As you step in front of a panel of rather intimidating celebrity judges for your audition, they eye you up for a few seconds, and then one of them says, “In 500 words, tell us why we should choose you.”

Your entire audition rests on the answer to this one question. A million thoughts (and thoughts of a million dollars) rush through your mind. Should you lead with a funny story? Should you be serious and scholarly? Should you begin with esoteric thoughts about the universe?

There’s no time to worry about that now. You wish you knew this was the question they were going to ask. You wish you had time to prepare.

The personal statement is the college admissions equivalent of trying out for such a TV show—except, of course, you have time to prepare, and the prize is college admission, not a million dollars.

Like the TV audition, your college “audition” means you have just one chance (and a few hundred words) to prove your worth.

First impressions are everything, so impressing the judges (or in this case admissions reps) right off the bat is certainly going to improve your chances of being admitted.

Not sure how to make that happen? Here’s how to start your personal statement the right way.

How to Start a Personal Statement the Right Way

Starting a personal statement the right way means that your opening lines make readers take notice and make them want to keep reading to learn more about you.

This clever, attention-grabbing opening is also known as a hook. You know, kinda like a fishing hook (or a fishing lure). It’s shiny, attractive, and irresistible.

To learn the basics of writing a good hook, check out these blog posts:

• What Is a Hook Sentence? (Infographic)
• How to Write Good Hook Sentences

With the basics of writing hooks under your belt, let’s move on to the specifics of writing excellent hooks for a personal statement.

How Long Should an Introduction Be in a Personal Statement?

A personal statement is generally about 500 words. That’s not a lot of space. Thus, your opening shouldn’t be more than a few sentences.

You need to hook the reader quickly and move on to the main point of your statement.

Here’s an example:

“Who are you?” my grandmother asked me. I was confused by the question. How could a lady that had practically raised me not know who I am? My grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease just three months prior; three months after her diagnosis, my grandmother had forgotten how to walk, eat, and in the end breathe; however, that one question stuck with me: who am I?

The start of this personal statement is only 66 words long, but it’s full of information. Readers learn about the writer’s grandmother, her health condition, and the important question that leads this writer to some form of self-discovery.

Readers will also be intrigued and continue reading. Why? They want to learn more about the connection between the writer, his or her grandmother, and the connection to the writer’s self-discovery and college admission.

The takeaway? Keep it short and sweet. Don’t try to ramble on in order to take up space. Use clear, specific wording, and choose your words wisely to ensure they’ll have the most impact.

How Do You Write a Hook in a Personal Statement?

If you’re writing an essay for a class, you know that different essays often require different types of hooks. For instance, depending on the type of essay, you might begin the introduction by using a quote, an anecdote, or statistic to interest your reader.

Starting your personal statement is the same in that you’ll need to choose the right kind of hook for your statement.

Below are two hooks you might consider.

Open with an anecdote

By starting with a story or personal example, you can frame the essay to help shape your discussion.

This type of opening works well for personal statements that describe a lesson you’ve learned, for personal statements that discuss adversity or challenges you have overcome, or for personal statements that use humor.

Here are the opening lines from a sample personal statement:

“I stand at a mere 4’ 11”. Though small, I am mightier than many 6’0” men. This strength is not the result of physical exercise; rather, it is the product of a physically disabling medical condition that I have had to overcome throughout my life. With this medical condition I never thought I would make it to college; now here I am, 21 years old and applying to law school.”

This opening hooks readers because they want to know not only about the medical condition and adversity that this writer has conquered but also how this connects to law school and becoming a successful lawyer.

Set the stage

By starting in the middle of the story (often by opening your statement with dialogue), you’re able to put readers in the middle of the action. They’re already involved in the scene and want to learn more about the story.

Here are the opening lines from another personal statement in our examples library:

“Close your mouth, Tiffany,” my older brother would say to me. “I can’t, my nose is stuffy,” I replied back. As long as I can remember I have always suffered from chronic stuffiness whether it was during the summer or winter, I just never had the ability to breathe out of my nose with full capacity. My stuffy nose ignited my curiosity about how the human body functioned and I would often sift through hundreds of pages of my mom’s Harvard and Mayo clinic books to try and diagnose why I was always congested or other ailments I may have suffered from and try and diagnose myself.

This opening hooks readers because they want to know how the story ends. They’re already invested in the story and want to know why the writer was always stuffy and why this fact is important to her future education and career goals.

What Should You Avoid in a Personal Statement?

Just as there are strategies that make your readers eager to continue reading, some strategies are a definite yawn and will put the average reader to sleep.

Below are two things to avoid when starting your personal statement.

Avoid clichés

Definitely avoid clichés. Clichés are tired expressions that we’ve heard a gazillion times. They’re so common that they’ve lost their punch.

For instance, if you’re writing a personal statement about overcoming adversity, don’t start with “what doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger.” Or if you’re writing about how you’ve drawn strength from your family, don’t lead with “blood is thicker than water.”

Readers have heard these phrases far too many times, and if they feel your opening is less than original, they’re more likely to think that your entire personal statement is the same.

Avoid rephrasing the prompt as your opening line

When you were younger, you were taught to answer questions by including the wording of the original question in your reply. For instance, if the question was, “What are the three colors on the American flag?” you would write, “The three colors on the American flag are red, white, and blue.”

While this strategy is excellent for basic short-answer questions, it should definitely not be used when writing the opening of your personal statement.

In other words, if the prompt asks, “Why do you want to attend this college?” don’t open with, “I want to attend this college because…”

These types of openings lack originality. They make your personal statement sound like you’re writing a fourth-grade science report.

How to Get Additional Help Writing a Personal Statement

If you’re in need of more help, don’t panic.

Take a look at these additional blog posts chock full of expert advice:

• How to Write a Personal Statement That Makes a Statement
• 4 Must-Answer Questions Before Brainstorming Personal Statement Topics
• 10 Types of College Essay Prompts—And How to Crush Them
• How to Come Up With College Essay Ideas That Stand Out
• 11 Secrets to Good College Essays

Want to read more examples to see how you might start your personal statement? Check out these examples from our essay library.

Not quite sure whether your current personal statement stands out or falls flat? Kibin has been editing personal statements since 2011, and our team is here 24/7 to give you personal advice on yours.

Okay, so I can’t exactly promise that by reading this post alone you’ll get an awesome grade on your next paper. But that opening line likely grabbed your attention, right?

You’re still reading this post, so not only did the line serve as an attention grabber, but it compelled you to continue reading because you want to learn how to get a better grade.

That’s the entire purpose of an attention grabber: to get readers to take notice and become interested in what you have to say.

How do you write an attention grabber that works for your paper? Here are a few tips for writing an opening line that deserves to be noticed.

But First… What Not to Do

Before we get into a discussion of how to write attention grabbers, let’s stop for a minute to talk about two things you shouldn’t do.

Don’t write in first person (unless you’re writing a narrative or reflective essay). Most academic essays frown on using first person point of view, so don’t try to make your statement by including a story about yourself or your opinion.

Don’t write in second person. It can be tempting to try to engage your audience by writing a second-person attention grabber that starts with something like “Imagine yourself sitting on the beach…” or “What would you do if…?”

Avoid these tired, boring openings. They’re not only cliche, but they also infuriate profs. (Second-person point of view is also pretty much universally forbidden in formal essays.)

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get our discussion rolling and talk about what you should do.

How to Write Attention Grabbers That Work

When it comes to attention grabbers, one size definitely does not fit all.

