14
Anecdotes
Definition: a short narrative that is usually personal. The narrative helps illustrate your point.
Example Anecdote
Chest tight and throat closing fast, I rushed from the room and ran up the hill. I had to find a place to hide. Fast. Nothing could be worse than a spelling test. First grade was tough. We were thrown right into the deep end, reading real books, getting tested, and with an audience too—half the class was actually in the second grade. Nap time was over.
Our pilgrimage began the day after we graduated from high school. For days we traveled on a hot, stuffy train. We wove through the countryside from California all the way to New Orleans. Finally, we came to Cafe du Monde. With a sigh of relief, we sat underneath the green and white canopy and bit into a crispy beignet. Our food tour of America had just begun.
From this to that...
From the beignets and pecan pie of New Orleans to the thin pizza of New York City, America is famous for its diverse culinary options.
How to write a from this to that hook
- Choose a couple of examples that illustrate your point.
- Fill in the template:
From EXAMPLE A & B to EXAMPLE C & D,
- Finish the sentence with your topic
Extra Options for Narrative Hooks:
- Start with dialogue
- Start in the middle of the action
Controversial statement
Make a relevant controversial statement to get them thinking about and interested in the topic
Objective
Example
Post-apocalyptic questions of morality? Check. Creepy aliens? Check. Gender-bending male birth scenes? Check.
The book is dead.
(From a paper looking at book franchises like The Hunger Games.)
- Tailor the message to your audience, instead of just to the teacher
- Make them want to keep reading
Introduction paragraphs set the stage for your argument; a solid stage highlights the argument and engages the audience before the play even begins.