Stay tuned, I’ve got a little bit of spare time to drop several new reads over the coming days. The big winter event has offered more time to write.
Let it snow - a lifetime of memories with snow, inspired by the present winter storm underway.
The Balls Brothers - hear about three brothers near us growing up. All were later marked by some sort of personal tragedy.
The mimic- a ghost who lives among the living in their home, and haunts them in an annoying manner.
The witnesses - hear a light recap of some folks who attended our wedding back in the day, they have now gone to glory. I bring them to life in a bit of a group memorial post.
Surviving - hear about how my wife and a close friend survived the clutches of a serial killer in Australia. True story.
Abe & Andy, (vol. 8) -historical fiction series that pairs President Abraham Lincoln and steel mogul Andrew Carnegie together. An improbable friendship that impacts America up to the present day. It didn’t end at Ford’s Theatre on Good Friday in April of 1865. The first 7 volumes are fully-free.
Abe & Andy, (vol. 9) -historical fiction series that pairs President Abraham Lincoln and steel mogul Andrew Carnegie together. An improbable friendship that impacts America up to the present day. It didn’t end at Ford’s Theatre on Good Friday in April of 1865. The first 7 volumes are fully-free.
Whether you’re a regular with my writing or you’re a new fan, welcome. My writing portfolio “The Smell of Smoke” is fast becoming a “must read” for many. I am regular here, I produce for you, I drop several short-form reads weekly. Read any 3-4 stories and you’ll be addicted. No need to subscribe to 300 or 700 Substacks that you’ll never read. Subscribe to the few that truly entertain you and keep you coming back. For only $50.00 per year, you can read them all. Flat, easy, inexpensive pricing to win your eyeballs and your heart. I’ve dropped well over 200 short-form reads in about the last 13 months. From humor to nostalgia to irony to spooky to historical fiction, my range is expansive and truly offers something for everyone. Don’t miss a single story.
This is the clearest breakdown I’ve seen of what actually stops the scroll: Credibility, Fear, Curiosity, Counter-narrative, Eloquence, Faces, Value, Surprise, Celebration, Identity. The “hook can save meh content” line is painfully true 😅.
This is an impressively thorough field guide. The taxonomy alone is useful. Having clear names for why a hook works makes it much easier to write intentionally instead of guessing and hoping.
What I especially appreciate is how many examples you included. Seeing the patterns across credibility, curiosity, counter-narrative, identity, and value makes the mechanics visible without pretending there’s a single magic formula.
Forward-looking, the real leverage here feels like combination and fit. The strongest hooks aren’t just viral. They’re the ones that match intent, keep the promise in the body, and earn trust over time. This gives writers the raw materials to do that thoughtfully instead of defaulting to clickbait.
Great read! Thanks for sharing!
glad you liked it!
Excellent post. I subscribed, shared, recommended, and will take your advice!
thanks so much Kristen! hope it helps :)
@Neal you nailed it with this piece. It's a masterpiece that will last a life time.
This will always be my referral piece when writing hooks.
that really makes my day to read that. thanks so much
@Neal O'Grady hey champ, so glad to see you’re here.
An absolute masterpiece. Very detailed & very informative. Will keep an eye on your next posts. ;)
Thanks Deepjoy!
This was a fantastic read thank you for making this!
Practicing what you preach here, super valuable thanks! I've saved this for inspiration.
really useful, saved for later! thank you, Neal!
Good insight 😌 Can i translate part of this article into Spanish with links to you and a description of your newsletter?
Yeah totally! Thanks for asking
Awesome 🔥🔥
I learned a lot
Stay tuned, I’ve got a little bit of spare time to drop several new reads over the coming days. The big winter event has offered more time to write.
Let it snow - a lifetime of memories with snow, inspired by the present winter storm underway.
The Balls Brothers - hear about three brothers near us growing up. All were later marked by some sort of personal tragedy.
The mimic- a ghost who lives among the living in their home, and haunts them in an annoying manner.
The witnesses - hear a light recap of some folks who attended our wedding back in the day, they have now gone to glory. I bring them to life in a bit of a group memorial post.
Surviving - hear about how my wife and a close friend survived the clutches of a serial killer in Australia. True story.
Abe & Andy, (vol. 8) -historical fiction series that pairs President Abraham Lincoln and steel mogul Andrew Carnegie together. An improbable friendship that impacts America up to the present day. It didn’t end at Ford’s Theatre on Good Friday in April of 1865. The first 7 volumes are fully-free.
Abe & Andy, (vol. 9) -historical fiction series that pairs President Abraham Lincoln and steel mogul Andrew Carnegie together. An improbable friendship that impacts America up to the present day. It didn’t end at Ford’s Theatre on Good Friday in April of 1865. The first 7 volumes are fully-free.
Whether you’re a regular with my writing or you’re a new fan, welcome. My writing portfolio “The Smell of Smoke” is fast becoming a “must read” for many. I am regular here, I produce for you, I drop several short-form reads weekly. Read any 3-4 stories and you’ll be addicted. No need to subscribe to 300 or 700 Substacks that you’ll never read. Subscribe to the few that truly entertain you and keep you coming back. For only $50.00 per year, you can read them all. Flat, easy, inexpensive pricing to win your eyeballs and your heart. I’ve dropped well over 200 short-form reads in about the last 13 months. From humor to nostalgia to irony to spooky to historical fiction, my range is expansive and truly offers something for everyone. Don’t miss a single story.
Come along.
@the smell of smoke
Writing content is just applied psychology 🤌🏼
This is the clearest breakdown I’ve seen of what actually stops the scroll: Credibility, Fear, Curiosity, Counter-narrative, Eloquence, Faces, Value, Surprise, Celebration, Identity. The “hook can save meh content” line is painfully true 😅.
Let’s go!!
Clarity is created when focus becomes selective. Very few things deserve sustained effort.
This is an impressively thorough field guide. The taxonomy alone is useful. Having clear names for why a hook works makes it much easier to write intentionally instead of guessing and hoping.
What I especially appreciate is how many examples you included. Seeing the patterns across credibility, curiosity, counter-narrative, identity, and value makes the mechanics visible without pretending there’s a single magic formula.
Forward-looking, the real leverage here feels like combination and fit. The strongest hooks aren’t just viral. They’re the ones that match intent, keep the promise in the body, and earn trust over time. This gives writers the raw materials to do that thoughtfully instead of defaulting to clickbait.
Bookmark-worthy and very usable.