What might be a brilliant opening for a description essay will likely be inappropriate for a research paper. (Some attention grabbers, however, can be revised into great openings for different types of papers.)

With that in mind, I’ve included a few types of attention grabbers you might use depending on which type of essay you’re writing.

Narrative essay attention grabbers

A narrative essay tells a story and is one of the few instances in which you’re actually allowed to write in first person.

If you want to get someone interested in hearing your story, try starting with a dialogue quote that might be part of your tale, a strange event from your narrative that intrigues readers, or anything else that will make your audience take notice.

Don’t start with boring old lines like “Last semester, I…,” “When I was five, we…,” or “It was a night I’ll never forget.”

Try something more unique like one of the following openings:

• When I woke up and was finally able to focus, I realized I was lying in a field and was surrounded by five Chihuahua puppies.
• “Never put pizza in the dryer” was his famous line, and I never understood what he meant until years after he first uttered the strange phrase.

Interested in how someone ends up in a field, surrounded by puppies? Obviously. Want to know why someone would tell you not to put pizza in a dryer? Me too—and that’s exactly the result you want. You want people to be interested enough to keep reading.

Looking for more examples of attention grabbers for narrative essays? Check out How to Start a Narrative Essay: 16 Awesome Hooks.

Descriptive essay attention grabbers

A descriptive essay is all about the senses. Your goal is to bring the description to life by incorporating any relevant senses to help readers put themselves in the scene.

It makes sense, then, that an attention grabber for a descriptive essay includes sensory references, right?

Don’t just start listing things for the sake of including senses, though. Write with a purpose. Write to get people interested in reading more about whatever it is you’re describing.

Here are two examples:

• The beauty of one simple flower can create a relaxing aura in the madness of a hectic day.
• One lonely flower mimics the emptiness of the cold, sterile room.

These two examples use the same flower as their focus, but their messages are entirely different based on the writer’s perspective.

In these examples, readers will (hopefully) be intrigued as to why one flower can impact so much. You might, for instance, describe not only the flower but also the surrounding room and your mood while observing the flower.

NOTE: While some profs let you write a descriptive essay in first person, others prefer a description written entirely in third person. (Check your assignment guidelines before you start writing.)

Interested in seeing how one writer incorporated a hook sentence into a descriptive essay? Read A Vivid Description of the Beach.

Persuasive and argumentative essay attention grabbers

Persuasive essays and argument essays attempt to convince readers about something.

In order to make your readers believe your arguments or claims, you need to use evidence (either from sources or personal opinion, depending on your assignment).

Having a ton or great evidence and lots of support from sources does you no good, though, if readers aren’t first interested in reading your paper.

To get them interested, try one of these types of attention grabbers:

• A startling fact
• A shocking statistic
• An interesting quote

These types of attention grabbers spark curiosity and get people thinking about your topic.

Here are two examples of attention grabbers in a persuasive or argumentative essay:

• In 2016–17, students who borrowed money to attend college ultimately graduated from four-year institutions with an average of $28,500 in debt (CollegeBoard.org).
• “There is scarcely anything that drags a person down like debt.”—P.T. Barnum

If you’re a college student with student loans, you can relate to both of these statements.

Thus, these attention grabbers not only pique readers’ interest with a shocking statistic or interesting statement, but they do so by making a personal connection with readers.

Want to read a persuasive essay that uses a quote as an attention grabber? Take a look at How Speeding Tickets Prevent Traffic Violations.

Looking for an example argumentative essay that incorporates a controversial statement as an attention grabber? Read The Importance of Child Marketing to the Economy.

Want To Learn More About Writing Attention Grabbers?

If you’d like to learn even more about writing attention grabbers that work, take a look at these posts:

• What Is a Hook Sentence? (Infographic)
• How to Write Good Hook Sentences
• How to Start an Essay With a Bang

Not sure if your opening line is enough to keep people reading? Let a Kibin editor help. Our editors will give you honest advice about how well your attention grabber works—or doesn’t.

Maybe it’s having to juggle two different subjects in one essay. Usually you set your sights on one topic and tackle it directly.

However, with a compare and contrast essay, you have to tackle two subjects. Plus, while addressing one of them, you have to constantly keep the other in mind.

It’s a juggling act of describing one thing in relation to another thing without losing sight of the main purpose for writing about those things in the first place.

This isn’t an easy thing to do. So if you’re having trouble, don’t worry. You’re not alone.

So let’s see if we can figure out how to start a compare and contrast essay on the right foot.

What Is a Compare and Contrast Essay?

First, let’s make sure we all understand what exactly this type of essay is before we begin dissecting how to start a compare and contrast essay with a good introduction.

There are already a couple of posts on the Kibin blog about this subject, so I won’t go into it too deeply here.

In the most general sense, the idea is to take an in-depth look at the differences and similarities between two subjects. But it doesn’t stop there, for obvious reasons.

I could easily write an essay about the similarities and differences between bushes and trees, but why would anyone care?

This question is the most important part of any compare and contrast essay: why should anyone care? There has to be a reason for looking closely at your two subjects. And as outlined in a previous post, that reason can take one of the following forms:

• State something unknown
• Clear up a misunderstanding
• Show that one thing is superior to another
• Lead to a new way of doing/seeing/understanding something
• Argue a point with supported facts

The reason that you have for writing your particular essay will affect how exactly you approach your introduction. That means it’s important to identify that reason early in the research phase of your essay.

Stumped on picking the right topic? Try one of these 70 compare and contrast essay topics.

Need to compare and contrast two poems? We’ve got you covered there too. Double-covered even.

So It Begins: How to Start a Compare and Contrast Essay

I know you’re excited, but you can’t just jump straight into discussing the similarities and differences between your two subjects. You wouldn’t have a conversation with a stranger without first introducing yourself, would you?

So before we dive into exactly how to start a compare and contrast essay, let’s examine what goes into setting things up.

First, you must introduce the subjects in an introduction paragraph. There are three main objectives of your introduction paragraph:

• Pique your readers’ interest
• Give them some background information on the subjects
• Present the main point of the essay

The first will be accomplished with a strong hook at the very beginning of your essay. This will be followed by the necessary background information needed to support your thesis.

And oh yeah, the third will be accomplished in your thesis, the most important sentence in your whole essay.

Hook your reader

The idea behind a hook is to make your readers want to continue reading. You want something that makes them interested in what you will write next. But it has to be relevant to the subject at hand. This isn’t a chain email.

This could come in the form of a question, a quotation, a statistic, or a funny anecdote. For 14 different ways to write a hook sentence, check out this post.

The way in which you decide to hook your readers in a C&C essay will depend on that reason you identified earlier for writing the essay in the first place.

Hook approaches for a compare and contrast essay

If you are…

• …writing your essay with the purpose of stating something unknown about your subjects or their relationship, then your hook sentence could take the form of a question, pushing your readers to realize how little they know about the subject and therefore leave them wanting to know more.

• …clearing up a misunderstanding, then you may hook your readers by questioning what they know about the subject or by presenting a statistic they might find surprising.

• …writing your essay to show that one thing is superior to the other, then you may pique your readers’ interest by quoting a famous or respectable figure who shares your view on the subject.

• …trying to inspire a new way of doing/seeing/understanding something, then a great way to get your readers’ attention may be to tell a humorous anecdote that helps them to see it in a new way.

• …writing your C&C essay because you want to argue a point with supported facts, then you may want to use the first sentence of your introduction to present an interesting and convincing piece of evidence from your research that will immediately push your reader toward your view.

