Narrative Essay-Small MomentsWriting Strong Openings

Identify/Define:Leads, Hooks,

Attention Grabbing Openers (AGOs)Why do we have to do this?

Effective and dramatic openers are designed to grab a reader’s attention…like a hook grabs a fish.

Hook, Lead or Attention Grabbing Opener (AGO)

A hook, lead or AGO is the part of your story that compels or forces an audience to sit up and pay attention.

It should come at the beginning of your story where it will get your reader on the hook! (symbolically, of course).

It will impress your audience so that they want to keep reading.

Visualize:We see hooks in

movies and TV all the timehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1-nt5_bRlQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl3O6DMsJgI

Evaluate:Which Lead, AGO or hook is better? Why?

"We're going to go on a dive into the deep blue sea.”

"I study ants . . . in the desert, in the tropical forest, in my kitchen, and in the hills around Silicon Valley, where I live.”

Apply & Discuss:What was the Hook for your independent reading book?

What did the author include to get your attention?Does it have dialogue? Is it funny? Does it have figurative language?Does it make you ask questions?

Evaluate:

Evaluate:

Apply & Experiment:Now you try each one

of these for your story:

Which one of yours do you like best?

Here are some other possible Hook AGO ideas for you:

Ask a thought provoking question.

Words from the Wiser. Use your theme in the form of a cliché or idiom.

State a well known quotation.

Foreshadowing-give readers a hint at what is coming up.

Here are some other possible Lead/Hook/AGO ideas for you: Name Dropping. Use an allusion that your

audience will be familiar with that works well with your story.

Show, don’t tell. As I stepped onto the dark stage, my sweaty hands trembled and my pulse was racing.

Magic 3-TriplesAs I looked into her beautiful green eyes,

I thought to myself, “What if my hair is messed up? What if there is something in my teeth? What if I say something stupid?”

Here are some other possible Lead/Hook/AGO ideas for you: Joke-Start off with something funny.

Onomatopoeia

Metaphor or Simile to describe the theme or the setting.

Dialogue-start with an engaging conversation

List it.

Here are some more Lead/Hook/AGO examples

for you.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW-

h_bnNL9A

Now pick one and try it out.

Think Pair ShareShare your Hooks with your

partner.

Give each other some great feedback on which is most effective.

Drafting Focus Points: Main Trait Focus = DESCRIPTION:

Figurative language, Literary & Narrative Elements,

Adjectives

Support Traits Focus: Voice & Conventions Adjectives Dialogue Idea DevelopmentSentence Fluency 

Your objective: I will create a small moments personal narrative that entertains using vivid description and elements of a story.

Personal Narrative: Small Moment

Purpose for Writing: To Entertain

Goal: Tell a true story using descriptive writing that that includes narrative elements to entertain your reader.