good hooks for essays about vampires

73 Essay Hook Examples

An essay hook is the first one or two sentences of your essay that are used to grab the reader’s attention and draw them into your discussion.

It is called a hook because it “grabs” the reader and doesn’t let them go! It should have something in there that makes the reader feel curious and intrigued, compelling them to continue reading.

Techniques for Good Essay Hooks

Here are a few techniques that you can use to write a good essay hook:

• Use a Quotation : Sometimes, a relevant quotation from a well-known author or expert can help establish the context or theme of your essay. Next time you’re conducting research for an essay, keep an eye out for a really compelling quote that you could use as your hook for that essay.
• Start with a Statement that is Surprising or Unusual: A surprising or unusually statement will draw a reader in, making them want to know more about that topic. It’s good if the statement contradicts common knowledge or reveals an insight about your topic that isn’t immediately obvious. These can be particularly good for argumentative essays where you’re putting forward a controversial or compelling argument as your thesis statement .
• Tell a Brief Anecdote : A short, interesting story related to your topic can personaize the story, making it more than just a dry essay, and turning it into a compelling narrative that’s worth reading.
• Use Statistics or Facts: Interesting, surprising, or shocking facts or statistics work similarly to surprising statements: they make us want to know more about a topic. Statistics and facts in your introductions are particularly useful for analytical, expository , and argumentative essays.
• Start with a Question: Questions that make the reader think deeply about an issue, or pose a question that the reader themselves has considered, can be really effecitve. But remember, questions tend to be better for informal and personal essays, and are generally not allowed in formal argumentative essays. If you’re not sure if you’re allowed to use questions in your essays, check with your teacher first.

Below, I’ll present some examples of hooks that you could use as inspiration when writing your own essay hook.

Essay Hook Examples

These examples might help stimulate your thinking. However, keep in mind that your essay hook needs to be unique to your essay, so use these as inspiration but write your own essay hook that’s perfect for your own essay.

1. For an Essay About Yourself

An essay about yourself can be personal, use “I” statements, and include memories or thoughts that are deeply personal to you.

• Question: “Have you ever met someone who could turn even the most mundane events into a thrilling adventure? Let me introduce myself.”
• Anecdote: “The smell of freshly baked cookies always takes me back to the day when I accidentally started a baking business at the age of nine.”
• Intriguing Statement: “I’ve always believed that you haven’t truly lived until you’ve read a book upside down, danced in the rain, or taught a parrot to say ‘I love pizza.'”
• Quotation: “As Mark Twain once said, ‘The secret of getting ahead is getting started.’ That’s a philosophy I’ve embraced in every aspect of my life.”
• Humorous Statement: “I’m a self-proclaimed ‘professional chocolate tester’ – a title that’s not only delicious but also requires extreme dedication.”
• Start with your Mission Statement : “My life motto is simple but powerful: be the person who decided to go for it.
• Fact or Statistic: “According to a study, people who speak more than one language tend to be better at multitasking . As a polyglot, I certainly live up to that statistic.”
• Comparison or Metaphor: “If my life were a book, it would be a blend of an adventurous novel, a suspense thriller, and a pinch of romantic comedy.”
• Personal Revelation: “Ever since I was a child, I’ve had an uncanny ability to communicate with animals. It’s an unusual skill, but one that has shaped my life in many ways.”
• Narrative: “The day everything changed for me was an ordinary Tuesday. Little did I know, a single conversation would lead me to discover my true passion.”

2. For a Reflective Essay

A reflective essay often explores personal experiences, feelings, and thoughts. So, your hooks for reflective essays can usually be more personal, intriguing, and engaging than other types of essays. Here are some examples for inspiration:

• Question: “Have you ever felt as though a single moment could change your entire life? This essay is going to explore that moment for me.”
• Anecdote: “I was standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon, looking at the vast emptiness, and for the first time, I truly understood the word ‘perspective’.”
• Bold Statement: “There is a part of me that is still trapped in that room, on that rainy afternoon, holding the letter that would change everything.”
• Personal Revelation: “The first time I truly felt a sense of belonging wasn’t in a crowded room full of friends, but in the quiet solitude of a forest.”
• Intriguing Statement: “In my life, silence has been a teacher more profound than any words could ever be.”
• Quotation: “Einstein once said, ‘The only source of knowledge is experience.’ Now, looking back, I realize how profound that statement truly is.”
• Comparison or Metaphor: “If my life is a tapestry, then that summer was the vibrant thread that changed the entire pattern.”
• Narrative: “As the train pulled out of the station, I realized I wasn’t just leaving my hometown, I was leaving my old self behind.”
• Philosophical Statement: “In the theater of life, we are both the actor and the audience, playing our part and watching ourselves simultaneously.”
• Emotive Statement: “There is a sort of sweet sorrow in remembering, a joy tinged with a hint of sadness, like the last notes of a beautiful song.”

For an Argumentative Essay

Essay hooks for argumentative essays are often the hardest. This type of essay tends to require the most formal type of academic writing, meaning your hook shouldn’t use first person, and should be more based on fact and objectivity, often at the expense of creativity. Here are some examples.

• Quotation: “Thomas Jefferson once said, ‘Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.’ If Jefferson were alive today, he would likely feel that this meed for a well-informed citizenry is falling well short of where he would aspire.”
• Provocative Statement: “Despite what romantic films may portray, love at first sight is merely a myth perpetuated by society. This essay will prosecute the argument that love at first sight is a myth.”
• Statistical Fact: “According to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading psychological disability worldwide. Yet, mental health is still stigmatized and often overlooked. This essay will argue that depression should be seen as a health issue, and stigmatization of depression causes serious harm to society.”
• Comparison: “Much like an unchecked infection, climate change, if left ignored, can spread far beyond what it is today, causing long-term economic and social problems that may even threaten the longevity of humanity itself.”
• Contradiction : “While we live in an era of unprecedented technological advancements, millions around the world are still denied basic internet access.”
• Bold Declaration: “Animal testing is not only ethically unacceptable, but it also undermines the progress of medical research.”
• Challenging Belief: “Despite popular belief, the automation of jobs is not a threat but an opportunity for society to evolve.”
• Quotation: “George Orwell wrote in ‘1984’, ‘Big Brother is Watching You.’ In our modern society, with the advancement of technology, this is becoming more of a reality than fiction.”
• Intriguing Statement: “Despite countless diet fads and fitness trends, obesity rates continue to rise. This argumentative essay will argue that this is because medical practitioners’ approaches to health and weight loss are fundamentally flawed.”
• Statistical Fact: “Research reveals that over 90% of the world’s plastic waste is not recycled. This alarming figure calls for a drastic change in social attitudes towards consumption and waste management.”
• Challenging Assumption: “Society often assumes that progress and growth are intrinsically good, but this is not always the case in the realm of economic development.”
• Contradiction: “Western society upholds the value of freedom, yet every day, members of society cede personal liberties in the name of convenience and security.”
• Analogy: “Like an overplayed song, when a news story is repeated too often, it loses its impact. In the era of digital media, society is becoming desensitized to critical issues.”
• Relevant Anecdote: “In a village in India, the arrival of a single computer transformed the lives of the residents. This small anecdote underscores the importance of digital inclusion in today’s world.”
• Call to Rethink: “In a world where success is often equated with financial wealth, it is time for society to reconsidered what truly constitutes a successful life.”

For a Compare and Contrast Essay

A compare and contrast essay examines two issues, looking at both the similarities and differences between them. A good hook for a compare and contrast essay will immediately signal to the reader the subjects that are being compared and why they’re being compared. Here are sine ideas for hooks for a compare and contrast essay:

• Quotation: “As Charles Dickens wrote in his novel ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’. This could equally apply to the contrasting dynamics of urban and rural living.”
• Provocative Statement: “Despite popular belief, cats and dogs have more in common than society tends to think.”
• Comparison: “Comparing being an only child to growing up with siblings is like contrasting a solo performance with an orchestral symphony.”
• Contradiction: “While many view classic literature and contemporary fiction as worlds apart, they are more akin to two sides of the same coin.”
• Bold Declaration: “Android and iPhone may compete in the same market, but their philosophies could not be more different.”
• Statistical Fact: “Statistics show that children who grow up reading books tend to perform better academically than those who do not. But, the jury is out on how reading traditional books compares to reading e-books on screens.”
• Quotation: “As Robert Louis Stevenson once wrote, ‘Sooner or later, we all sit down to a banquet of consequences.’ This statement can be used to frame a comparison between short-term and long-term thinking.”
• Provocative Statement: “Democracy and dictatorship are often seen as polar opposites, but are they are not as different as they seem.”
• Comparison: “Climate change and plastic pollution are two major environmental issues, yet they demand different approaches and solutions.”
• Contradiction: “While traditional classrooms and online learning are seen as separate modes of education, they can often blend into a cohesive learning experience.”
• Bold Declaration: “Though both based on merit, the structures of capitalism and socialism lead to vastly different societal outcomes.”
• Imagery: “The painting styles of Van Gogh and Monet can be contrasted as a stormy sea versus a tranquil pond.”
• Historical Reference: “The philosophies of the Cold War-era – capitalism and communism – provide a lens to contrast economic systems.”
• Literary Comparison: “The dystopian societies portrayed in George Orwell’s ‘1984’ and Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’ serve as contrasting visions of the future.”
• Philosophical Question: “Individualism and collectivism shape societies in distinct ways, but neither one can truly exist without the other.”

