106 Hooking the Reader (ENGLISH)

You have one job in the first five pages of your book: Make the reader cancel their other plans and keep reading.In this high-energy, craft-focused workshop, bestselling author Jo Piazza breaks down what it really takes to hook a reader from the very first line and keep them turning pages long past their bedtime.A strong premise isn’t enough. Beautiful prose isn’t enough. Even a compelling character isn’t enough if the opening pages don’t create urgency, tension, and emotional investment.Jo has built a career on writing propulsive openings, from twisty contemporary thrillers to sweeping historical fiction, and she approaches first chapters with the same intensity she brought to her two decade career in journalism: what’s the story, why now, and why should we care?

Instructor

Jo Piazza