No matter which direction you choose to take with the beginning of your introduction, the goal is the same: motivate your readers to read what comes next.

No matter how you start your essay, the goal is the same: motivate readers to read what comes next.
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Introduce the subjects of your essay

And what, exactly, comes next? Well, it’s time to let your readers know what exactly your essay will be talking about.

After hooking your readers’ attention with a statistic, question, or interesting anecdote, it’s time to identify the two subjects that you will be comparing and contrasting. It can be tricky to balance the two subjects, but it can be done.

Think about what relevant background information will be beneficial to your readers as they start thinking about your reason for writing the paper.

Is there any history about the subjects that is relevant? Any new information that your reader may not have heard yet? Now would be a good time to mention it (you can expound on it later if need be).

Use this time to present any questions or misconceptions related to the topic, and begin to explain the importance of the topic.

Although you should try to give both subjects an equal amount of time in the introduction and throughout your paper (as they should be equally important to proving your argument), sometimes one subject is just less known to the majority of people.

If this is the case, it’s better to speak about that one a bit more in the introduction than to present a bunch of obvious information to your reader just for the sake of balance.

However, don’t let it get too out of balance. If you really need to explain a lot about one subject, you may need to save it for the body paragraphs.

Don’t overthink this part. Just provide any history or general statistics that show that the subject you’re speaking to is worth reading about. Get your readers ready for your thesis!

And remember, the entire introduction serves as a hook for your paper, so keep your readers interested!

Nail the thesis

After writing an interesting hook sentence and providing your reader with a general overview of your subjects, along with any need-to-know history and statistics, you’re ready to lay the big one on them: your thesis.

This is the most important sentence in your whole paper. It is the reason for writing the essay. It is your argument. It is your guiding light. It is the backbone.

We’ve written a lot about the thesis here at Kibin, so I’m going to leave that horse alone.

However, don’t forget to place it at the end of the extremely interesting introduction paragraph you’ve just written for your compare and contrast essay.

And that’s how to start a compare and contrast essay on the right foot! Need some help with the rest of your essay? Check out compare and contrast essay examples from other students to see how they’ve tackled both the introduction and everything else.

These posts can also help:

• Here’s How to Write a Surprisingly Good Comparative Essay
• 2 Compare and Contrast Essay Examples Worth Emulating
• 2 Comparison Essay Examples That Make Cool Comparisons

If you’re still unsure after writing your introduction (or your full essay), I suggest you send it to an editor at Kibin, who will read it and give you some great advice for the next draft.

Good luck, and happy writing!

But then you sit and stare at a blank page, unsure how to start.

It happens to the best of us. Fortunately, because it’s a cause of concern for so many students, you’re not alone in the struggle.

And even better—you have me here to guide you through your introduction paragraph. Once you have your intro down, the rest will follow.

So let’s get started on starting your essay.

Reviewing What You Already Know

If you’ve been writing essays for a while, whether they’re literary analysis essays or compare and contrast papers, you probably know the basics.

Every teacher will tell you how important your thesis statement is for almost any type of essay you write. They’re not wrong to stress this.

A good thesis statement delivers a clear message of what your essay is about and helps give your reader a type of navigation guide throughout the reading experience. It also keeps the information in your essay focused as you write.

Another popular point for teachers to stress is the hook. This is usually the first sentence or two, and it serves to catch the reader’s attention. A good hook makes people want to read more.

But when you have your hook and thesis statement written, your introduction paragraph looks a little skimpy. You may feel like you need something more—and not just fluff.

What you need is to give some background on the topic between your hook and your thesis statement.

But what kind of information do you need?

What Else Goes Into an Introduction Paragraph?

You don’t want just some filler fluff to go into your intro paragraph. It needs to be relevant. It needs to be informative. It needs to be interesting.

No pressure, though.

Really, the type of information you include beyond a hook and a thesis statement depends somewhat on the type of essay you’ll be writing.

The main thing to remember is that you want to give some background information, however this applies to your particular essay.

The main thing to remember is that you want to give some background information.
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Literary analyses

In essays involving literature, you might include information about the author and the circumstances surrounding the creation of the novel.

For example, if you were writing about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, you might mention that she wrote it as part of a competition among friends. You might also mention that it’s considered one of the first (or the first to some) examples of science fiction literature.

Bonus Read:

15 Literary Terms You Need to Know to Write Better Essays

Argumentative/persuasive essays

In essays involving a debate of some sort, you could discuss the main views for and against the topic.

An essay about whether soda vending machines should be placed in public schools, for instance, may mention that those in favor would argue for the freedom of choice, while those against would argue that kids need to have healthier options.

Check out these annotated argumentative essay examples to see what works and what doesn’t in two different introductions.

History essays

Essays on historical topics should include background information that puts the topic of the essay into perspective.

If you were writing about the beginning of jazz, it would be important to note that New Orleans was the only place jazz could’ve been created because it had a period of time when segregation was not enforced as strictly as it was elsewhere.

What each of these has in common is that the extra information in your introduction paragraph should give your reader enough background to put your thesis statement, and the points that follow, into context.

Narrative essays

The exception to the rule is the narrative essay. Narrative essays tell the reader about a certain point in your life.

Introduction paragraphs in these types of essays usually have a hook, but typically don’t have a traditional thesis statement. They may or may not have background information, depending on how much or how little you want to give away in the beginning.

In a narrative essay, you’re building up a story, usually with some sort of moral or lesson in the end. This means you want a bit of mystery. The intro paragraph may not contain a lot of background information, but it should still give some context.

For example, if you’re writing about persevering in a bowling league, you could start out by setting the scene of your first league meeting—how your teammate dropped a ball on your foot, another teammate couldn’t stop yelling at her mom, and you didn’t get a single strike.

Those details would give context and allow the reader to see how far you came from the beginning to placing in a state competition (true story).

Need some inspiration? Explore these narrative essay examples.

What Not to Include in Your Introduction Paragraph

Again, what to include (and what not to include) depends on what type of essay you’re writing. The main idea is to keep it relevant.

If you’re refuting one argument of a great philosopher, you shouldn’t be talking about what every other philosopher has said on the subject (at least not yet). And you shouldn’t mention that philosopher’s other arguments and theories unless they’re relevant.

Stick to the topic.

If you struggle with this aspect of writing, try the TREE approach or a reverse outline to make sure your paper stays focused and on-topic.

It’s also important to keep your own arguments out of the way for now, except for what you write in your thesis statement. You’ll have time for that in the body section. But for now, you want to get your reader comfortable before presenting your hard-hitting evidence.

So you have the hook, added some context, and ended your introduction paragraph with a well-formed thesis, right? You’re almost done—just one more thing to check: your transitions.

Keeping Your Transitions Clean

Transitions are all about flow. Since I don’t know what type of essay you’re working on or what you chose as your hook, it’s hard to give super-detailed information about how to write your transitions. However, I do have a few general tips:

1. Read your introduction out loud. If it sounds too choppy, you need to add transitions.

2. You can use basic transitional words like “therefore” and “however,” but don’t become too reliant on these. Doing so can lead you to either sound like your writing skills are too basic or have the opposite effect and make your essay sound too formal (depending on which words you choose).

3. Whatever words you choose, stick to a consistent tone. Using “therefore,” for instance, would work for a more formal tone. But if you immediately went into a conversational tone in the background information section, it can be somewhat jarring to your readers.

4. Overall, make it flow. You may need to do a couple read-throughs and tweaks to get this right. Read and revise until it sounds good.