See Here for my Guide on Writing a Compare and Contrast Essay

For a Psychology Essay

Writing an engaging hook for a psychology essay involves sparking the reader’s interest in the human mind, behavior, or the specific psychology topic you’re discussing. Here are some stimulating hooks for a psychology essay:

• Rhetorical Question: “How much control do we truly have over our own actions?”
• Quotation: “Sigmund Freud once said, ‘Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways.’ This essay will explore whether this is universally true.”
• Provocative Statement: “Contrary to popular belief, ‘venting out’ anger might actually be fueling the fire of fury.”
• Comparison: “Just as an iceberg reveals only a fraction of its bulk above water, conscious minds may only be a small piece of who humans truly are.”
• Contradiction: “While it may seem counterintuitive, studies show that individuals who are more intelligent are also more likely to suffer from mental health issues.”
• Bold Declaration: “Despite advances in technology, understanding the human brain remains one of the final frontiers in science.”
• Statistical Fact: “According to a study by the American Psychological Association, nearly one in five adults in the U.S. lives with a mental illness. Yet, mental health continues to be a topic shrouded in stigma.”

For a Sociology Essay

Writing an engaging hook for a sociology essay involves sparking the reader’s interest in social behaviors, cultural phenomena, or the specific sociology topic you’re discussing. Here are ideas for hooks for a sociology essay:

• Quotation: “As Karl Marx once noted, ‘Social progress can be measured exactly by the social position of the fair sex.’ Sadly, society has not made much progress in gender equality.”
• Provocative Statement: “Social media, initially created to connect people, is ironically leading society into an era of unprecedented isolation.”
• Comparison: “Comparing society to a theater, where each individual plays a role, it is possible to start to see patterns and scripts embedded in daily interactions.”
• Contradiction: “While people often believe that technology is bringing society closer together, evidence suggests that it’s actually driving a wedge between people, creating ‘digital divides’.”
• Bold Declaration: “Human societies are constructed on deeply ingrained systems of inequality, often invisible to those benefiting from them.”
• Statistical Fact: “A recent study found that women still earn only 81 cents for every dollar earned by men. This stark wage gap raises questions about equality in the workforce.”

For a College Application Essay

A college essay is a personal statement where you can showcase who you are beyond your grades and resume. It’s your chance to tell your unique story. Here are ten potential hooks for a college essay:

• Anecdote: “At the age of seven, with a wooden spoon as my baton, I confidently conducted an orchestra of pots and pans in my grandmother’s kitchen.”
• Provocative Statement: “I believe that life is like a game of chess. The king might be the most important piece, but it’s the pawns that can change the entire course of the game.”
• Personal Revelation: “It wasn’t until I was lost in a foreign city, armed with nothing but a map in a language I didn’t understand, that I truly discovered my love for adventure.”
• Intriguing Question: “Have you ever wondered how it feels to be part of two completely different cultures, yet wholly belong to neither?”
• Bold Declaration: “Breaking a bone can be a painful experience. Breaking stereotypes, however, is an entirely different kind of challenge.”
• Unusual Fact: “I can recite the periodic table backwards while juggling three tennis balls. It’s a strange talent, but it’s a perfect metaphor for how I tackle challenges.”
• Quotation: “As Albert Einstein once said, ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge.’ This quote has defined my approach to learning.”
• Narrative: “It was a cold winter’s day when I first discovered the magic of turning a blank page into a world full of characters, stories, and ideas.”
• Metaphor: “Like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, my high school years have been a period of profound metamorphosis.”
• Humorous Statement: “Being the youngest of five siblings, I quickly learned that the best way to be heard was to become the family’s unofficial lawyer.”

Conclusion: The Qualities of a Good Essay Hook

As I wrap up this article, I want to share a few last tips on qualities that a good essay hook should have. Keep these tips in mind when writing your essay hook and using the above essay hook examples:

First, relevance . A good hook should be directly relevant to the topic or theme of your essay. The hook should provide a preview of what’s to come without giving too much away.

Second, Intrigue. A great hook should make the reader want to continue reading. It should create a question in the reader’s mind or present a fascinating idea that they want to know more about.

Third, uniqueness. An effective hook should be original and unique. It should stand out from the many other essays that the reader might be going through.

Fourth, clarity. Even though a hook should be captivating and original, it should also be clear and easy to understand. Avoid complex sentences and jargon that might confuse the reader.

Fifth, genre conventions. Too often, my students try to be so creative in their essay hooks that they forget genre conventions . The more formal an essay, the harder it is to write the hook. My general approach is to focus on statistics and facts, and avoid rhetorical questions , with more formal essay hooks.

Keep in mind that you should run your essay hook by your teacher by showing them your first draft before you submit your essay for grading. This will help you to make sure it follows genre conventions and is well-written.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Social-Emotional Learning (Definition, Examples, Pros & Cons)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ What is Educational Psychology?
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ What is IQ? (Intelligence Quotient)
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Writing The Vampire Tale

In this post, Writers Write explores the history of, and techniques for, the vampire tale. We also tell you how to write one.

Vampires are a fiction staple.

Interview With A Vampire sold approximately 8 million copies. Twilight sold more than 70 million.

Vampire stories are still popular. From Dracula to Akasha, the vampire idea is almost eternal.

Here are techniques for writing the vampire tale.

What’s a vampire.

According to Oxford Online Dictionaries, a vampire is:

‘(in European folklore) a corpse supposed to leave its grave at night to drink the blood of the living by biting their necks with long pointed canine teeth.’

Vampires are dead, but come alive. A vampire seeks life, and is cursed to sustain their own with destruction.

Almost all vampire stories, then and now, share this definition.

Vampire History

There are three origins for the classic fictional vampire:

• The Vampire (1748) by Heinrich August Ossenfelder
• Thalaba the Destroyer (1801) by Robert Southey
• The Vampyre (1819) by John William Polidori

Vampire myths come from superstition, illness, or belief about burial.

Classic vampire behaviour mimics rabies in humans . A vampire’s look, almost alive, can resemble a fresh corpse.

In the 17 th and 18 th century, blood-sucking vampires were considered a very real problem .

Stories about blood and war, including Vlad the Impaler, would only fuel the vampire myth even further.

The Vampire Genre

Thousands of vampire stories, poems, and books exist. The genre is vast.

Modern writers can expect to cross genres: there is no standard vampire story these days.

Vampires can be ancient, modern, young, or old.

Romance, horror, thriller, cyberpunk, historic, or science-fiction vampire stories all exist.

Read: The 17 Most Popular Genres In Fiction – And Why They Matter – Writers Write

Be original, or you’ll get lost in the dark.  

Vampire Themes

Vampires can be anything, but still share things that heap them into the same coffin. Readers still know a vampire story when they see one.

All through vampire stories, you will see common themes like:

• Anxiety & Fear
• Blood & Life
• Change & Evolution
• Death & Rebirth

Gothic traits abound.

Good vampire stories use emotion, characters, and setting to great effect. Blend suggested elements, but don’t throw all of them into a blender: that’s often overkill.

Subtle, original use of common tropes gives a good story.

Anne Rice’s Lestat and Stephanie Meyer’s Edward Cullen are vampires, but worlds apart in every other aspect.

How To Write A Vampire Story

Vampire story plots share characteristics, or common threads that include:

• Origins: What ‘turned’ your vampire and why?
• Return: Why is your vampire back, and what for?
• Triggers: What events set the story in motion?
• Desire: What does your vampire want?
• Conflicts: What personal or external conflict does your vampire have?
• Morality: What does the vampire (and their victims) experience?
• Hierarchy: Who rules the vampires, if anything?
• Obstacles: What does your vampire fear, or need to overcome?

