Morning all – do you think the beginning hook of a book is more important than the ending?
Morning all – do you think the beginning hook of a book is more important than the ending?
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There has to be cadence. Those first few thousand words have to snare the reader; every chapter must be a page-turner; the final denouement must be satisfyingly full of justice.
Good question. For me the hook has to be good for me to get to the end
Definitely needs to grab me from the start otherwise I lose interest
Yes – The End (a short affirmative story)
It needs to grab me by chapter 2. The end has to be good too though. It can be such an anti climax if the ending is weak. It leaves you deflated. Recently read 2 books by a new author, whilst good the end few chapters were a bit of a let down. Shame really.
Has to have a beginning that grabs you straight away….
Think they are equally important
The more promising the start the more satisfying the ending needs to be, no?
Yes! I agree with this! X
The hook is very important, it can make or break you in carrying on with the book. But a powerful ending makes you look for another title by the author. I never used to give up on any book, ploughing on to the end. I don’t have enough time for that these days, so the hook is king for me.
I think they are equally important, for different reasons. The opening hooks readers in so that they will read that book – the ending should make them feel satisfied, and therefore eager to read more of your work.
Probably.
I think the beginning doesn’t necessarily need an OMG hook, but it does need a character or a situation readers want to know more about – that keeps me reading, anyway. By the end, the main situation or conflict should be resolved, otherwise I feel like I’ve been left hanging.
Personally, I do think have the killerhook at the start is important as I am more likely to keep reading, however this does not apply to psych thrillers as they are often a slow, suspenseful build-up.
Yes BUT the ending of a book is the beginning hook for the next book. Both need to be awesome in order to build a readership.
Only if it is a series… ?
But I do think an ending has to leave you thinking and wanting to read more by the author – that’s for sure!
That’s right, so it’s not only if it is a series. If you leave a reader with a bad taste in their mouth they will not pick up another one of your books. 😉
Yes. It has to draw readers in. Having said that, the end has to be good too, or they might not read another of yours.
Unless you have something to draw the reader into the story, it is unlikely that the reader will even bother to go past the first paragraph. We must all of us have read books with disappointing endings but we had to read the whole story before finding out. For me, the beginning is more important than the ending.
I think the beginning has to be more exciting because (unless its a series) the reader is not invested in the characters, but the ending also has to work well. I’ve read so many books which seem to rush the end, like a child attempting to fit a long word onto a line.
I don’t think it’s more important, but rather it’s just as important. The hook needs to grab me to continue reading it, but then if I’ve invested the time and I’m not satisfied with the ending, the beginning won’t matter much any more!
My short attention span needs a great hook to start but it does also need substance to keep it going. The ending needs to be satisfying, not exciting necessarily.
Yes and no. The beginning has to pull me in and make me care, but the ending has to leave me satisfied or else I won’t buy the author’s next book.
Same here.
I’d say equally, but those first few pages will either keep me reading or put me off the book…
The beginning can pull me in, but if the ending turns out to be a disappointment, I probably won;t read another by that author
An author I know well – her debut won her a 3-book deal with one of the major globals; a 2-book deal in Germany; and a TV series – said that she read hundred of first chapters just to get it right before she approached an agent. @Roz is a diligent, dedicated star of crime fiction.
Ha, thanks, @Richard. And it’s all still a bit of a mystery to me 🙂
It needs to be linear – stories should never be broken into parts. Hook, build, surprise.
In my opinion the beginning has to be as good as the ending, just so I’m not left thinking what was the point in reading that then?
Equal importance @Alexina. I saw a movie called The Last Exorcism. It was fabulous from the word go but had audiences booing at the end. Every word Nd every hook counts. Great question. Love your posts.
Equal importance @Alexina. I saw a movie called The Last Exorcism. It was fabulous from the word go but had audiences booing at the end. Every word Nd every hook counts. Great question. Love your posts.
Both equal I think.
I think they are both important. I love a gripping start but also a great ending! Tough question! X
Well begun is half done. Oh yes, thats the first impression a reader gets.
That’s a bit like asking if the first or last mouthful of a meal should be the best.
I want a good beginning and a good end please, that’s a good book .