How can you grab your audience's attention at the start of your story?

By amplifying their curiosity via writing attention grabbing hook that make them click to see more. Like some: - Quote of a famous writer or a person or, - Drawing a picture of an intense scene.

You can either use a hook or even better set up a curiosity loop which closes at the end. There are many ways to open the curiosity loop. Amongst them Set up a mystery Use a gripping quote Share a dramatic statistic Appeal to common desires Pose an intriguing question Describe an unbelievable event Describe a fascinating discovery Paint a vivid before/after contrast Hint at a twist in someone's story Hint at a counterintuitive outcome Then give the user a sense of closing by referring back to this at the end to close the loop and leave the reader happy.

I'd never, ever start a keynote with someone else's quote (so many reasons I don't like this approach). I like to start with something very unexpected, funny and surprising that isn't what people would expect from me. Works beautifully.

Emotions are the most powerful connectors to engagement. There are plenty of strategies to hook an audience but the more you target to stimulate the specific emotion relevant to the foundation of the speech, the faster we capture their attention. Words are not the only resources. Silence combined with a simple facial expression evoking an emotion could be enough to create immediate emotional engagement.

You don’t have to write your best copy. You can borrow it from clients. You can borrow it from storytellers. You can borrow it from your audience. That’s the beauty of storytelling. You don’t have to write from scratch. You can borrow spicy sayings. Just make sure it’s spelled out. You can be a storyteller and still borrow words.

I love to start with the plot scene - „It was dark. 5 AM. I heard the birds chirp“ Get the reader right into the story. Tense it up a little.

Start with something that they don’t expect. What you want your audience to start thinking and feeling from the beginning is either on of the below This person can help me I am in for something good today How does he/she know this about us That is a great insight

Begin your story with a captivating question is good to hook the readers. Questions that resonates with a sense of urgency, emotional depth, or a thought-provoking one would generate curiosity in the reader's mind. Examples Questions inducing curiosity: Why was the tiger been banished to exile? Questions to hook the Emotions: What forced her to abandon the one she was so committed to? Questions to address a pressing concern: How is Gen Z navigating their Emotional Intelligence? Thought-provoking questions can serve as the perfect hook, but as a skilled storyteller, it's important to ensure that the subsequent narrative    sustains the reader's attention. 

How does a parrot end up with an onion bagel? Who locked the jungle gym? Is that cinnamon? I love coming out of left field with a humorous question. But that's my brand, what's yours? Questions don't have to be super creative to be effective content openers, they just need to be on brand/authentic. A rich question may be better to explore in long-form content than short-form.

Getting your audience into a reflecting mood straight away is a brilliant way of immersing them into you topic .. through their own perspective. Already they are taking ownership and engaging in their views and reflections before you introduce your take and story on the topic.

Conflicts are mostly emotions evoking - reactions, arguments, emotional break down to connect with the reader instantly. Subsequently the narrative can captivate the curiosity and attention of the reader.

Conflict is the root of all stories and the foundation for every scene - great stories may start with a quote, or a question - but at the heart, the start of the story should include an initial "hook." And often this hook will center on conflict. The initial hook is an import moment in your story Many first scenes focus on building sympathy for the protagonist, or setting the initial stakes. This strategy can give your audience compelling reasons to commit to your series long term.

While creating conflict, ask yourself: - What does my character want? - Who/ what is standing in their way? Make sure the conflict is related to the main plot. It helps with the character’s arc. Then dramatize it or keep it subtle. Let your audience feel the tension. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Taking a challenging or disruptive position can be valuable. it can help to gain interest from the get go and present early the topic that your storytelling is addressing.

Starting a story with conflict is akin to thrusting your audience into the heart of the action, leaving them with no choice but to become invested in the outcome. Moreover, by introducing conflict early on, you provide a clear purpose for your story. Readers are driven by the desire to see how the conflict will be resolved, which keeps them engaged throughout the narrative. It's like planting a seed of curiosity and watching it grow into a captivating story. Starting a story with conflict is a compelling technique that can immediately immerse your readers in your narrative.

Before starting any presentation , you must impose a question to your audience is why? Start with why and ask or create mote clear msg about their why, once you understand it, make a relevant example and let them involve in the story as a character, you as being a storyteller also try to be part of their story, create more live examples , share real stories and then try to resonate it with the audience, so audience can feel its not your story but it's their own stories. Use more emotion and engagement

Setting context quick can help to immerse your audience quickly into your scene. This allows them to visualise an feel the scenario and tees them up to the storytelling that is about to unfold.

Transport your audience to a vividly depicted world, rich in sensory detail and atmospheric charm. Whether it's the bustling streets of a neon-lit metropolis, the tranquil serenity of a sun-kissed meadow, or the eerie stillness of a moonlit forest, immerse your readers in a setting that feels alive and palpable. Through descriptive prose, paint a picture that tantalizes the senses and beckons them to lose themselves within the tapestry of your story.

