What are your thoughts on a hook that has little or nothing to do with the conflict in the story? In the story I'm working on now, the hook introduces a conflict that is resolved (or rather, rendered irrelevant) within the first page or two, but this sets up the premise of the story so I can begin to introduce the true conflict immediately thereafter.
Is it a cheap ploy, or do you think it can be done well?
Posted by JenniferHicks (Member # 8201) on :
There's no one right way to structure a short story, I think. You have to write it in the best way to serve the story you're telling. You yourself said the first conflict is rendered irrelevant rather quickly. I think in a short story, everything you include needs to be relevant. It needs to have a reason for being there.
If that first conflict is necessary to the overall arc of the story, then I see no problem with it. If, however, you can delete the first two pages and still have the story do what it needs to in terms of the characters' development and fulfillment of the plot and theme, then you don't need it.
Posted by dee_boncci (Member # 2733) on :
If you break a story into three elements: plot, setting, and character, I think you are best served to have the opening related to at least one of the three. Tension is a type of relationship between the elements and would be a good thing to link the opening with, but I don't think it is mandatory.
Posted by Owasm (Member # 8501) on :
The key, I think, is not to be manipulative. If the reader reads the first few pages and thinks you have misled them, it's bad. If it sets the stage for the story, it's better.
If you think you've done it right, the best way to find out is to have someone else read it and tell you what they think.
Posted by wetwilly (Member # 1818) on :
My gut reaction is that the conflict should be the hook. If you hook me with something else (say, some other conflict that gets resolved before the "real" story starts), then what have you actually hooked me to? I've gotten hooked into that first conflict, and then once you move on the the "real" conflict, you've got to hook me again anyways. The point of the hook is to hook me into reading your story. If you hook me into one thing and then replace it with your story in chapter 2, I don't really think that was a hook.
But, like everyone else who has replied to your question, I can't say for sure in your specific case without reading the story. Maybe it works for your story.
Posted by aspirit (Member # 7974) on :
Your opening does relate to the main conflict if it shows something--such as a character trait, setting, or symbol--influencial in the main conflict.
Posted by arriki (Member # 3079) on :
Think of Clint Eastwood's IN THE LINE OF FIRE. It opens with him taking down some generic bad guys unconnected to the main action. We see how competent he is so believe in him as the action unfolds.