opening hook
First sentence bait
An opening hook is the attention-grabbing element at the beginning of a story, article, speech, or other creative work—designed to draw the audience in immediately.
It might be a provocative question, a startling fact, a vivid scene, or an intriguing statement: The opening hook had me reading past midnight.
The term comes from fishing—the hook catches the reader before they swim away.
- grabberDevice that seizes
- attention grabberThing that draws notice
- teaserSomething that piques interest
- lureThing that tempts
- baitLure for prey
attention · captivating · first line · intrigue · suspense · curiosity · lead · pitch · beginning · introduction · inciting incident · in medias res · compelling · irresistible · snare · headline · clickbait · provocative
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