StoryNotesNewsletter #20


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And now ...

Having not one, but two
hooks enhances your chances
of selling your screenplay.
So ...



* * * GIVE US THE HOOK — TWO OF THEM * * *


"Hook" has two related meanings in screenwriting.

In both cases, the term refers to hooking our interest.
Screenplays benefit by having two types of hooks. The most
important one is the Story Hook. The other (also important,
but not *as* important) is the Initial Hook.

#1 -- STORY HOOK

What is the "Story Hook"? It's that aspect of your main
idea — your concept — that is in some way distinctive,
unusual, fascinating, appealing, or compelling.

Here are three concepts that have no story hook to them:

"Several middle-aged friends go to a funeral for an old
college friend of theirs. Afterwards, they get together to
reminisce about him and the 'good old days,' and to ponder
how their lives went off course."

"Two married couples discuss the strengths and
weaknesses of their marriages and their family problems.
Conflicts between them come to the surface; some of them are
resolved through honest communication. By the end, it's
possible that some of their problems, by being better
understood, may wind up being solved."

"A woman sues for divorce, but her husband fights her in
court."

The first two seem lacking in focus and direction. We
sense no central problem and/or central goal. They both
seem to be nothing more than a group of people sitting (and
maybe standing) around talking. Sometimes arguing.

So what?! It's too unfocused, too meandering. And too
mundane. Ordinary. There's nothing special, nothing
tantalizing or promising here. In the hands of a gifted
writer, it could wind up being quite good. But it would be
difficult getting anyone to agree to read a script with that
sort of logline (unless the author was already well-
established). And if it were made — even with stars in the
leading roles — it would not be a logline (or concept) that
would stimulate many people to go see it. It would need
fantastic reviews to compensate.

The third idea does indicate a central issue and a
central conflict, and implies a main goal (she wants a
divorce, he wants to stop her from divorcing him).

But ... there's still no Story Hook. The courts are
clogged with contested divorces; this kind of situation
happens every day. There's nothing distinct, nothing
different. It doesn't intrigue us. In the hands of a
gifted writer, it might end up being good, but it doesn't
*promise* to be good.

Without a Story Hook, someone reading or hearing the
concept might say, at best, "Well, it *might* wind up being
good, if it's written really well, but it just doesn't sound
all that inviting."

A Story Hook is some angle to the concept that gives it
some pizzazz, some glitter, some sizzle.

For instance, in KRAMER VS. KRAMER, the somewhat
intriguing hook was that the wife walked out, abruptly —
leaving her husband to care for their young son. Then, once
the man has become a better person and a good father, she
comes back, months later, and sues for custody.

That turns what could have been an ordinary custody
story into something that sounds a good deal more
fascinating.

So Story Hook doesn't necessarily mean a "high-concept"
idea, such as FATAL ATTRACTION, AIR FORCE ONE, SPLASH, BIG,
HOME ALONE, or HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS. Although those and
other high-concept movies certainly do have strong and
distinctive Story Hooks.

But a Story Hook can include films like the
aforementioned KRAMER VS. KRAMER, and others such as
ORDINARY PEOPLE, SHINE, GOOD WILL HUNTING, WITNESS, SLING
BLADE, JERRY MAGUIRE, A BEAUTIFUL MIND, and A STREETCAR
NAMED DESIRE.

None of those films are about common, ordinary
circumstances. There is something intriguing about each of
those concepts. They clearly demonstrate dramatic
potential. They are all news- and/or gossip-worthy events.

For instance, GOOD WILL HUNTING isn't about just some
troubled young man struggling to grow up. He's also a
janitor at M.I.T. — who turns out to be a genius. He's
smarter than most of the students there, and many of the
professors.

The boarder that the mother and son take into their home
in SLING BLADE isn't just a friendly and quirky man. He's
also distinctly slow, extremely good-hearted and loyal to
the boy — and a murderer recently released from the
psychiatric hospital.

Several of the above-mentioned films feature an
extraordinary or at least an uncommon individual. The
others present fairly ordinary people (interesting, but
basically "regular") who find themselves in extraordinary
circumstances. Or, if not extraordinary, at least unusual
and intriguing.

There are exceptions to everything. MY DINNER WITH
ANDRE does *not* have much of a Story Hook — none at all,
basically, outside of the curiosity factor (can the writer
pull this off?). But without a Story Hook — something about
the concept that sounds fascinating and promising — then,
unless you're an established writer of note, it's unlikely
you'll get many people to read your script. And, should the
script be filmed anyway, it's unlikely many will go see it.

Even most indie and art house films have a strong Story
Hook — some kind of highly unusual, fresh, sometimes
sensational element that really piques our curiosity and
hooks our interest, and which stimulates a desire to read or
see the story.

And by the way, the idea of having a Story Hook — and
the importance placed on it — is nothing new. Most of
Shakespeare's plays had premises that were compelling,
alluring, and unusual, and which provoked curiosity and
interest. Two teenagers fall in love — only to find that
they are each from prominent families engaged in a long-
standing and violent feud. That's the "story angle worth
attention" in ROMEO AND JULIET. There are also strong and
particular premises in HAMLET, MACBETH, KING LEAR, and many
others.

It goes even further back: about 2,400 years ago, to
the days of Greek drama. The comedies of Aristophanes and
others are noted for being based upon some fanciful,
whimsical "Happy Idea," as it has often been termed. For
instance, in LYSISTRATA, women of two warring states refuse
to have sex with their husbands and lovers until the men
agree to end the war.