A good vampire story brings together common elements with original flair.

A Vampire’s Traits

Let’s talk character creation.

Vampires are vampires. Readers can spot the difference between vampires and ghouls, ghosts, or zombies. How?

The vampire character has common traits that can define them:

• Vampires don’t reflect.
• Vampires need blood, or life.
• Vampires died, but came back.
• Vampires can only be killed by wooden stakes.
• Vampires are light-sensitive.

A character doesn’t need all these traits at once. Again, overkill. Decide which traits to include, and which to let go.

As an exercise, think of three favourite vampire characters.

• What makes them vampires?
• What makes them different?

Famous Vampire Tales

Study vampire stories before attempts to write one. Read the good ones, bad ones, long ones, and short ones.

A writer should read, then write.

• Dracula (1897) presents the famous Count. ‘Salem’s Lot (1976) by Stephen King brought vampires to small town United States.
• Varney The Vampire (1845 to 1847) was a gruesome, Victorian serial vampire story.
• Carmilla (in 1871) by Sheridan Le Fanu created a seductive, female vampire.
• Vampire Academy (2007) brought vampires back to YA fiction.

Love or hate the Twilight Saga, it sure sold.

The best way to know the vampire story is to devour every single one.

The Vampire Subculture

Vampires aren’t just fiction, but a modern subculture too.

Internationally, the vampire subculture comes alive at night.

The aesthetic style of classic vampires has spawned an entire genre of books, music, clubs, and enthusiasts.

When night falls, these ‘vampires’ dress up and meet to discuss their favourite, well, wine and stuff.

It’s true, and National Geographic did an entire segment about vampire nightlife.

According to Discover Magazine , the vampire culture is under serious expert study.

Truth can be weirder than anything.

The Last Word

In this post, Writers Write explored the vampire story.

We hope that it encourages you to write your own.

By Alex J. Coyne.  Alex is a writer, proofreader, and regular card player. His features about cards, bridge, and card playing have appeared in Great Bridge Links, Gifts for Card Players, Bridge Canada Magazine, and Caribbean Compass. Get in touch at  alexcoyneofficial.com .

If you enjoyed this, read other posts by Alex:

• Writing Advice From Twitter
• 9 Tips For The Artful Interview
• 8 Elements Of Great Gothic Fiction
• 7 Bits Of Editing Advice From Famous Writers
• 8 Bits Of Writing Advice From Eudora Welty
• 6 Bits Of Writing Advice From Louis L’Amour
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• 6 Writing Lessons From The World’s Top Websites
• How To Write Like A Leader
• 7 Journalism Mistakes (That Got To Print)

Top Tip : Find out more about our  workbooks  and  online courses  in our  shop .

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A List Of Easy Essay Topics About Vampires: 15 Fresh Ideas

The character and mythology of vampires is full of charisma. When the term “vampire” comes into notice, we imagine an individual in black walking through the lonely ways of towering castles? After all who builds such imaginations? Are these creatures always associated with grim, darkness, tortures and horrors? Are essays form the basis of such myths.

Check out some gruesome topics on vampires-

• Why Vampires catches the spotlight by most of the fiction story books, television programs, novels and movies? Why they are seen to quench their thirst by drinking blood of innocents?
• How vampires are formed? How modern vampires differ from the traditional ones? Why they capture people during nights or when walking in isolation?
• Do vampires really exist or are just the imagination of a common man? Do they attack people who are physically or emotionally weak or can command any group of people?
• Why vampires are presented as seductive creatures with hypnotic stare and dangerous fangs? Are these creatures nocturnal only or wander during day time too?
• Why vampires are considered as the ugliest ones even though most attractive celebrity stars act in them?
• Why society is fascinated to watch vampire movies? Why any vampire’s presence is incomplete in absence of white, strong and canine teeth? How their large, sturdy and pointed nails are related with immortality? How these a re the basis of any successful movie?
• Discuss the history of vampires? Why they are considered as most notorious and mysterious creatures?
• Is it fine to produce horrific films on vampires while challenging people to watch them alone in the cinema hall getting the prize money?
• Discuss the vampires in gothic context? Throw light on their motifs. How they are more related with a supernatural and melodramatic fiction stories that operates on tension and realism based.
• Who all can become vampire? Are all vampires bad? What is the relation and difference between ghosts and vampires?
• How vampires are created? How they target people? How cultures and religions are deeply influenced by their beliefs?
• Why vampires generally portray great health and abundant of wealth? Is drinking human’s blood is the chief reason of their strength?
• What do you think- Do all vampires have a unique story? Do you think that becoming a vampire is in the hands of the soul?
• Based on your imagination, draw a sketch of the vampires world. Discuss the natural world, their architectural world, the gender, physical appearance and their mindset? Is harming an innocent is always there motive?
• Write an essay on vampire marrying a beautiful princess? Discuss the arrangements done by them?

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Writing Prompts about Vampires

Who doesn’t love vampires? If you want to write about vampires, but you’re low on fresh ideas, check out this list for inspiration! These prompts can be used to inspire short stories, novels, roleplays, comics, and more, but you can also use them for warmups and practice! 

Short Vampire Writing Prompts

• No one told you vampirism came with amnesia. Or…. maybe they did. You wouldn’t have remembered anyway. 
• A vampire works as a bartender at a cocktail bar for vampires—meaning the base for all the drinks is blood. 
• A renowned vampire hunter is turned during one of their hunts. Do they continue hunting vampires for revenge, or do they have a change of heart now that they can relate to the struggles?
• A vampire cradles their dying human friend in their arms. They have a limited time to convince them to let them turn them into a vampire. What is their conversation like, and does the vampire manage to convince the human to become a vampire to save themself?
• A newly turned vampire develops a lisp after their new fangs grow in. Ashamed of this, they practice speaking when home alone, and avoid speaking at all when out in public. 
• A vampire unknowingly drinks from an intoxicated person, and becomes intoxicated themself!
• Create a new kind of vampire. How are they different from traditional depictions of vampires, and how are they similar? Keep the primary conventions of vampirism (such as having to leech off humans to survive), but make things a bit more interesting!
• You always assumed all vampires would automatically gain a good fashion sense and a flawless memory. As it turns out, that’s not the case, as evidenced by your many decades of dressing like a slob and never being able to recall what you had for lunch yesterday. You haven’t even bothered to learn any new skills in that time either. You can’t help but feel a bit embarrassed and intimidated when you attend vampire gatherings.
• There has been a vampire sighting in a nearby town. You and a few other amateur vampire hunters flock to the area for fun, but are soon in over your heads when you come face to face with a real vampire.
• As it turns out, vampires make excellent nurses. 
• Rather than drinking blood, some vampires are sustained by the thoughts, memories, and energy of those around them. One vampire consumes the nightmares of their lover with PTSD. 
• A coven of witches have managed to make themselves immortal, but it requires drinking human blood regularly to work. To supply themselves with blood, they regularly abduct humans to sacrifice. 
• Have an old vampire recounting the truth of a particular historical period, from the perspective of what life was like being a monster at that time. (For tips on researching a historical period, you can check out The 10 Best Ways to Research for a Story! )
• Rather than having large fangs, vampires have a long, sharp, proboscis-like tongue for drinking blood. Aside from that one feature, it is impossible to tell the difference between a vampire and a human.

