Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go

by Les Edgerton
Writer's Digest Books, 2007, 256 pages

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Les Edgerton at Phoenix College for the Apr. 17, 2010, Microburst mini creative writing conference. The conference was an intersection of his craft book, Hooked, and a structural film analysis of Thelma & Louise.

In Hooked, Edgerton examines the elements necessary for a great opening in modern literature. He stresses that modern audiences no longer want to immerse themselves in fifteen or twenty pages of setting and back story before meeting the characters and their current dilemmas. Edgerton incorporates many literary and film examples to clearly demonstrate how to do things right. Thelma & Louise is one of his favorite examples, and one that many readers have experienced, making it a good common ground for examining a great opening.

At the Microburst conference, participants viewed the entire Thelma & Louise film, while Edgerton frequently paused and explained the structural elements that worked, much as he laid them out in Hooked. Because we watched the entire film, the audience listened to structural analysis even beyond that in Hooked, because Hooked only looks at literary openings.

It was refreshing to see that the author said in person, what he said in the book, in equally understandable language, with useful examples. I felt like I learned a thing or two reading Hooked before the conference, and a live lecture with Edgerton only reinforced my appreciation of his insight and clear instruction.

I would recommend Hooked to any writer looking to update his/her opening strategies. And if you want more Edgerton, he will be teaching two online courses for Phoenix College: CRW 271 in summer and CRW 272 in fall 2010.

Les Edgerton's website is here.







Readers- What's your favorite story opening?

Writing to Change the World

by Mary Pipher
Riverhead, 2006, 256 pages

I'm currently taking a class called Writer as Witness, and I thought Writing to Change the World might offer me more insight into ways writers can witness the world in order to help change the world.  This book is geared towards people interested in writing nonfiction as a form of activism.

Mary Pipher is a therapist known for writing nonfiction books to help bring attention to important issues.  A few of her other titles include: Hunger Pains: the Modern Woman's Tragic Quest for Thinness (1997), The Middle of Everywhere: The World's Refugees Come to Our Town (2002), Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls (2005), and Seeking Peace: Chronicles of the Worst Buddhist in the World (2009), amongst others.

Pipher is a licensed and practicing therapist, and she uses writing as a tool to inform the public about issues she sees with her clients and in the community.  Writing to Change the World is her call to arms, in the form of the pen.  Pipher encourages all people, not just people who identify as writers, to speak out about their passionate causes.  She reminds us all that we have important, unique perspectives and that we have a responsibility to use our experiences to try and change the world for the better.  Pipher firmly believes that writing to inform and educate can change the world.

Within this book, Pipher includes a few stories about her own background as examples of how perspective and experience can inform an individual's decision to write.  She also includes a creative nonfiction piece she wrote as a therapy case file where the United States was personified shortly after the Sept. 11th attacks.  The piece is both funny (the US has some serious emotional problems) and sad (Uncle Sam is in a lot of denial).  Pipher's examples clearly demonstrate how someone can draw readers' attention to important issues.

Pipher also includes information about writing craft.  Voice gets particular attention, as she is trying to help people use their voices in activism.  The craft elements are a good introduction for novice writers, but more experienced writers might want something with more depth or more complex examples.

If you care passionately about a subject and want to write nonfiction, Writing to Change the World will inspire you to draw your pen in defense of your cause.

You can find Dr. Mary Pipher's website here.

And here is an interesting article about Dr. Pipher returning her APA award in protest of torture techniques.


Readers:  What topics do you care passionately about?  How will you address them in your writing?