Most tragedies of that era also contained Story Hooks.
MEDEA concerns an emotionally distraught woman who, to
punish her cheating husband who has left her, murders their
children. OEDIPUS REX features a king who discovers he was
adopted ... and now realizes that several years ago, he
killed his actual father — and is now married to his mother!

Clearly, Story Hooks don't have to be that sensational.
But they should contain something highly distinctive, maybe
even extreme, either in terms of situation or
characterization. Something out of the ordinary. Often
it's something that suggests high stakes. Or is rather
surprising ... something that promises to be a tantalizing
and dramatically effective tale.

Not all movies have a Story Hook — but most successful
ones do. Not all screenplays contain a Story Hook — indeed,
most scripts by amateur writers do not.

The Story Hook, ultimately, is some unusual,
distinctive, fascinating, fresh, surprising, delightful, or
exciting element of the story concept. It's the "story
angle of interest" that would (a) make people want to read
the screenplay, and (b) make people want to see the movie.

In short: a concept should contain something that
attracts our attention and that "hooks" our interest. And
makes us want to read the script or see the movie.

In addition to the overall Story Hook, most good stories
have another kind of hook as well ...

#2 — THE INITIAL HOOK

Somewhere in the first few minutes of a screenplay, it's
important to "hook" the reader or viewer. If the reader
isn't hooked in the first five pages, he or she may set the
script aside.

A TV viewer who isn't hooked in the first five minutes
will almost certainly grab for the remote.

Of course, for those who have taken the time to go to a
cinema to see a movie, they won't leave after five minutes
if they aren't hooked yet. But they may grow restless and
start engaging in critical nit-picking. Once viewers start
doing that, it's tough to get them out of that negative
mode.

Almost always in a good screenplay or movie, there's
something in the first five minutes that serves to hook our
attention in some way. It could be a Big Event — startling,
shocking, exciting. But it could also be some relatively
small incident or action that somehow fascinates us and
awakens our curiosity — something mysterious, perhaps, or
out-of-place. Or it could be something that makes us really
like (or dislike) a character. Or something that makes us
see how unusual a particular character is. It might be a
line of dialogue — threatening, hilarious, or just extremely
curious. It could even be some sort of arresting,
compelling image.

One way or another, whether it's a major event, a
humorous or intriguing line of dialogue or bit of business,
an unusual character, a minor but fascinating incident that
piques our curiosity or attracts our attention, or a
wonderful image, we need to be hooked in the first five
minutes.

And usually, this Initial Hook will occur within the
first three minutes (three pages).

Sometimes the Catalyst (the Inciting Incident) also acts
as a Hook, if it occurs within the first five minutes.

For instance, in FIELD OF DREAMS (the whispered voice
"If you build it, he will come") is both the Initial Hook
*and* the first stage of the Catalyst.

Other films with early Catalysts that double as Initial
Hooks include THE FUGITIVE (the murder), SHAWSHANK
REDEMPTION (he's on trial for murder), BICYCLE THIEF (the
long-awaited and badly needed job offer, but, since he has
no bike at the moment — a prerequisite for the job — he lies
and says he does to get the job), A KNIGHT'S TALE (the death
of the knight, and the squire deciding to illegally take his
place), and AIR FORCE ONE (the commando assault and
kidnapping of the terrorist).

Usually, however, the Catalyst comes after the five
minute mark. In that case, we need something else in the
first pages to hook interest and attention.

In action or adventure movies, Initial Hooks are easy to
spot, as in the openings of STAR WARS, RAIDERS OF THE LOST
ARK, THE MATRIX, and all James Bond films. In IN THE LINE
OF FIRE, it wasn't the opening scene, but rather one that
began about three minutes into the film.

In comedies, it will usually be something comedic. In
dramas, it's whatever intriguing, dramatic, or fascinating
event or image serves the purpose: a floating feather in
FORREST GUMP, or a little boy reciting a coach's pep talk by
heart in RUDY.

An Initial Hook doesn't always take the form of one
specific event, exchange of dialogue, action, or image,
although that's usually the case. Occasionally, however,
there are instead several smaller "mini-hooks" that, taken
together, create the proper frame of mind in the reader or
viewer, and which creates trust in the material. After
several of these smaller mini-hooks, we are apt to say to
ourselves, "I like this ... looks like this will be good."

Thus, sometimes the quality of the writing and the
existence of several effective moments can, collectively,
add up to the Initial Hook. It achieves the same thing:
the audience is "into" the material, and is eager to
continue reading or watching.

Big or small, attract our attention. Grab our interest.
Get us on board. Engage us, mentally or emotionally. Make
us forget about everything else but what we're reading or
seeing. Make us eager for the story to proceed.

SUMMARY

So make sure your screenplay contains not one, but two
hooks. A Story Hook — something about your basic concept
that is distinctive and alluring and which indicates some
dramatic (or comedic) potential ...

And an Initial Hook, in the first five pages —
preferably within the first three. You may use the
equivalent of a two-by-four smashed across our face, a
tickle, a strange or stunning image, or a tantalizing
whisper. Engage us — hook us — and make us want to see or
read more.

# # #

Copyright 2002 by Jeff Newman
All Rights Reserved

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