Vampire Story Prompts

• Your main character has been falsely accused of being a vampire. Now, they have to hide from both vampires and human vampire hunters, while trying to make a case to prove that they aren’t the monster people think they are. 
• Vampires are real, but they aren’t much of a threat. The real threat is the ruling political party, which has been accusing political opponents of vampirism to have them executed for years now. They are able to stay in power by capitalizing on the public’s overwhelming fear of vampires. 
• A rookie vampire hunter is taken on a hunting mission with some more experienced vampire hunters. However, when it is revealed that the “menacing vampire” they came to kill was just a small child, the rookie has second thoughts. They are unable to stop their comrades from killing the child, but the experience inspires them to switch sides and advocate for the rights of vampires. 
• Many different types of vampires coexist within the same world. Some are averse to garlic and the sun, some have super strength or speed, some are strictly nocturnal while others don’t mind being out during the day. Some need to drink frequently, while others only need a pick-me-up every now and then. Some resemble undead monsters, while others are classy and charismatic. Some can even turn into bats. When two different types of vampires have a kid together, the results can be… unpredictable. 
• It didn’t take long for society to realize that vampires are just the superior life form. They’re powerful, immune to disease, can live forever, and look good doing it. Soon, everyone wanted to be a vampire. The rich and powerful in society started paying vampires to turn them, while those who couldn’t afford it were forced to stay mortal. Now, several centuries later, the ruling vampires are still alive, and charging the humans a monthly blood tax in exchange for being allowed to live. 
• Half vampires, known as “dhampirs,” are not immortal, not strong, and still reliant on human blood to stay alive. Essentially, they get all the drawbacks and none of the positives of being a vampire. The only way for dhampirs to become true vampires is if their vampire parent turns them. If any other vampire tries to do it, it won’t work. Two dhampir siblings embark on a mission to find their estranged vampire parent, so they can finally become true vampires. 
• An elder vampire ends up caring for a human child. They want to give the kid the best possible life: a chance to go to a good school, a social life, extracurricular activities, and much more. However, they have to try to provide all of this while staying out of sight, lest a vampire hunter finds them and tries to hurt them.
• Almost everyone is a vampire now. An alternative was found for human blood, so humans are not required to sustain vampires. However, many rich vampires still believe human blood is a luxury and a delicacy. The few humans that are still alive are kept on a farm, where their blood is routinely harvested throughout their lives to make a profit. The protagonist is a human who has grown up on one of these farms, and is determined to make a change. 
• Before burial, it is customary to remove the heart of the deceased and burn it, to ensure they don’t return as a vampire. One family who just lost their daughter doesn’t like the idea of mutilating her body, and buries her privately to keep it a secret from the authorities. Three nights later, her body is gone, and only a small trench of loose soil remains where she used to be. The family must now hunt down the monster they created before she can hurt anyone, and before the townspeople realize what they’ve done. (This plot also works well with zombies. Check this out for more zombie writing prompts! )

Writing About Vampires

Vampires have a long history of being used in fiction. From the ancient folklore vampires who could remove their heads to the classic tale of Dracula and the infamous Twilight series, vampires have been the uncrowned king of monsters for some time—and this trend doesn’t seem to be dying off any time soon. Vampires continue to evolve with each new story that comes out, so even though it may seem like every story about vampires has already been told a million times, there will always be room for innovation.

Have fun with these, writers! 

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How to Write Great Essay Hooks (Tips + Examples)

Table of contents

Yona Schnitzer

Blank screen. Cursor blinks. Clock ticks. Brain freezes.

You stressfully wonder, “How will I ever finish this essay?”

I’ve been there. 

Every time you write an essay, you want to catch your readers’ undivided attention from the very first word. The opening hook has to be *perfect* — no compromises. 

But, instead of reeling under pressure to come up with this elusively perfect essay hook at the eleventh hour, I’ve found a better way to write great essay hooks. 

In this guide, I’ll tell you what it takes to write the most compelling and attention-grabbing hooks. I’ll also break down six awesome types of essay hooks you can experiment with and share examples to inspire your next opening statement.

What is an Essay Hook?

An essay hook is the opening statement of an essay, written to capture readers' attention and nudge them to learn more about the topic. Also known as a lede or lead, this hook introduces readers to the topic/theme of the essay and piques their curiosity to continue reading. 

The hook creates the entire narrative for your essay. It tells readers what to expect from the rest of the essay and creates context around your main argument or thesis statement. 

6 Types of Essay Hooks You Can Experiment With

I’ve created this handy list of six different types of essay hooks. You can choose the one that best fits your essay’s context and create a stellar opening statement within minutes. 

1. Compelling fact or statistic

Lead with evidence and use a powerful fact or statistic as your essay hook. It’s one of the best ways to capture readers’ attention from the start and keep them intrigued throughout your essay. 

For example, if you’re writing about the importance of time management for freelancers, you have two options to create your opening sentence:

Generic : “Managing time as a freelancer is no easy feat.”

Impactful : “Nearly 70% of freelancers struggle to effectively divide and manage their time between multiple clients.” 

This data point, linked to the original research, sets a strong tone for your essay and draws people in to read more. It communicates  

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Finding relevant statistics for any topic is one of the hardest parts of the job. 

But you don't have to spend hours looking for these data points anymore. Wordtune can do this heavy lifting for you in three easy steps.

• Open the Wordtune editor and add your essay title. 
• Type in any content you've written, click on 'Add spice,' and select the 'Expand on' option.
• Write 'statistics,' and Wordtune will add relevant data points to your content.

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2. Bold claim hook

When working on an argumentative essay , I always write with the mindset that nobody has the time to read my thoughts from start to finish. So, I have to get to the point quickly and make a solid argument worth people’s time. 

That's when opening with a bold claim works best. Condense all your views on the topic into a few thought-provoking lines that would make readers go, hmmm…

But remember, you can't open with a claim that people already know and accept as fact. It has to be something original and unique to make your readers tick, nudging them to dive deeper into your essay. 

For example, if you’re writing about water crisis, you have two options to open your essay: 

‍ "In some regions, there is not enough clean water for people to use."

‍ "Imagine a world where every drop of water is a battle, a precious commodity fought over by scores of people and animals alike. This can become a reality as early as 2050."

This bold claim presents a convincing argument about the global water crisis. It also emphasizes the urgency of this argument with a research-backed statistic.

Create a bold claim suggestion using AI

Can’t think of a strong opening sentence for your essay? Wordtune can translate your thoughts into a bold claim and create a compelling essay hook. 

Open your Wordtune editor and write a few lines related to your topic. These sentences should have a consensus among your audience. Then, choose the 'Counterargument' option from the list of suggestions. 

And you’ll have a bold claim for your essay with no effort at all!

3. Story/Anecdote hook

In all my years of writing, I’ve noticed how stories have a unique effect on people. A good story can resonate with a bigger audience, pique their curiosity, and deliver a more personal message. 

That's why you can cite a personal anecdote or talk about a publicly known story as a good hook for your essay. This hook allows you to play with words and work in more storytelling . 

One of my favorite writing tips applies here: enter the scene as late as possible and leave as early as possible. You have to keep it crisp instead of rambling on and on. 

Consider these two examples:

Either of these hooks could work fine if we were just writing a personal essay about a move to a new place. But if we’re specifically writing about the sky, the second example is better. It sticks to the point — the sky and the color of the sky — and doesn’t stray into irrelevant details. 

Create a compelling story with AI

I get it—not all of us are natural storytellers. But you can use AI to your advantage to create a concise and exciting story for your essay.  

Wordtune can help you write a short story from scratch or trim down your writing into a quick anecdote. Click on the expand or shorten button to edit your story any way you like. 

4. Question Hook

Humans have a tendency to immediately look for answers every time they come across fascinating questions. Using questions as essay hooks can reel people into your essay and feed their curiosity.

But questions are also fairly overused in essays. You don't want to use a generic question that makes people say, " Not another question ." 

Instead, think of questions that approach your topic from a fresh angle. This means honing in on what was especially interesting or surprising from your research—and maybe even brainstorming different questions to find the most fascinating one.

For example, if you’re writing about the psychology behind why we buy, you have two options to open your essay:

‍ “Do you know what factors compel us to buy certain things?”

Plugged in :

“Before buying anything, have you ever taken a moment to pause and think about possible reasons driving you to this purchase?”

The latter is more descriptive and creates a realistic scenario for readers to truly think about the topic of the essay.

5. Description hook

A descriptive hook works best when writing an explanatory or opinion-led essay. Descriptive hooks, as the name suggests, illustrate a topic in detail to create context for the essay. It's a good way to build awareness for and educate readers on lesser-known themes.

But a descriptive hook can easily become too plain or unexciting to read. To make it work, you have to write an engaging description using imagery, analogies, and other figures of speech. 

Remember to make your hook reader-friendly by avoiding passive voice, mainstream cliches, and lengthy sentences.

Consider this example:

Describing a sunset is too cliche, so cross that one off the list. Describing the sky as it is on a normal day wouldn't be shocking or unexpected, so scratch that one, too.

This example creates something unique by using analogies to describe the color of the sky and painting a beautiful picture. 

Write a gripping description with AI

Writing an exciting hook for a boring topic is more challenging than it looks. But Wordtune makes it a breeze with just two steps:

• Open the Wordtune editor and write your essay topic.
• Click on Explain or Emphasize and let it work its magic.

You can also change the tone of voice to make the text more in tune with your theme. 

6. Metaphor hook

One of my favorite essay hooks is to open with a persuasive metaphor to contextualize the topic. Metaphors can help you approach the topic from a completely different lens and wow your readers with interesting insight. 