I was once pitching to a govt. official, to save our firm from going under. And my starting point was set in the future. It was a presentation I made in 2015, but my first slide was set in the year 2030. I wanted to show them the promised land. What would it look like for them, the impact of keeping us board by showing a 'hypothetical' world. Depending on the case. Start with the 'end' in the beginning. It acts as great hook to grab their attention and make them feel invested in the rest of the story.

Voici Ismaël. Ismaël est YouTubeur. Il cherche à devenir un expert reconnu dans ce domaine. Donc Ismaël passe son temps à apprendre et à apprendre sur YouTube : conférences, lives, vidéos de formations, masterclass.... Et un jour, je suis sûr Ismaël sera parmi les plus grands YouTubeurs de ce monde. Simple, précis, concis, captivant... Voici un bel exemple de storytelling. Vous avez lu jusqu'la fin, j'en suis sûr à 100%

If you are describing the setting, it has to have meaning in the story. You cannot describe it and just for the sake of doing so.

Intrigue your audience by unveiling a character brimming with complexity and depth. From the enigmatic anti-hero haunted by their past to the plucky underdog determined to defy the odds, introduce a protagonist who sparks curiosity and empathy. Show glimpses of their struggles, aspirations, and innermost desires, inviting readers to forge a profound connection as they accompany this character on their transformative journey.

When you introduce a character, use their name and share something about their appearance or personality that is relevant for the story. My grandmother Norma, who always had her hair in rollers, was a self-taught jazz pianist, and she failed all 21 of her driving tests. Sounds more interesting than, my grandma never learned to drive.

Which storytelling approach is most suitable for introducing a complex case for submitting/presenting to the UK Court? Why is the approach suitable? Many thanks.

The beauty of a hook is its ability to ignite curiosity and emotion. It should raise questions, evoke feelings, or spark the reader's imagination. This initial intrigue serves as the gateway to the rest of the story, keeping the audience engaged as they seek answers or revelations. It's not just about captivating your audience; it's about setting the stage for an unforgettable storytelling experience, one that your readers won't be able to resist."

Whether you choose to open your story with a quote, a question, or a conflict/setting/character, this is still your hook. It must be written in a way that makes the reader unable to put the story down or click away. Statistics and facts can also be great hooks, if used correctly, especially if they are controversial, polarizing, surprising, or outrageous. Caveat: Your hook cannot be there simply for shock value. It has to be relevant to the story. You can leave the reader hanging, but you'd better close that loop before you're done.

I like all my content to start as WTF: Weird, Thought-Provoking or Funny. - Questions work well but they have been a little overdone - A strange statistic (often just the number or percentage without any context) usually catches people's attention - Something funny, like an unexpected statement, can be great if you're SURE you can pull it off (test it first!) I actually find that the safest and most effective hook for most content is to just start a story with time and place. That triggers all the brain software the evolved to pay attention to stories and then you're in. Alternatively, pick the weirdest or most shocking line of your story and put it all the way up there - this works well in writing, not so much when you tell a story.

A la hora de escoger el recurso para captar la atención desde la primera línea, no olvides que sea coherente y relacionado con la historia que vas a contar, que permita seguir el hilo de forma sencilla, natural y fluida. Que sea ameno. Lo más importante cuando escribes una historia es a quién va dirigida, quién lee o escucha, y que el mensaje que quieres transmitir le llegue de la mejor manera. Habla en su idioma. No vas a gustar ni llegar a todo el mundo, así que debes enfocarte en con quien quieres conectar, en línea con tus valores, tu historia y tu filosofía.

Hooks can be like a preview of your story! It can give a bird’s eye view of what the audience can expect when they read the story further. Hooks can also be used as a base to create suspense or ask questions.

At the opening of the story, tease a change that will happen in the story and promise a lesson that will benefit the audience. Aim to help them connect your story to something they are already interested in--like themselves.

Look for time, place, character, event, and put them together in the classic structure that even the world’s most successful storytellers use over and over again. Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard: When I was seven, our family sold our house in the French-speaking town of Lisbon, Maine, and auctioned off all our possessions. Hillary Clinton: Late one night in 1995, in a cramped airplane cabin high over the Pacific, Madeleine Albright put down a draft of a speech I was set to deliver in Beijing at the upcoming United Nations conference on women, fixed me with the firm stare that had made fearsome dictators shudder, and asked what I was really trying to accomplish with this address.

Use a polarizing hook, one that makes an almost controversial statement. Example: Most women will never make it in tech sales (and here's why). But the post can go on to talk about the lack of true DEI in the tech industry, personal stories of being overlooked as a woman in tech sales, advice to tech companies on how to do better, etc. But that hook is so jarring that it will draw people in just to see if you're saying what they think you're saying. This method is what started the "TOPIC is dead" movement (even though the "topic is dead" hook is dead).

Drop the audience into the middle of a story they can mentally picture or closely relate to. If the audience is confused, bored or apathetic within the first minute, you'll struggle to get them back.