Reaching Out for Help When You Need It

If you’re still stuck, that’s okay. That’s what the Kibin editors are here for. They’ll look over your introduction paragraph, and the rest of your essay, to make sure you give enough (but not too much) detail and that each idea flows well into the next.

So get to writing!

Why?

Because you want to start on the right foot. You don’t want to call your date “Kay” when her name is actually “Kali.” And you don’t want to trip over a chair and fly head-first into your new boss as she asks you to come forward to be introduced.

Starting on the right foot is just as important when writing an essay introduction. Get it wrong and readers lose interest and stop reading. Get it right and readers are engaged and eager to read your masterpiece.

Need a few ideas on how to get it right? Here are three ways to start an essay on the right foot. But first, let’s see what a clumsy introduction looks like and what exactly makes it that way.

Starting an Essay: Two Left Feet

If I say someone has two left feet, I don’t mean it literally. I mean that the person is clumsy and awkward. The idiom usually refers to dancing, but today it refers to writing an essay introduction and the ways to start an essay.

Think of it this way: just because people move their feet around with the rhythm of the music, doesn’t mean they can dance. And just because you’ve written words in paragraph form at the beginning of your paper, doesn’t mean you’ve written a good introduction.

Take a look at these clumsy introductions. Can you identify what’s wrong with each of them?

Clumsy introduction #1

There have been lots of recent dance crazes lately, such as Twerking, Gangnam Style, and the Nae Nae. Whether you like them or not, you have to admit that you’ve tried them at least once or twice and that they’ve had an impact on the dance scene. This paper will explain these dance moves and how they’ve impacted dancing.

Why this intro doesn’t work

First, notice how informal this is. Using terms like “you” and “your” means you’re writing in second person (like I am now) and directly addressing the reader. This usually isn’t appropriate in formal, academic essays.

To learn more about points of view, read Why Third-Person Writing is Critical to a Great Essay.

Second, consider your audience. Watch out for all or nothing statements that imply that everyone feels the same or has had the same experiences. If you’re writing this essay introduction with your professor as the audience, he may not have tried Twerking (or may not even know what Twerking is).

Finally, pay attention to the thesis (written in red). The thesis statement in this introduction announces your plan for the paper. This type of thesis might be appropriate in a scientific report, but doesn’t work well in an essay.

Need more help with thesis statements? Read How to Write a Thesis Statement in 5 Simple Steps.

Clumsy introduction #2

Having worked in a fast food restaurant for almost two years, I can attest to how hard the work is. You have to put up with tons of rude customers, listen to bosses that don’t make any sense, and work a lot of stupid hours, like a three-hour shift or something. To someone who hasn’t worked at a fast food place, the job might not seem that hard. But trust me, it is a hard job, and you don’t get paid nearly enough. Thus, the minimum wage should be raised.

Why this intro doesn’t work

After reading this introduction, readers can’t be sure if this is an opinion essay or a research-based argument essay. The introduction starts with a first-person opinion about how hard it is to work in a fast food restaurant, uses second-person (you) to address the audience, and ends with a formal statement about raising the minimum wage.

If the assignment is to write a first-person opinion essay, that’s fine, but keep the tone under control. Don’t start with a rambling rant like the writer has done with this introduction. You can write in first person without sounding like you’re complaining.

If, on the other hand, the assignment asks you to write a research-based argument essay, that’s fine too. But then, the entire first part of the introduction is inappropriate because you generally shouldn’t include personal experiences in a research-based argument.

Clumsy introduction #3

Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” is full of symbolism about choosing a path in life. Frost is known for his poems about nature, his life, and his life experiences. He also uses a lot of different poetic devices to help readers understand his poems. Choosing a path in life is important, as Frost explains.

Why this intro doesn’t work

This introduction is like two left feet walking in circles. It lacks direction. Will the paper focus on symbolism (or other poetic devices) in “The Road Not Taken”? Will the paper focus on the subjects or themes of Frost’s poems? Will the paper focus on the importance of choosing our paths in life?

Any one of these topics might be an appropriate focus for an essay, but whatever topic you choose, stick with it. Don’t try to include too many ideas in the introduction. Keep your ideas focused.

Start on the Right Foot! – 3 Ways to Start an Essay Right

Let’s say you’re part of a choreographed dance routine. At the start of the number, you begin with the wrong foot. Your misstep stands out and may even ruin the entire routine.

The same is true with a misstep in your opening paragraphs. A poorly written introduction can ruin your entire paper.

Avoid such a misstep, and check out these three ways to start an essay on the right foot.

Graceful introduction #1

When the music starts, do you stay at the edge of the room, claim to have two left feet, and refuse to dance? If so, you’re not alone. Many people feel they lack rhythm and are embarrassed to even step foot on the dance floor. But it doesn’t have to be that way. If you want to learn to dance with the best of them, follow these five basic steps, and you’ll be dancing in no time.

Why this intro works

This introduction begins with a relatable question (written in green). The majority of people will either be able to see themselves as the person who can’t dance or will know of someone who doesn’t like to dance. This is an awesome hook that grabs readers’ interest.

This introduction also contains an effective thesis statement (written in red). Remember, a good thesis statement not only tells readers what your paper is about, but also provides an indication of the type of paper you’re writing. It’s clear by reading this thesis that the paper is a how-to essay that will explain how to dance.

Take note: In this case, the writer is writing a how-to essay (aka, a process essay). Use of second person “you” is often allowed in this type of essay because you’re instructing the reader.

Graceful introduction #2

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2015 the median wage for fast food workers was $9.09 per hour, and employees could expect to earn an annual salary of approximately $18,910. While this median hourly wage might be sufficient for a teen still living at home with parental support, it is an impossibly low wage for working adults who must attempt to support themselves and their families. In order for fast food workers (and other minimum wage workers) to earn a livable wage, the federal minimum wage must be raised.

Why this intro works

This introduction starts with two effective strategies: a quotation and a statistic (in green). Using either or both of these strategies is a smart way to introduce the topic and get readers interested.

The thesis statement of this opening paragraph (in red) also works well to illustrate that the paper will be an argument paper about increasing the federal minimum wage.

Graceful introduction #3

“Frost’s use of nature is the single most misunderstood element of his poetry” (“Frost and Nature”). While most people consider Frost a nature poet and feel he simply enjoyed writing about nature, upon closer examination, it’s clear that Frost’s writings are far more complex.

Why this intro works

Even though this introduction is brief, it also begins with an effective quote to get readers thinking about the topic. It introduces the subject, closes with a thesis that describes the focus of the paper, and let’s readers know that the paper will be a literary analysis of Frost’s works.

The Dance

A well-written paper, like a superbly choreographed dance, flows effortlessly. And both depend on starting on the right foot.

To make sure you’re ready to write the best introduction possible, check out these additional resources for additional ways to start an essay right.

• How to Start an Essay With a Bang
• How to Write an Essay Introduction in 3 Easy Steps
• How to Start a Narrative Essay: 16 Awesome Hooks

If you’ve mastered the introduction but are ready to improve your paper in other ways, here’s some more handy advice:

• How to Read and Understand an Essay Assignment
• How to Write Good Essay Titles That Are…Good
• 3 Types of Essay Support That Prove You Know Your Stuff
• 97 Transition Words for Essays You Need to Know

Don’t forget to send your draft to our Kibin editors, who will make sure it doesn’t miss a step!

So what do I mean when I say, “Start your essay with a bang”?