Metaphors are also super versatile to make your writing more impactful. You can write a one-line metaphor or create a scenario comparing one thing to another and linking it to your topic. 

For example, if you’re writing about the experience of working at a startup, you can open your essay with these two options:

Short & sweet: "Joining a startup is like strapping into a rollercoaster: be ready to witness thrilling highs and sinking drops."

Long & descriptive : “Picture a small sailboat navigating the unpredictable winds and tides in a vast ocean. That’s a startup operating in a massive market. And with the right vision, this journey is filled with risks and rewards.” 

Create a convincing metaphor with AI

Writing good metaphors takes up a lot of creative brain power. You can always use Wordtune to find some extra inspiration if you're out of creative ideas. 

Type your opening line in the Wordtune editor and click on the 'Give an analogy' option. You can ask for as many suggestions as you want till you find the best one! 

What to Know About Your Essay (and Topic) Before You Write the Hook

Whether you’re writing a research paper on economics, an argumentative essay for your college composition class, or a personal essay sharing your thoughts on a topic, you need to nail down a few things before you settle on the first line for your essay.

‍ Let me break them down for you. 

1. Gain in-depth knowledge of your topic

Before you start writing your essay, you need to know your topic — not just in name, but in-depth. You don't have to become a subject matter expert overnight. But you do need to research the topic inside out 

Your research will help you:

• Narrow your focus
• Build an argument
• Shape the narrative

Your research insights determine your essay’s structure and guide your choice of hook. 

After organizing your research in a neat outline, think to yourself: ‍Did you uncover a shocking fact? A compelling anecdote? An interesting quote? Any of those things could be your hook.

⚡ ‍ Take action: After finishing your research, review your notes and think through your essay. Mark or make a list of anything compelling enough to be a good lead.

2. Type of essay

In academic settings, there are generally three kinds of essays:

• Argumentative: Making the case for a certain stance or route of action.
• Expository: Explaining the who, what, when, where, why, and how of some phenomenon.
• Narrative: Telling a true story as a way to explore different ideas.

‍ The type of essay you’re writing is key to choosing the best hook for your piece. 

A serious argumentative essay can start with a shocking statistic or a bold claim. And an expository essay can open with a descriptive hook while a metaphor hook would work best for a narrative essay.

⚡ ‍ Take action: Go through your list of potential hooks and cross out anything that doesn't fit the type of essay you're writing, whether it's persuasive , argumentative, or any other type.

3. Audience and tone

A best practice I often share with writers is to think of one reader and keep yourself in their shoes . This exercise can tell you so much about your audience — what kind of tone they like, what matters the most to them, what topics interest them, and so on. 

You can use these insights to create a compelling essay hook. Here’s how:

• For an argumentative essay, you’re trying to convince someone who doesn’t agree with you that what you’re claiming is right or, at least, reasonable. You don’t want to turn them off with snarky or offensive language — but you do want to be authoritative. Your hook should match that tone and support your effort.
• A narrative essay is likely to welcome more lyrical language, so starting with a colorful description or an anecdote might make more sense than, say, a bold claim or surprising fact. Whatever tone you choose for your narrative essay — comical or gentle or bold — should be used for your hook.
• ‍ Expository essays can use all sorts of tones and be written to a variety of audiences, so think carefully about the tone that best fits your subject matter. An essay explaining how the human body shuts down when overdosed will likely require a different tone than one on the lives of circus masters in the late 1800s. 

⚡ ‍ Take action: Look at your list. Can you write these potential hooks in a tone that suits your subject and audience?

4. Length of essay

Are you writing a 10-page paper or a three-page reflection? Or is this your senior thesis, pushing over 100 pages?

‍ If you’re writing a shorter paper, you’ll want to keep your hook quick and snappy.  

Readers are expecting a quick read, and they don’t want to spend five minutes only going through the introduction. 

In contrast, you can approach a longer essay — like a senior thesis or a term paper — with a longer hook. Just make sure your hook relates to and supports the core point of your essay. You don’t want to waste space describing a scene that ultimately has nothing to do with the rest of your piece.

⚡ ‍ Take action: If you write out the items on your list, how long will they be? A sentence or paragraph? Perfect. Two to five paragraphs? Unless your essay is on the longer side, you may want to save that information for later in the piece.

‍ Now that you know the basic facts about what you’re writing, let’s look at some approaches you could use to catch those readers — and reel them in.

3 Approaches to Avoid When Writing Hooks 

I’ve read hundreds of essays — enough to recognize lazy writing from the first few words. It’s equally easy for readers to discard your essays as ‘poorly written’ just by reading the first line. 

So, I made a list of three types of essay hooks you want to avoid at all costs because these hooks can only disappoint your readers. 

1. Quotations

Quotes are probably the most overused type of hook in any form of writing. What's even worse is rinsing and repeating the same old quotes from Abraham Lincoln or Nelson Mandela in your essays. 

No matter how powerful a quote sounds, you shouldn’t slap it at the opening of your essay. It doesn’t give readers the excitement of reading something original and looks lazy.

For example, if you’re writing an essay on productivity, here’s what a good and bad lede looks like:

“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work” – Stephen King

Did you know that consuming 100 gms of sugar can slash your productivity levels by over 50% in a day?  

2. Definitions

The New Oxford American Dictionary defines a hook as "a thing designed to catch people's attention." 

If I opened my article with this dictionary definition of a hook, you’d have either dozed off or left this page long back to find something more interesting. 

Here's the thing: definitions put people to sleep. Readers don't want to see a formal, jargon-heavy definition of a topic as the very first line of an essay. Your opening statement should have some personality in it to show readers they're in for an exciting read. 

For example, if you’re writing about happy hormones, here’s what a good and bad lede looks like:

Happy hormones are known to boost the happiness levels in your body by creating positive feelings.

Ever wondered why cat videos make you instantly happy, and ice creams give you an extra dose of energy? It's all about how happy hormones control our brain chemistry.

3. “Imagine this”

Opening your essay with "Imagine this" used to be an interesting way to put your readers in a scenario and set the context for your essay. But now, it's far too cliched and just another lazy attempt to write an essay hook. 

You can create a relatable scenario for users without asking them to imagine or picture it. Use the descriptive hook format with an interesting choice of words to convey the same ideas more creatively.

For example, if you’re writing an essay on preparing for higher studies abroad, here’s what a good and bad lede looks like:

Imagine this: You’ve been applying to multiple universities, writing SOPs, and preparing for exams without guidance. Everything can go south any minute. 

College application season is officially here. But with each passing day, you’re under more and more stress to apply to your chosen colleges and tick all the items off your list.

‍Our Go-To Trick for Writing Catchy Hooks

This opening statement can make or break your entire essay. While I’ve broken down my best tips to create the best essay hooks, here’s a surefire way to write compelling openings :

Go through your notes and either outline your essay or write the whole thing. This way, you’ll know the central thread (or throughline) that runs throughout your piece. 

Once your essay or outline is complete, go back through and identify a particularly compelling fact, claim, or example that relates to that central thread.

‍Write up that fact, claim, or example as the hook for your essay using any of the methods we’ve covered. Then revise or write your essay so the hook leads smoothly into the rest of the piece and you don’t repeat that information elsewhere.

Does your hook spark curiosity in you? 

Did that fact surprise you in the research stage? 

Chances are, your readers will have the same reaction.

And that’s exactly what you want.

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Essay Samples on Vampire

Belief in vampire-like creatures.

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The Origins Behind Many Vampire and Horror Stories

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1. Belief in Vampire-Like Creatures

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5. The Vampire Myth in Our Culture

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50 vampire writing prompts

March 7, 2024 by Richard Leave a Comment

Here are 50 vampire writing prompts: In the realm of supernatural fiction, few creatures have captured the imagination as deeply as vampires. Their allure is timeless, and their stories continue to evolve with each passing generation. This list of 50 vampire writing prompts is a testament to the enduring fascination with these enigmatic beings, offering a diverse array of ideas to inspire writers and explore the many facets of vampire lore.

From the classic tale of a vampire awakening after centuries of slumber to the complications of navigating modern relationships as an immortal, these prompts delve into the heart of what makes vampires so compelling. They explore the struggle between the vampire’s insatiable thirst for blood and their lingering humanity, the forbidden love between mortals and immortals, and the power dynamics that shape vampire society. Each prompt presents a unique challenge or conflict, inviting writers to craft stories that are both thrilling and emotionally resonant.

