Title and Hook
Overview
This information is used to introduce the basics of creating a title and a hook for an essay.
ENGL 101
Is this going to be on the test? No, it's going to be on almost every academic essay you write!
Own your personal touch wherever creative opportunities are afforded. In essay writing the creative opportunity is in the title and hook. If you have not yet guessed, the title and hook is an appropriate place to assert one's tone. Now, let's reel em in!
Titles
The title is like a first impression for the reader. It needs to do more than just stating the topic of the essay. It is also a place where the author can convey his/her attitude about the topic. Nicholas Carr wrote an article in The Atlantic titled "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" and kicks it off with a line from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. He can't seriously believe that Google, the powerful search engine that intuitively helps us find answers, is making us stupid, right? Well, not really. Instead, the title and hook are more like expressions of his attitude toward Google; he is cautious and critical of our dependency on the search engine. Here some suggestions for making titles more creative and thoughtful.
- Build a title by giving the topic and making a statement about it after the colon (Example: "Drone Invasion: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and the Right to Privacy"). Notice the two parts before and after the colon. This is common in scholarly materials and academic journals.
- Watch the pros. Check out scholarly article titles on the college's database (http://libguides.mccd.edu/az.php). The example above is one such article. Professional writers and researchers are where you want to look to find excellent examples.
- Ask a question of the audience. Engage the audience quickly to get their attention or challenge them.
- Be creative and take the opportunity to express your attitude/tone. However, be careful. Some topics require maturity. An essay on abortion probably should not start things off with humor.
- Remember that the title is a selling point. Even those pros need the audience to want to read their articles.
Hooks
The hook is also like a first impression for the reader. It is perhaps the only lines in the essay that are afforded a little extra creative liberty. Use the first line (or few lines) of an essay to get the reader's attention with a hook. Here some suggestions for making hooks more creative and thoughtful.
- Ask a question directed at the audience. This is a little cliche and trite but it still works to engage the audience. However, if you already used this approach by asking a question in the title, you should avoid following up with a question immediately in the hook. Ultimately, question asking should be limited in essay writing; questions need answers.
- Use wit. Humor does not work for everyone, but for some, this is incredibly useful. However, be careful. Some topics require maturity. An essay on abortion probably should not start things off with humor.
- Shock the audience. Use your imagination but be cautious not to go overboard.
- Use an anecdote. In other words, use a quick summation of a story that connects with the topic.
- Quote. Be sure that the quote is relevant but also expresses your creative identity. It is totally cliche to quote a president, especially a dead one. Instead, quote from an artist, athlete, or someone you admire. You can also quote from lyrics, poetry, or other literature.