voice for the hooks it gave you, try asking it to rewrite them in one of these voices:
- Funny – Add humor or a playful twist.
- Intriguing – Create curiosity by leaving something unanswered.
- Controversial – Take a bold stance (without being clickbaity).
- Story-Driven – Start with a vivid, personal anecdote.
- Urgent – Imply time sensitivity or a pressing issue.
- Relatable – Call out a common struggle.
- Surprising – Flip expectations or reveal something unexpected.
- Sassy – Add a little attitude or edge.
- Empathetic – Show understanding and connection.
- Instructive – Position it as an actionable tip.
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