Moreover, these prompts showcase the rich potential for world-building within the vampire genre. From underground societies hidden from human eyes to the treacherous politics of vampire clans, there is ample room for writers to create intricate and immersive settings. The prompts also introduce intriguing variations on traditional vampire mythology, such as vampires falling in love with ghosts or werewolves, or humans discovering ways to cure vampirism. By blending classic tropes with fresh twists, these ideas encourage writers to push the boundaries of the genre and explore new territory.

Here are 50 vampire writing prompts:

A vampire wakes up after centuries of slumber, struggling to adapt to the modern world. A human falls in love with a vampire, unaware of their true nature. A vampire must choose between their thirst for blood and their moral conscience. A group of vampires form an underground society, hiding from human discovery. A vampire hunter becomes the hunted when a powerful vampire seeks revenge. A vampire is cursed to walk the earth for eternity, searching for a way to break the spell. A human is turned into a vampire against their will and must learn to control their new urges. A vampire falls in love with a werewolf, defying the ancient feud between their species. A vampire becomes a celebrity, using their fame to lure unsuspecting victims. A human discovers they are the descendant of a powerful vampire bloodline. A vampire must protect a human child from other vampires who want to harm them. A vampire seeks redemption for their past sins by using their powers for good. A human is forced to work with a vampire to solve a mystery that threatens both their worlds. A vampire becomes addicted to the blood of a specific human, obsessing over them. A group of humans form a resistance against the vampire overlords who rule their city. A vampire falls in love with a ghost, unable to touch or be with them. A human is born with a rare blood type that makes them irresistible to vampires. A vampire must navigate the treacherous politics of their own kind to survive. A human becomes a vampire’s servant, slowly falling under their spell. A vampire is hunted by a group of humans who know their weakness. A vampire must choose between their love for a human and their loyalty to their clan. A human discovers a way to become a vampire, but at a terrible cost. A vampire is trapped in a mirror, able to observe the world but unable to interact with it. A human and a vampire swap bodies, forced to live in each other’s shoes. A vampire must solve the murder of one of their own kind before war breaks out. A human is tasked with assassinating a powerful vampire leader. A vampire falls in love with a human who is terminally ill, racing against time to save them. A vampire must infiltrate a human government to prevent them from discovering their kind. A human becomes a vampire’s thrall, losing their free will and becoming a puppet. A vampire is exiled from their clan and must survive on their own in the human world. A human discovers a vampire’s weakness and uses it to blackmail them. A vampire falls in love with a human who is already in a relationship. A vampire must choose between their thirst for power and their love for a human. A human becomes a vampire hunter to avenge the death of a loved one. A vampire is trapped in a time loop, reliving the same day over and over again. A human discovers a vampire’s secret lair and must decide whether to expose them. A vampire becomes a vigilante, using their powers to fight crime and protect the innocent. A human is turned into a vampire by accident and must learn to control their powers. A vampire falls in love with a human who is a member of a rival vampire clan. A human discovers a way to cure vampirism, but the vampires will stop at nothing to prevent it. A vampire must choose between their love for a human and their duty to their sire. A human becomes a vampire’s familiar, bound to serve them for eternity. A vampire falls in love with a human who is a vampire slayer. A human discovers they are the reincarnation of a powerful vampire’s lost love. A vampire must navigate the modern world of dating and relationships. A human becomes a vampire’s blood donor, addicted to the rush of being bitten. A vampire falls in love with a human who is a member of a secret society dedicated to destroying vampires. A human must help a vampire find a rare blood type to save their life. A vampire becomes a famous artist, using their immortality to create masterpieces. A human and a vampire must work together to stop a rogue vampire who is killing indiscriminately.

As this list of 50 vampire writing prompts demonstrates, the possibilities for crafting compelling stories within the vampire genre are virtually endless. Whether writers choose to focus on the internal struggles of a vampire grappling with their own nature, the forbidden romance between a vampire and a human, or the high-stakes conflicts that arise within vampire society, they have a wealth of creative options at their fingertips. By exploring these prompts and adding their own unique spin, writers can contribute to the ever-evolving tapestry of vampire fiction.

The enduring appeal of vampires in literature, film, and popular culture is a testament to their ability to reflect the deepest desires and fears of the human experience. Vampires embody both the allure of immortality and the horror of the monstrous, the seductive power of the forbidden and the aching loneliness of the outsider. By tapping into these themes and crafting stories that resonate on both a visceral and emotional level, writers can create vampire tales that will haunt and captivate readers for generations to come.

So, whether you are a seasoned writer looking for fresh inspiration or a newcomer to the world of vampire fiction, let these 50 prompts be your guide. Embrace the darkness, explore the depths of the human heart, and let your imagination run wild. The night is waiting, and the vampires are calling. Will you answer their summons? If you enjoyed these writing prompts, we have many more on our site .

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About Richard

Richard Everywriter (pen name) has worked for literary magazines and literary websites for the last 25 years. He holds degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology and Education. Richard has headed many writing workshops and courses, and he has taught writing and literature for the last 20 years.  

In writing and publishing he has worked with independent, small, medium and large publishers for years connecting publishers to authors. He has also worked as a journalist and editor in both magazine, newspaper and trade publications as well as in the medical publishing industry.   Follow him on Twitter, and check out our Submissions page .

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How To Write A Great Essay Hook (With Examples)

• Smodin Editorial Team
• Published: November 24, 2023

Learning the secrets behind an effective essay starts with understanding the power of a hook. Your hook is the opening statement of your introduction and ultimately acts as an invitation to your readers. It invites them to explore the ideas you’re presenting, while also engaging their attention for a long enough time to read your work.

With a great hook, you can improve your writing skills and set the stage for a masterfully written essay. But what else is a good hook able to do? And what kind of hook can you use to write an incredible essay?

This guide (complete with hook sentence examples) will help walk you through the steps of writing a hook and how to use it to boost your grades and make your work more compelling than ever!

What Is An Essay Hook?

An essay hook is the opening sentence or paragraphs of your essay and is designed to pique the curiosity of your reader while also holding their attention long enough to read the rest of your work. Think about it – would you want to read an essay if the first sentence is long-winded and boring?

Generally, writers use an effective hook to set the tone for the rest of the work and give you a quick look ‘behind the curtain’. The hook tells you exactly what the essay is about in a thoughtful and thought-provoking way that leaves you hungry for more.

For example: “ Did you know that the average person eats around five pounds of shark meat every year? In a shocking study by the Shark Lovers World Organization, it was revealed that around 4% of all fish-based products contain shark meat. ”

Of course, this isn’t true (at least, we hope not!). But it did capture your interest and make you want to find out more. That’s exactly what a hook does.

A good essay hook can keep your readers interested and helps to engage them in what you’re saying. It also leaves a lasting impression on them, which means you’ve accomplished your goal of starting a conversation about your essay topic.

Types Of Essay Hooks

With the many types of essays and writing structures you can use for your work, there are just as many hooks to suit your topic. But which ones are relevant? And which one should you use to effectively introduce your writing?

Below, we’ve listed some of the most common types of essay hooks to help you narrow down your search.

Question hook

If you start your essay with a thought-provoking question, you have a great chance of engaging your readers from the get-go. This is because a question can encourage them to actively think about what you’re saying and spark curiosity about what the real answer to the question is.

It’s important to ensure that your question is relevant and intriguing, but it’s even more important that it aligns with the theme of your essay. Usually, your readers will want to keep reading to find the answers in the body of your essay.

Quotation hook

When you open your essay with a quote from a notable person or reputable organization, you add credibility to your work. This can be particularly important when you’re discussing a topic that needs expertise to build trust.

After you use a relevant quote, you’ll also need to explain why it’s relevant to set the stage for the discussion or argument that you’re presenting.

Statistic hook

Introducing your topic with a compelling statistic or data is another great way to add credibility to your paper. It shows your reader that you’ve done your research, and you have proof to back up the claims that you may be making in the body of your essay.

It’s essential to use statistics that are accurate, though, and they should come from credible sources. Otherwise, you may be undermining your work, which could lead to losing the trust of your reader.

Anecdote hook

The last time I started an essay with an anecdote, my professor gave my work a stellar review and I got the best grades in my class .

Did we grab your attention? Good. That’s how an anecdote hook works. An anecdote is a short personal story that establishes trust with your reader and creates an emotional connection. It can also add a layer of interest to narrative or descriptive essays.

In some essays, you can write an anecdotal hook from the perspective of a fictional character. As long as it sounds like a personal experience, it should reel your readers in.

