How to pay off your hook effectively
In the fishing world, the hook is what snags the fish and reels it in. In writing, the hook is that compelling question, intriguing premise, or exciting conflict that grabs your reader's attention. But what happens when you've caught the reader's attention with a fantastic hook? You've got to pay it off effectively, ensuring the conclusion is as satisfying as the beginning. Let's explore how to do just that.
Understand your hook
The first step to paying off your hook is understanding what it is. Your hook might be a mystery to solve, a relationship to explore, a character to develop, or a world to discover.
Example
In The Hunger Games, the hook is survival in a brutal, televised game. The payoff is how the protagonist navigates through these trials, revealing a broader societal commentary.
Keep your promise
A hook is a promise to the reader. If you present a question, you must provide an answer. If you introduce a conflict, you must resolve it. Break this promise, and you risk leaving readers disappointed.
Example
In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the hook revolves around the mystery of the Philosopher's Stone. The payoff comes with the revelation of its secrets and the resolution of the related conflicts.
Build toward the payoff
Your story should naturally build towards the payoff. Each scene, each chapter, should bring the reader closer to the resolution of the hook.
Example
In The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the investigation gradually uncovers clues, building towards the payoff of solving the central mystery.
Ensure thematic consistency
The payoff should align with the themes of your story. If your hook is centred around betrayal and trust, the resolution should explore those themes in a satisfying way.
Example
In Othello, the themes of jealousy and betrayal are set up early, and the tragic ending pays off these themes powerfully.
Avoid easy resolutions
The payoff should not feel convenient or contrived. Avoid 'deus ex machina', where a sudden or unexpected solution feels unearned.
Example
In War of the Worlds, the defeat of the aliens through bacteria, although unexpected, is foreshadowed and fits the story's themes, avoiding an easy or unearned resolution.
Make it emotionally satisfying
Your payoff should resonate with readers on an emotional level. Whether happy, sad, or bittersweet, it should feel earned and true to the characters and the story.
Example
In The Shawshank Redemption, Andy's escape and Red's parole pay off the themes of hope and redemption, providing an emotionally satisfying conclusion.
Reeling in the big one
Paying off your hook effectively is like reeling in a big fish – it requires patience, skill, and a keen understanding of what you've hooked. Keep your promise, build towards the payoff, maintain thematic consistency, avoid easy resolutions, and aim for emotional satisfaction. When done right, the payoff of your hook is the triumphant moment when the fish is finally landed, and the reader feels that thrilling sense of completion and contentment. And unlike fishing, there's no need to throw anything back – your successful payoff is a keeper!