Let’s start with these headlines. Tell me what they have in common:

• 470 Tons of Smuggled Cheese Seized in Moscow, Russian Police Say
• Burglars Open 1,200 Bottles of Koenig Pilsener Beer, Steal Bottle Caps
• Selfie Accidents Have Killed More People Than Sharks This Year

If you guessed they’re all catchy, clickable headlines, you’re right. These headlines are so unique that you just have to click to read the story.

That’s exactly the effect you want to create when you write your essay introduction.

Here’s how to how to start an essay to create the same effect.

How to Start an Essay With a Bang

You don’t have to write your introduction first.

Sometimes you won’t know how to start until you’ve finished.

I know that might not make sense, but think about it. If you wait until you’ve finished the body of your paper (the key arguments), you have a better understanding of the contents of your paper. This means you can write a better introduction.

The purpose of an introduction

We all know that an introduction is supposed to introduce the paper. But there’s more to it than that.

A good introduction is like a first impression. Imagine meeting your date’s parents, and you’re nothing but a disheveled, bumbling mess. That first impression sticks.

If your essay introduction is that same bumbling mess, filled with typos and a lack of organization, your readers will remember that too.

An introduction also serves as a map to the rest of your paper. It enables readers to see your argument and understand the point of your paper.

This is where a clear thesis statement comes in. Wrap up your opening paragraph(s) with a specific thesis to let readers know exactly what to expect in your paper.

If you end a well-written introduction with a clear, specific thesis statement, how should you start a well-written introduction? Start with a few lines that grab readers’ attention.

The attention grabber

Even though it may sound like it, an attention grabber isn’t a bad made-for-television sci-fi movie like Sharknado. An attention grabber is actually a strategy to not only get people to actually read your paper, but also to hopefully keep them reading.

An attention grabber not only gets people to read your paper, but also keeps them reading.
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Four basic strategies on how to start an essay with an attention grabber

1. An intriguing question

Ask a question that you’ll answer in the body of your paper, or ask a question that will get readers thinking about your topic.

Check out these examples:

• Have you ever wondered how many chemicals are in your tap water?
• Can playing video games make people more intelligent?
• Is pizza a vegetable?

Here’s a sample introduction using an intriguing question:

Is pizza a vegetable? In 2011, this question permeated the news, and parents everywhere wondered how congress could declare pizza a vegetable. The truth is that congress did not determine pizza to be a vegetable. The debate involved pizza sauce and how much of the sauce constituted a serving of vegetables. Whether pizza is a vegetable is still up for debate; however, what is not up for debate is the need to provide more healthy options in public school lunches.

2. A funny , interesting, or out-of the ordinary anecdote

Include a brief story about your topic that sets a scene, engages your readers, and gets them involved in the topic.

Here are a few examples:

• Imagine a time, long, long ago, before the Internet was invented, when people had to travel to a store to buy something.
• A young girl and her brother giggle with joy as they run across the park toward the swings. Sadly, their mother was charged with neglect for letting them play in the park just a block from their home.
• Last semester, Andre showed up for chemistry class ready to take notes about the upcoming exam. He was shocked when, at the beginning of the class, the professor instructed everyone to put away their notes to take the exam. To say the least, Andre wasn’t prepared.

Here’s a sample introduction using an anecdote:

Last semester, Andre showed up for chemistry class ready to take notes about the upcoming exam. He was shocked when, at the beginning of the class, the professor instructed everyone to put away their notes to take the exam. To say the least, Andre wasn’t prepared. Unfortunately for Andre, this wasn’t the first time he wasn’t prepared for class. His habit of procrastination and poor organization has left him struggling to catch up on more than one occasion. While it can be difficult to stay focused in college, if students implement three simple steps, they can organize their schedules, be prepared for class, and improve their grades.

3. A shocking or interesting statistic

Using a shocking statistic grabs readers’ attention simply because it’s hard for them to believe the information could be true. They want to keep reading to learn more.

Check out these examples:

• The FDA allows one rodent hair for every 100 grams of chocolate.
• Seventy percent of students in California’s community colleges fail to graduate or transfer.
• Over 16 million children in the United States live in poverty.

Here’s a sample introduction using a shocking statistic:

Over 16 million children in the United States live in poverty. These children, rather than enjoying carefree days meant for childhood, feel the burden of adult responsibilities. They often go hungry, worry about where their next meals will come from, and worry whether their families will be evicted again. These children wonder if they’ll soon be living in shelters (or worse yet, living in their cars). With the wealth and resources in the United States, such conditions are inexcusable. Additional funding needs to be allocated to help low-income families.

4.  A thought-provoking or astounding quote

Opening your paper with a quote gets readers thinking and involved in your paper.

A word of caution: quote someone with credibility or who is an expert on a topic. Quoting your brother or your roommate is not going to have the same effect as quoting an expert.

Check out these examples:

• Abraham Lincoln said, “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”
• Maya Angelou wisely said, “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”
• Benjamin Franklin is quoted as stating, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

Here’s a sample introduction using a thought-provoking quote:

Benjamin Franklin is quoted as stating, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Any student who has ever neglected to study for a test can attest to this. Many students don’t study because they claim they simply don’t have enough time. While it’s true that colleges students are busy working, participating in sports, attending classes, and studying, the truth is that even busy students need to find time to prepare for class. By using a planner, learning how to study, and scheduling courses appropriately, students can be better prepared and improve their grades.

How to Start an Essay the Wrong Way

Writing introductions isn’t always easy. At times, you might find yourself staring at a blank screen with a severe case of writer’s block. If this happens, don’t write one of the following types of introductions in order to simply have something on paper.

Don’t start with a dictionary definition

It can be tempting (and very easy) to start your essay with something like, “According to Merriam-Webster.com, happiness is a state of well-being and contentment.”

Yeah, it’s an easy way to start your paper, but it certainly isn’t very interesting. Readers already know what happiness means. You don’t need to define it for them.

Keep in mind, if you’re using a definition for a specific term according to a discussion in your class or if you’re defining a complicated term that appears throughout the paper, this strategy may be appropriate.

Don’t write a broad, generalized introduction

You know the type of introduction I’m talking about, the one you write in 22 seconds because you have to get your paper done in no time flat.

It’s the introduction that looks like this:

Imagery allows readers to fully understand and see what the writer is writing about in poetry. It provides readers with a clear vision of what he or she is talking about and is an important element of many poems. Without imagery, writing would be dull and uninteresting. In the poem A Supermarket in California, Allen Ginsberg uses imagery to create a powerful scene.

Nothing about this introduction works. It uses the term “imagery,” but it doesn’t say anything specific about the subject, how it’s used in the poem, or the focus of your paper.

Don’t announce the goal for your paper

Don’t start by telling your readers something like, “This paper will explain how to use shading to draw realistic people.”

This may be an appropriate opening line for an instruction manual. It’s not, however, effective as an opening line for an academic essay.

Rather than announcing your topic, simply incorporate the ideas into a statement.  For instance, you might write, “Artists often struggle to create life-like faces in their artwork; however, shading is an important strategy and a key step in creating realistic figures.”

More Bang for Your Buck

But wait…there’s more!

As if all this awesome advice wasn’t enough, here are a few more articles on how to start an essay with a bang.

• Read What Is a Hook Sentence? to learn more about what makes a good hook sentence.
• Read How to Write Good Hook Sentences to learn more about crafting the perfect hook sentence.

Our help doesn’t end with our fabulous blog! Get proofreading and editing assistance from a Kibin editor.

I really don’t have such a tale to tell, but I bet I piqued your interest, didn’t I? Why? Because it’s a great opening line that makes you want to learn more. You keep reading because you want to know how the story ends.