Surprising statement hook

If you can, try to capture your reader’s attention with a bold or unexpected statement. When you catch them off guard, you can stimulate their curiosity. They’re going to want to keep reading to see how you address or support your surprising statement.

You can use this type of hook in several different ways. Whether you’re challenging a common misconception, giving counterintuitive insights, or presenting intriguing facts that will wow or shock your reader, you can start your essay off on the right note.

Description hook

A description hook helps to engage readers by painting an image or setting a scene using descriptive language. Typically, it appeals to the senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell) and describes something in enough detail that it makes the reader feel as if they’re actually experiencing it for themselves!

This type of hook is suited for narrative or descriptive essays because it allows you to set the tone, establish a certain atmosphere, and even evoke an emotional response in your reader. In turn, the reader becomes fully immersed in the scene that you’re setting.

How To Write A Great Essay Hook

Now that you understand the basics, it’s time to put your pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard) and write a hook that will draw readers in and keep them reading. If you follow the steps we’ve outlined below, you’re sure to craft a hook that will reel in your audience – hook, line, and sinker .

1. Know your audience

Knowing your audience is perhaps one of the most important things to consider when you’re writing an essay hook. Are you writing for your teachers, peers, or a broader audience? Once you know that, you can move on to understanding their motives, and values, and how their emotions will affect how impactful your hook is.

Creating a connection with your audience grabs the reader’s attention and encourages them to keep reading your essay. And, by fostering this connection, you can make them more receptive to the message you’re trying to convey.

2. Understand the purpose of your essay

Before you can write your hook, you’ll need to know what the purpose of your essay is. Generally, your essay will try to inform, persuade, or narrate your subject. Either way, narrowing down the motivation behind writing the essay will help you on your quest to write a hook that suits your writing.

Your hook should always align with the concept of your essay since it’s used to introduce the main theme or argument. You can think of it as a preview of what you’re going to talk about – it gives your readers a glimpse into the direction of your written work and sets expectations for what your essay will cover.

3. Choose the right type of hook

The type of essay hook you choose significantly impacts your essay’s style and whether it will keep your reader’s interest. You can pick from a question, quotation, anecdotal hook, or any of the others we’ve listed.

By carefully selecting what types of hook sentences will captivate your reader and establish the right tone for your essay, you’re guaranteed to have a compelling introduction. You just need to make sure that your hook suits the essay you’re writing.

For example, if you’re writing a personal story hook as an introduction to a historical essay that relies on a chronological structure, it wouldn’t be very impactful. Instead, a quotation or statistic hook may be better suited to an academic essay like this.

4. Make sure your hook is relevant

Relevance is the key to creating a compelling essay hook. The hook should always connect to the topic of your essay, and the link between the two needs to be clear from the get-go.

This does mean, however, that you need to avoid unrelated information in your hook. Keeping with the example of writing a historical essay, we can illustrate this point perfectly.

Say you’re writing an essay on World War II, and you’ve chosen a statistical hook to open your writing. Adding statistics about coffee sales during the same time period is completely irrelevant and won’t have much of an impact.

Unrelated hooks can confuse your audience and completely lose the reader’s interest. On the other hand, a focused and relevant hook can grab the reader’s attention and make your essay more exciting.

5. Spark curiosity

The way that you phrase your essay hook is just as important as the type of hook you use. Ideally, your hook should excite the reader and spark curiosity that makes them want to keep reading.

A poorly worded hook can be confusing or – let’s face it – boring! And you don’t want to bore your audience before they even get past your introduction. Whether you’re asking a question or introducing the topic for your ideas, your hook should set the stage for the rest of your essay.

You may need to use some creativity for this step. But putting yourself in the shoes of your reader can help. Ask yourself ‘What would make me want to keep reading?’. Your answer is usually a good place to start!

6. Keep it short

Although an attention-grabbing hook is ideal, it’s essential to keep it short. You should focus on using impactful language that can effectively convey your message. This is mainly because a shorter hook can keep your reader’s attention without overwhelming them with too much information.

Remember, it’s all about balance. When it comes to essay hooks, you want to strike a balance between capturing your audience’s attention and giving them a concise overview of what your essay is about.

7. Tweak the tone

The tone of your hook sets up the tone for the rest of your essay – so it’s pretty important that you align your tone with the topic. To do this, you first have to ask yourself what the tone is . Is it serious? Or perhaps you want to come across as humorous? Either way, you’ll want to maintain a consistent tone throughout.

A good example of this would be when writing a personal essay. In this case, an anecdote hook would be a great way to kick off your writing. However, if your personal story is serious, a funny anecdote isn’t necessarily the best choice. Instead, you’ll want to pick an anecdote that matches the seriousness of what you’re discussing in the body of your work.

8. Revise your hook with Smodin

After you’ve written your hook, it might still need a little nip and tuck to go from almost perfect to perfectly polished. To do this, you can use several different techniques to rewrite it.

But the easiest way to ensure that your hook is bulletproof is to use Smodin’s AI Paraphrasing tool . It can spin your words to sound like it was crafted by an expert – in a matter of seconds. It’s also a good way to avoid plagiarism and check your text to see how well it performs (the flow, tone, and relevance).

You can also use our free AI Writer to generate a unique, plagiarism-free, and professional essay in just a few prompts. This can help you draft a rough copy of your work before making any adjustments or modifications to your final product.

Catchy Hook Examples For Your Essay

With a better understanding of the types of essay hooks, and how to use them, you are well on your way to crafting an effective and attention-grabbing introduction to your writing. But, if you still need a little help with tailoring hook types to suit your writing structure, take a look at some of these examples of hooks for different types of essays:

Argumentative essay hook examples

Statistical hook: “ According to a recent study conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Americans generate around 4.48 pounds of trash every day. This highlights the urgent need for recyclable products and packaging to address this pressing issue. ”

Question hook: “ Have you ever wondered how our experiences as children impact our daily lives and our resulting choices as adults? This critical question has prompted us to explore the topic of childhood trauma and the profound implications that it could have on our futures. ”

Persuasive essay hook examples

Statistic hook: “ Did you know that over 1.3 million tons of plastic waste are dumped into our oceans every year? This alarming statistic demands our attention and immediate action to address the pressing issue of plastic pollution. ”

Surprising statement: “ In a world that’s run by technology, it’s shocking to realize that the average person spends more time in their day scrolling through social media than sleeping. The digital age has not only revolutionized communication but has also left us questioning the true value of our time and relationships. ”

Narrative essay hook examples

Anecdotal hook: “ Raindrops tapped lightly on the window pane, and the slight rustling of the leaves seemed to whisper secrets in the wind. Little did I know that this ordinary evening would soon become an extraordinary chapter in the story of my life. It all began with a letter—an old, weathered envelope that held the key to a long-buried family mystery .”

Question hook: “ Have you ever wondered what it feels like to stand at the edge of a cliff, staring into the vast unknown below? The adrenaline coursing through your veins, the wind tousling your hair—each moment pregnant with the possibility of adventure. What if I told you that such a moment would change the course of my life forever? ”

Compare and contrast essay hook examples

Quotation hook: “ In the words of Aristotle, ‘Excellence is an art won by training and habituation’. As we delve into the realms of two seemingly disparate subjects, we must consider how their unique qualities and shared traits contribute to the pursuit of excellence in their own distinct ways. ”

Anecdote hook: “ As the sun went down, the city lit up with its busy streets, and I stood there, feeling stuck between two different places—the lively city and the peaceful countryside. In that moment, I noticed how city life and rural living are alike in some ways but also have their unique features. ”

Can I use the same type of hook for different essays?

While some hooks are versatile, it’s best to tailor your hook to the specific essay you’re writing and the topic you’re covering. You’ll need to consider the audience, purpose, and nature of your writing before choosing a hook.

Can I use a combination of different types of hooks in one essay?

Yes, you can experiment with combining different types of essay hooks in your writing, especially if your topic allows for different approaches. However, you should always make sure to include a smooth transition between the hooks and keep them simple. Otherwise, you risk confusing your reader.

Writing catchy hooks is more than just finding something clever to say at the opening of your essay. It’s about leaving an impression on your reader that will carry through the body of your work and leave them hanging on every word you say. Ultimately, your hook can make or break your essay.

With Smodin, coming up with, writing, and revising your hook is as simple as one, two, three. So why not try out our tools to streamline your writing process? There’s nothing to lose – and everything to gain!

Good Hooks for Essays: 14 Hook Ideas with Examples

Now here’s the clue.

