Dude. You don’t even know how quickly people are going to judge your screenplay. Like you don’t. So many people are reading scripts on their own time. When you come home from a long day of work do you really want to curl up with a nice hot mug of more work?

No. You don’t. You want to be taken on a journey, chill the fu*k out and put down the load of the world. You want to enjoy yourself. And if you’re reading a screenplay the writer better convince you pretty quickly that it’s worth it. If it feels like a slog after the first 10 pages? You’re out.

Your number one goal at the top of a script should be to keep them reading!

So, how do you get an audience to keep paying attention?

With a hook, of course!

Writing an effective hook at the start of a screenplay is essential for capturing the attention of your audience and setting the tone for the entire story.

Here’s 9 hooks elements to start your screenplay: a quick incomplete guide on how to immediately engage readers and keep them invested:

1. Start with a Bang

Open your screenplay with a dynamic scene that grabs attention. This could be an action sequence, a surprising event, or a mysterious situation that raises immediate questions. The goal is to make the audience want to know what happens next. For example, opening with a chase scene or a dramatic confrontation can quickly draw viewers into the action.

Pitfall: It’s easy to tell if YOU as a writer don’t know the answers to the questions you’re raising. There’s a messiness, a chaos, an inconsistency grounded in lack of surety. You need to be the god of your own little world.

2. Introduce a Strong Character

A compelling character introduced in a memorable way can serve as an effective hook. Show your character in a situation that highlights their unique traits, skills, or flaws. This not only piques interest but also sets up expectations for their development throughout the story.

Tip: Consider how your character develops from the top of your story to your bottom. Consider highlighting the element that changes the most in order to increase contrast and clarity.

3. Pose a Compelling Question

Start with a scenario that poses an intriguing question, which the rest of the screenplay promises to answer. This could be a literal question posed by a character or a thematic question raised by the circumstances. For instance, a mystery film might begin with a shocking crime, and the question of "whodunit?" drives the narrative.

Example: Dude, where’s my car?

4. Create a Powerful Image

Visual storytelling can be highly effective. Open with a striking image or a unique setting that captivates the imagination. A visually stunning opening can set the mood and tone for the entire film, making it memorable and engaging from the outset.

Example: Opening of The Matrix

5. Use Compelling Dialogue

A hook can also be a powerful piece of dialogue—a line that is sharp, intriguing, or humorous. Good dialogue can establish the voice of the film quickly and draw the audience into the lives of the characters.

Example: While the movie doesn’t follow suit, the Good Will Hunting screenplay starts with a dark story/joke about a friend of theirs accidentally hitting a cat with his car. It didn’t make the final cut, but it kept readers attention.

6. Establish the Stakes Early

Communicate what’s at stake in the story right from the beginning. If the audience understands what the protagonist stands to lose or gain, they are more likely to invest emotionally in the outcome. For example, a protagonist might be shown losing something valuable in the first few minutes, setting up the rest of the film as a quest to retrieve it.

Tip: My favorite way to establish strong stakes is to clearly outline the consequences of failure.

7. Set Up a Mystery or Conflict

Introducing a central mystery or conflict at the start can act as a hook. This approach is particularly effective in genres like thriller or drama, where the resolution of the conflict or mystery forms the narrative backbone.

8. Invoke Emotion

Start with a scene that elicits a strong emotional reaction - it doesn’t matter what. Could be laughter, fear, shock, empathy, disgust, whatever - it just needs to be a STRONG reaction.

Emotional engagement is a quick way to pull the audience into the story and bond them with the characters.

Example: The first 10 minutes of Up - they destroyed you didn’t they?

9. Make a Promise

In an ideal world your opening makes a promise to your audience about the journey they're about to embark on.

Whether it's the promise of a romance, an adventure, or a mystery, the hook should clearly set up the expectation that will drive the audience's interest throughout the film.

via GIPHY

All in All

An effective hook not only grabs your audience’s attention, sucks them into your work, and keeps them there but also sets the stage for everything that follows.

By making the opening as engaging as possible, you provide yourself with the best opportunity to keep an executive reading. Take care of your audience and ensure they’re eager to see how the story unfolds.