This line is actually the first line of the movie Fallen (1998), and whether or not you like the movie, you have to admit that the opening line is killer.

A killer opening line and catchy introduction are exactly what you want for your essay. You want to write an essay introduction that says, “READ ME!”

To learn how to write an essay introduction in 3 easy steps, keep reading!

Why You Need a Good Introduction

First impressions are important!

Think about how many times you start reading an article and don’t read more than a line or two because you lose interest just that fast.

Readers are going to approach your paper in the same way. If they aren’t interested in the first few lines, they’ll stop reading. (Of course, your professor will keep reading even if she’s not very interested, but that’s not the reaction you’re hoping for.)

Without a good introduction, your paper will fall flat.

Without a good introduction, your paper will fall flat.
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Like anything it takes a bit of time and practice to craft the perfect introduction, but it’s worth it! So let’s talk about how to write an essay introduction in 3 easy steps.

How to Write an Essay Introduction in 3 Easy Steps

Step 1: Write a catchy opening line

What do all good essay introductions have in common? They have memorable opening lines.

What do all good introductions have in common? They have memorable opening lines.
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These opening lines (sometimes called hook sentences) grab readers’ attention. They provide just enough information to leave your audience wanting more.

What your opening line looks like will depend on what type of paper you’re writing.

You might try using a shocking quote, an interesting statistic, an anecdote, or a question you’ll answer in the essay.

If you’re writing a problem/solution essay, for example, you’ll likely be writing about a serious topic. Your tone and opening lines will reflect this, and a shocking quote or statistic might be your best option.

Here’s a quick example:

Bad opening line for a problem/solution essay: Parking on campus is terrible, and they definitely need to do something about it.

This broad, uninteresting statement doesn’t work well as opening line. The language is too informal, and readers aren’t sure who “they” might be.

Better opening line for a problem/solution essay: A 2014 Student Government survey revealed that 65% of commuters have been late to class in the past semester due to lack of available on-campus parking.

The opening line works much better. Not only is the tone much more serious, but it includes a statistic that reveals that the problem actually exists.

If you’re writing an evaluation essay, you’ll likely be writing in first person. Because this essay is more informal, you have more options for an opening line. You might use a personal story or anecdote, but might also find that a quote works just as well.

Let’s look at a few sample opening lines from an evaluation essay.

Bad opening line #1: I think Michael Keaton was a good Batman.

The most appropriate reaction to this line would be: So what?

This opening line tells readers almost nothing.  It isn’t interesting and doesn’t grab readers’ attention at all.

Bad opening line #2: According to dictionary.com, Batman is “a character in an American comic strip and several films who secretly assumes a batlike costume in order to fight crime”.

This is a horrible opening line! Don’t use dictionary definitions to start your paper. Dictionary definitions are dull and boring, and in most cases, readers already know the word you’re defining, so the strategy isn’t effective.

Bad opening line #3: Ever since the days of the cavemen, we’ve told stories about our heroes.

This type of introduction makes a broad, sweeping statement that doesn’t offer any connection to the real content of your paper. Avoid such statements that start with the beginning of time.

Better opening line: Even though Christopher Nolan’s Batman has been critically acclaimed, the fact remains that the most successful Batman ever made was Tim Burton’s version starring Michael Keaton (Aspen).

This opening line cites a credible source and offers readers an arguable statement.

This type of statement will work well if readers are fans of Keaton or if readers are fans of Nolan, as they’ll want to read on to see why you think Keaton is so much better.

Step 2: Introduce your topic

Think about what readers need to know to understand the focus of your paper. Think about how narrow or how broad your introduction should be and what you’ll include in your opening paragraph to help readers understand what you’re writing about.

If you’re writing an evaluation essay about Michael Keaton’s portrayal of Batman, including details about the entire Batman franchise is too broad. Instead, focus your introduction more closely on only Michael Keaton’s interpretation of Batman.

Here’s an example.

Bad strategy to introduce the topic: Batman debuted in comic books in 1939 and has been popular ever since. Batman was a television show in the 1960’s and was also remade into many feature-length movies. These movies include Batman & Robin, Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and The Dark Knight Trilogy.

This example discusses the history of Batman and lists various movies, but the focus is broad, and it doesn’t even mention Michael Keaton. Remember, you’re writing an evaluation essay about Michael Keaton, so he should probably be mentioned in the introduction!

Better strategy to introduce the topic: Since Batman’s comic book debut in 1939, Batman has been portrayed in the 1960’s hit television show (starring Adam West) and in a number of feature-length movies, with A-list actors such as Michael Keaton, George Clooney, and Christian Bale starring in the lead role. Though all of these actors brought their own unique style to the caped crusader, Michael Keaton’s performance stands out among the others.

This example still includes an overview of the history, but it focuses on the men who starred as Batman. This strategy narrows the focus of your introduction and tells readers that you’ll be focusing on Michael Keaton, rather than the history of Batman or the other actors.

Step 3: Write a clear, focused thesis statement

A thesis statement is essentially a mini-outline of your paper. It tells readers what your paper is about and offers your opinion on the topic.

Without a strong thesis, your essay introduction pretty much falls apart.

It’s like putting together a TV stand but deciding to not use all 500 tiny screws in the plastic bag. Without all of those screws in place, the stand will fall apart once you put your TV on it.

So take the time to write a focused thesis. It will help hold your paper together.

Check out this example.

Bad thesis statement: In this paper, I’ll prove that Michael Keaton is the best Batman.

There are so many things wrong with this thesis that I don’t even know where to start.

First, in most types of writing there’s really no need to announce statements like, “In this paper…” Readers should understand the thesis without such announcements.

Second, your essay won’t “prove” the Michael Keaton is the best, so avoid such absolute wording.

Finally, the thesis is vague. How will you define “best”? What does it mean to be the “best” Batman? A thesis needs to be far more specific.

Better thesis statement: Michael Keaton’s comedic timing, on-screen presence, and ability to deliver flawless lines makes Keaton’s version of Batman one of the most effective on-screen portrayals of the character to date.

This thesis statement is much better because it gives readers a quick overview of the paper. It also tells readers that you’re writing about Michael Keaton’s portrayal of Batman, and you’re evaluating Keaton on three specific criteria.

It’s strong enough to stand on its own and strong enough to hold your paper together.

Here’s what your completed essay introduction looks like.

Even though Christopher Nolan’s Batman has been critically acclaimed, the fact remains that the most successful Batman ever made was Tim Burton’s version starring Michael Keaton (Aspen). Since Batman’s comic book debut in 1939, Batman has been portrayed in the 1960s hit television show (starring Adam West) and in a number of feature-length movies, with A-list actors such as Michael Keaton, George Clooney, and Christian Bale starring in the lead role. Though all of these actors brought their own unique style to the caped crusader, Michael Keaton’s performance stands out among the others. Michael Keaton’s comedic timing, on-screen presence, and ability to deliver flawless lines makes Keaton’s version of Batman one of the most effective on-screen portrayals of the character to date.

Not bad, is it? It hooks readers with a catchy opening line, provides a brief introduction to your topic, and includes a strong, focused thesis to let readers know what your paper is about.

Write the Introduction Last (and Other Crazy Ideas)

Even though the introduction is the first thing your audience reads, the introduction doesn’t have to be the first thing you write.

You should always start with a solid focus for your paper, but you can start writing the body of your paper first. Sometimes it can be easier to think of a clever line and strong thesis once you’ve written the main arguments of your paper.

You might also try writing the body and conclusion of your paper (minus the introduction). Once you’ve written the conclusion, think about how you might rework your concluding ideas into an amazing introduction.

Yes, this means you’ll need to write a second conclusion, but sometimes revised conclusions make the best introductions!

If you’re one of those procrastinators and need a bit of help actually starting your paper, read How to Write an Essay Fast and Well.

You might also want to read this to help with formatting.

If you’re still not sure if you know how to write an essay introduction that works, why not have one of our Kibin editors take a look at your paper?

I don’t have a hook problem, aside from the sick pleasure I glean from mangling popular song lyrics to suit my purpose, nor does Jay Z, if all those platinum albums are to be believed.

But if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you are struggling to write a hook sentence. Luckily, I’m here to help you solve your problem.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. First of all, what is a hook sentence, and why does a good hook sentence matter so much?

A hook sentence is a meaty opening line (or two) that grabs your reader’s attention and makes the rest of your essay (or article or letter or any piece of writing) irresistible.

Let’s try a thought experiment: Pretend you’re introducing a friend to your favorite restaurant. Now imagine that the cool fountain out front is gone, all the decor has been stripped from the interior, and there are no enticing smells to greet you at the front door.

The experience of eating there is totally different — and I dare say a little boring — when there’s nothing appealing about the first impression, right? Your friend would probably be baffled by the appeal and may not even want to sit down, even if the grub itself is fantastic.

An essay without a good hook sentence, no matter how well-written, is kind of like that drab restaurant. No matter how good the rest of the essay is, it’s essential that the first line whets the reader’s appetite.

It’s essential that the first sentence of your essay whets the reader’s appetite
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So to help you understand what a hook sentence is and how to write one, I’ve created an infographic that is all about hook sentences. This handy guide includes loads of helpful information:

• Questions to help you identify your audience. Do they have to read your writing, or do you have to work extra-hard to convince them to read it?

• Questions about your purpose for writing. Are you trying to inform, motivate, or entertain your reader?

• Hook writing tips and approaches. This includes several hook writing strategies, so you can pick the right one to suit your audience and purpose.

• Hook sentence examples. Each type of hook sentence is accompanied by an example so that you can see how these sentences might look at the beginning of a real-life essay.
  

So without further ado, check out the “What Is a Hook Sentence?” infographic, and be sure to read How to Write Good Hook Sentences for additional guidance.

What Is a Hook Sentence? (Infographic)

Okay, so, that didn’t happen. But, with any luck, that beginning has motivated you to read the rest of this blog post. And, therein lies the magic of a hook.

It can be difficult to keep your audience reading–because, let’s face it, most of us have short attention spans. However, a good hook can do just that. It’s the difference between pulling your reader into your writing and losing them to other distractions.

Without an interesting hook, you can lose your reader before the second paragraph.

A good hook is key to nearly every essay you write, but maybe none more so than in the narrative essay. So, let’s take a look at how to start a narrative essay.

What Is a Narrative Essay?

Before you can fully engage in what makes the perfect hook for your narrative essay, let’s make sure you know what a narrative essay is exactly.

A narrative, quite simply, is a story. Unlike other essays in which you may need to argue or prove something, a narrative essay is about telling a story.

Quite often, of course, this will be a story from your life. We all have stories. We tell them often. However, not all of those stories in your brain will make for a good narrative essay.

For example, you may have a really funny story about the time you ate grass as a kid and threw up at school. But, what will the reader take away from the story? Don’t eat grass? Well, we already know that.

Perhaps you also have a story about the first time you cut the lawn. You remember it being fun, exciting. However, the moment your father offered to pay you to do it, it suddenly felt unappealing, like work. Now, this story has potential, featuring a character transformation and a lesson to be learned.

A good narrative essay will be fun to write, interesting to read, and meaningful in some way, among other things.

And it should all start with an awesome hook.

Why Is It Important to Know How to Start a Narrative Essay?

Well, let’s keep this simple, shall we? When we write something, we want people to read what we have written. That goes double for something that is personal, like a narrative essay.

However, if the reader isn’t engaged in your writing, they aren’t going to finish it. Why would they when they could be learning about the Arab Spring through Jurassic Park Gifs?! (*cough* DieBuzzfeed *cough*).

This makes it utterly important that you grab their attention early. While they have the opportunity to learn something incredibly useful from your stellar narrative, the vortex of technological distractions can blend their brains into a fine purée.

So, please, start your essay off on an interesting foot. Please. Think of the children.

A good hook sentence grabs your audience and refuses to let go. It sets the tone for the rest of your story. It gets under your reader’s skin right from the beginning and starts to stir those feelings that your narrative essay intends to address.

16 Awesome Hooks to Start a Narrative Essay

There are myriad ways in which you can formulate your hook sentence. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, because, well, writing doesn’t always fit into a mold. It involves being bold and striking out on your own and trusting your gut, even if your writing doesn’t fit neatly into a category.

However, having said that, there are some tried-and-true methods for hooking a reader. Here are few of the most common types of hooks, along with some awesome examples:

Use a Quote as a Narrative Hook

Quote from Literature

Is there a piece of literature that influenced you or relates directly to your story? Use a quote from it to eloquently connect your reader to your narrative.

1. I had felt so alone for so long, wondering why I was different, why I couldn’t be normal, when I read Kurt Vonnegut’s Player Piano for the first time: “I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center.” That was it.

2. I was alone in my room reading On the Road in which Jack Kerouac wrote, “A pain stabbed my heart, as it did every time I saw a girl I loved who was going the opposite direction in this too-big world.” I was immediately transported back to that heavy summer day at Penn Station, July 23, 2010.

Quote from a Famous Person

Has a famous person inspired you in some way? The good news is that your reader probably knows the person too, you know, because of the whole famous thing. Tap into that connection.

3. Christopher McCandless once said, “The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” It was in this spirit that I packed a small bag and left home at the age of 18.

4. As Socrates waited for his execution, he practiced a tune on his flute. When asked what was the use, he replied, “To know this tune before dying.” I can’t explain my own motivations any better. I just need to know.

Use an Anecdote as a Narrative Hook

No matter whether it’s funny or moving, starting your essay, right off the bat, with an intriguing anecdote from your story can be a great way to raise questions in your reader that keep them reading until the end. Authors do this all of the time.

5. One day, when I was ten years old, my father woke me for school. We had cereal together in the kitchen. He asked if I’d brushed my teeth. He walked me to the bus stop and told me to have a good day. It was a completely normal morning, which is what really gets me, because it was the last time I ever saw him.

6. The children talked about me, as they tended to do, not knowing that I could understand what they were saying. “Look at his eyes and his nose. So weird.” The life of an American in China is somewhat akin to an animal in a zoo, I suppose.

Use a Question as a Narrative Hook

If you have more of a direct style, instead of writing an anecdote meant to stir up questions in your reader, you may choose to just present them with a question. Again, the search for the answer can keep the pages turning.

7. They assured me that my choice would change nothing. But, how could it not? Could you sit down at sixteen years old and choose between your father and your mother, knowing the other will be devastated?

8. You just won the lottery. We’ve all imagined this scenario from time to time. What would you buy? Where would you go? What would change? Well, what if I told you that you didn’t need to win the lottery at all? Would you believe me?

Use a Shocking Statement as a Narrative Hook

If you want to be even more direct, try bypassing the questions and simply hitting your reader with the answer. Now, obviously, no one likes to be told what to think, so the idea is to feed the reader a bit of a shocking statement that motivates them to find out how you arrived at it.

9. Nothing you learn in the first seventeen years of your life means a thing. This was crystal clear the day I turned eighteen.

10. There is no such thing as free will. If it existed, I would have had a say in when, where, and to whom I was born.

Use an Interesting Fact as a Narrative Hook

The idea here is to present your reader with a fact that they are unaware of. Obviously, since we are talking about narrative essays, this will somehow have to relate to you personally. If executed correctly, it will add another layer to your story, putting it into perspective for the reader.

11. Every cell in the human body is replaced over the course of about seven years. That means, not one part of me from that April day ten years ago is still with me today.

12. Right now, as you read this, you are flying through space at a speed of 67,000 mph. There have been times in my life when I swear I could feel it.

Use Setting as a Narrative Hook

A narrative essay is not only about getting your message across. You must pull your reader into the story. You can do this by clearly describing your setting so your reader can envision it; once in, it will be difficult for them to get out.

13. As he pounded on the door, the room shook. I knew it would open eventually, and nothing would be the same, but I wasn’t watching the door. I couldn’t take my eyes off the Little League trophy that was slowly moving closer and closer to the edge of my shelf.

14. There was an old water tower in my hometown that I’d climb from time to time. I’d sit dangling my feet off the edge, picking at the flaking turquoise paint, and watching the cars carry those lucky people down that road, towards the setting sun, far away from me.

Use a Statistic as a Narrative Hook

How can statistics relate to a narrative essay? Well, that depends on your story, but they can help the reader understand where you’ve been or where you’re going.

15. Twenty-five percent of anorexia and bulimia sufferers are men, so why did I feel so alone?

16. The average American consumes 77.1 liters of beer per year in the United States. Then again, my father wasn’t average.

As alluded to before, this isn’t a complete list. However, with any luck, these examples have helped inspire you to understand how to start a narrative essay with a great hook.

If you still feel unsure about your hook, or your narrative essay in general, send it over to the dedicated editors at Kibin. They will give you honest, constructive feedback on how hooked they felt after reading your introduction.

Until then, explore the rest of the Kibin blog for stimulating content that nurtures the mind instead of turning it into mush.

Stuck on Your Narrative Essay?

Check Out These Example Narrative Essays

Yes! Show Me Examples.

When I talk about good hook sentences, I’m talking about that juicy string of words that make up the first sentence (or two) of your writing project—the words that grab your readers’ attention and don’t let go.

Good hook sentences say, “Drop everything you’re doing and read me right now,” without actually coming out and just saying that.

Writing good hook sentences is critical in all types of writing disciplines from essays and marketing copy to novels and short stories. Hooks are even used in song lyrics.  I’m sure, on more than one occasion, you’ve fallen victim to an earworm (a set of lyrics that you can’t get out of your head). That’s because you got hooked. I got the eye of the tiger… oh…um, sorry, I wasn’t listening to Katy Perry, I swear!

Now, here’s the catch. There’s no single, tried and true formula to writing good hook sentences. There is no specific order of nouns, verbs, and adjectives that will get the job done. But when it comes time to KO your readers, this post will give you four simple steps to help you craft your perfect hook.

Good Hook Sentences Step 1—Identify Your Audience

Your hook sentence, just like the rest of your writing project, needs to speak to your specific audience. Getting the attention of a college professor is going to be a vastly different task than getting the attention of a group of stay-at-home moms, for example. Before you write your hook, ask yourself three key questions:

Question 1: Who is my audience?

It’s important to identify your audience no matter what type of writing project you’re working on. Doing so will help you select a message that speaks to them.

If you’re trying to get the attention of a bunch of middle school girls, for example, you either need to be Justin Bieber in the flesh or write a hook that is geared toward that age group.

If, however, your writing project is geared toward the admissions counselors at a prestigious university, you had better get a haircut, Bieber, and write your sentence appropriately.

Before setting out on this writing adventure, make note of your intended audience.

Question 2: Do I have a captive audience?

This question is important because it will help you better understand the purpose of your hook.

In the case of your teacher or an admissions counselor, you pretty much have a captive audience. They are being paid to read your writing. So the intention of your hook is to keep these people from falling asleep on the job, to entice them to give you a good grade, or to convince them to admit you into their institution.

If you’re writing a blog, a book, or marketing copy, then your audience is not captive, meaning they have a choice to read your work or not. Whether your writing appears online, at the bookstore, or on a publishing agent’s desk, your work is one second away from being skipped over in favor of the next piece of writing. In this scenario, a good hook is the lifeline of your writing.

Question 3: What matters to my audience?

Finally, you need to figure out what is important to your audience. Are they interested in solving a particular problem? Are they looking for a specific type of information? Do they want to know something interesting about you? Do they want to know that you understand a particular topic? Are they looking to be entertained?

Write down what matters to your audience.  This will help you craft your ultimate hook sentence.

Good Hook Sentences Step 2—Identify the Purpose of Your Writing

The next important issue to determine is the purpose behind your writing. A good hook sentence must be consistent with your writing. You can’t just write an awesome sentence because it’s awesome, and then go off onto another topic entirely. That would just make you look like a crazy person.

For example, if you are writing an argumentative essay, your hook should reflect the strength of your argument, perhaps by stating a shocking fact.  On the other hand, if you’re writing a love story, you might start off writing a sweet and romantic anecdote. And if you’re writing a frightening essay on the topic of nuclear warheads, you might select to begin with a chilling statistic.

When identifying your purpose, ask yourself these two questions:

Question 1: How do I want my audience to feel?

Your answer could be that you want them to feel frightened, or motivated to action, or warm and fuzzy like they have a cute puppy on their lap, or interested in your life story.

The point is to write a hook that elicits the types of feelings you want your audience to have.

Question 2: What do I want my audience to take away?

Your answer could be that you want them to be better educated on a certain topic, or that you want them to question reality, or that you want them to believe in love again.

A good hook will reflect the purpose of your writing and set the stage for how you want your audience to feel and what you want them to take away from your work.

Good Hook Sentences Step 3—Choose Your Hook Wisely

Just as there is more than one way to skin a cat  (not that I would know–I like my cats with skin and fur on them), there is more than one way to write a compelling hook that will grab your readers’ attention.

Here are a few of those ways:

1. Tell a humorous anecdote.

2. Reveal a startling fact.

3. Give an inspirational quote.

These are only three of many types of hooks. I could go on and on and on, but instead I created a resource just for you that features 14 different types of hooks plus example sentences.

To get this awesome resource and start your ideas flowing, just enter your email in the box at the bottom right of this screen. Your exclusive hook sentences will be instantly sent to your inbox.

Good Hook Sentences Step 4—Craft Your Hook

Now that you’ve considered your audience, the purpose of your work, and settled on the type of hook you want to write, it’s time to make it shine. A good hook sentence will use only the right words and will be as polished and refined as possible.

Honestly, this is how you should approach writing all of your sentences, but if you only have one absolutely perfect sentence in your work, let it be your hook.

One more note: even though your hook sentence is your very first sentence, it’s a good idea to write it last. By writing it last, you can better capture the tone and purpose of your entire writing project.

Remember, a good hook sets up expectations about your writing, establishes your credibility as a writer, grabs your readers’ attention, and makes them eager to read your work. If you need inspiration, you might check out these Kibin editors can help with that!

Good luck!

*Cover image credit: Spray flies from the head of challenger Joe Frazier, left, as heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali connects with a right in the ninth round of their title fight in Manila. (AP Photo/Mitsunori Chigita, File)