If you want to wow your teacher, polish the introduction. Add something interesting, funny, shocking, or intriguing. Good essay hooks help you build an emotional connection right from the start. Think of an essay hook as bait for your readers.

Our expert team has prepared numerous examples of hooks for essays. You’ll find hook examples for an argumentative essay, personal story, history essay, and other types of papers.

For 100% clarity, we provided examples using each hook tactic. And a short part about how to write a good hook.

• 💎 What Exactly Is a Hook & How to Write a Good One
• 📜 Examples of Classical Essay Hooks
• 💡 Try Some Informative Essay Hooks
• 🦄 Here are the Most Uncommon Essay Hooks

✅ Good Hooks for Essays: Bonus Tips

• 🔗 References for More Information

We highly recommend reading all the methods and examples, so you don’t have any questions.

💎 How to Write a Hook That Will Work for Your Essay?

The hook of your essay usually appears in the very first sentence.

The average length of an essay hook should be 3-7 sentences, depending on the topic.

But first, let’s quickly go through the key questions.

What Is an Essay Hook?

An essay hook (or narrative hook) is a literary technique that writers use to keep their readers engaged. It shows that the content below is worth reading.

The hook can have different lengths. Some writers make it last for several pages. Though, it better be a short paragraph or even a sentence.

Why Do You Need a Good Essay Hook?

Writing the right hook is essential for a few reasons:

• It heats up your readers’ interest. If you did it right, they read the whole piece.
• It shows off your skills . A right hook presents you as an expert in your field.
• It attracts target audience. Only the readers you want will keep reading.
• It keeps the tension on the right level. Use an intriguing question, and a reader dies to find out the answer.
• It makes a good introduction. Starting your essay off a boring fact is simply not a good idea.

How to Write a Good Hook: Ideas and Examples

Next, we will discuss these hook types in more detail. We’ll also provide essay hook examples of less common yet intriguing types: dialogue, story, contradiction, comparison, definition, metaphor, puzzle, announcement, and background information hooks.

💬 The Famous Quote Hook

Use a famous quote as a hook for your essay on history, literature, or even social sciences. It will present you as an established writer. It shows how knowledgeable you are and motivates the readers to engage in the text.

⬇️ Check out examples below ⬇️

Quote Hook Example: Political Science

Hilary Clinton once said that "there cannot be true democracy unless women's voices are heard." Which creates a discussion about how perfect democracy should look like. If it is a form of government that considers all opinions, why are women silenced so often even nowadays? The truth is that we need to ensure completely equal opportunities for women in politics before we talk about establishing the correct version of democracy. And even the most developed and progressive countries are still struggling to get to that level of equality. It can be achieved by various methods, even though they might only work in certain countries.

Social Sciences

"Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country." These words of wisdom from John Kennedy reflect the perspective we need to teach the younger generations. For some reason, it has become popular to blame the government for any problem arising in society. Is it their fault that we don't think about waste and keep trashing our home? Social responsibility is a real thing. The well-being of our countries starts with the actions of every separate individual. It is not entirely right to wait until the government fixes all the issues for us. The best strategy is to start thinking about what we can do as a community to make our home even a better place.

And excellent sources of quotes for you:

• Brainyquote.com – you can search quotes by topic or by author.
• Goodreads.com is not only a great collection of e-books but also quotes.
• Quoteland.com has plenty of brilliant words for all imaginable situations.
• Quotationspage.com – more than 30,000 quotations for unique essay hooks.

❓Rhetorical Question Essay Hooks

It doesn’t have to be rhetorical – any type of question addressed to your audience will do its job. Such a universal kind of hook can spike the interest of your readers immediately.

Some useful patterns of rhetorical questions:

• What could be more important than…?
• What if there was only one… (chance/day/hour)?
• Who wouldn’t like to… (be a cat/turn visitors into clients)?
• Why bother about… (inequality/imperfect education system)?
• Which is more important: … (making money or realizing potential)?

And more in examples:

Example of a Question Hook on Education

Wouldn't free access to education for everyone be wonderful? The answer would most likely be positive. However, it is not as simple as it seems. As much as the governments try to achieve this goal, there are still many uneducated people. On the bright side, in the era of technology, learning has never been so easy. Of course, some young adults just prefer the shortcut option of taking a student loan. Other ways are much more challenging and require a lot of responsibility and patience. Finding free educational resources online and gaining experience with the help of video tutorials might sound unprofessional. Still, you will be surprised how many experts hired in different fields only received this type of education.

Question Hook Example: Health

Is there anything that can help you lose weight fast? You have probably heard of this magical keto diet that is getting more and more popular worldwide. People claim that it helps them shred those excess pounds in unbelievably short terms. But how healthy is it, and does it suit anyone? The truth is that no diet is universal, and thanks to our differences, some weight-loss methods can even be harmful. Keto diet, for example, leads your body into the state of ketosis. What happens is that you don't receive carbohydrates, and in this state, fat is used as the primary source of energy instead them. However, it carries potential threats.

😂 Anecdotal Essay Hooks

This type would usually be more suitable for literary pieces or personal stories. So, don’t use it for formal topics, such as business and economics. Note that this hook type can be much longer than one sentence. It usually appears as the whole first paragraph itself.

It wouldn't be Kate if she didn't do something weird, so she took a stranger for her best friend this time. There is nothing wrong with it; mistakes like that happen all the time. However, during only five minutes that Kate spent with the stranger, she blabbed too much. Thinking that she sat down at the table that her friend took, Kate was so busy starting on her phone that she didn't notice that it wasn't her friend at all. Sure enough, the naive girl started talking about every little detail of her last night that she spent with her date. It was too much for the ears of an old lady. Kate realized she took the wrong table only when it was too late.

Literature (personal story)

Do not ever underestimate the power of raccoons! Those little furry animals that may look overly cute are too smart and evil. It only takes one box of pizza left outside your house by the delivery person for the disaster to begin. When they smell that delicious pizza, no doors can stop them. They will join the forces to find a hole in your house to squeeze into. Even if it's a window crack four feet above the ground, they know how to get to it. Using their fellow raccoons as the ladder, they get inside the house. They sneak into the kitchen and steal your pizza in front of your eyes and your scared-to-death dog. Not the best first day in the new home, is it? 

📈 Fact or Statistic Hook

Looking deeper into your essay topic, you might find some numbers that are quite amusing or shocking. They can serve as perfect hooks for economics- and business-oriented writings. Also, it is better if they are less known.

Business/social sciences

The UAE workforce is culturally diverse since around 20% of employees (usually called expatriates) come from different countries. Ex-pats tend to take managerial positions, which makes communication within companies quite tricky. The training focused on raising cultural awareness is getting more common, but such educational strategies as games (or gamification) are still rarely applied in the UAE companies. Yet, gamification was a useful tool in other places, making it an attractive UAE team building method. It can significantly help integrate ex-pats and create a more culturally aware environment.

Statistic Hook Example in Economics

The United Arab Emirate's debt has been rising drastically in past years, from about US$17 billion in 2003, which is almost 19 percent of GDP, to US$184 billion in 2009. Only a small proportion of the debt can be tracked directly to the public sector. A report by UBS bank shows that most of the debt comes from the corporate sector. Most of the companies that hold the main section of the debt are financial institutions. The public sector partly owns them. Banks in the UAE have been accumulating their debt amounts in the years mentioned above and could now account for 75 percent of the total foreign debt. The discussion is about the reasons why the UAE debt has been rising at an alarming rate.

Some good sources for statistics

• Finance.yahoo.com is perfect for business papers.
• Usa.gov/statistics is an easy-to-use governmental engine for searching data and stats.
• Unstats.un.org provides a massive collection of statistics published by UN organizations
• Oecd-ilibrary.org is the online library of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), featuring its books, papers, and statistics and is a gateway to the OECD’s analysis and data.

🤯 Shocking Facts are Very Good Hooks for Essays

Very similar to a statistical hook, a fact can serve as a perfect engaging introduction. Search your field for some shocking phenomenon and gently insert it in the beginning.

Don’t forget to include a reliable source reinforcing your words!

Fact Hook Example in Economics

Nowadays, much attention is paid to the problem of shark finning around the world. Millions of sharks are killed annually for their fins, and many of them are dropped back to the ocean finless, where they die because of suffocation. In many countries, the idea of shark finning remains illegal and unethical, but the possibility of earning huge money cannot be ignored (Dell'Apa et al. 151). Regarding available technologies, market economies, trade relations, and cheap employment, it does not take much time to organize special trips for shark hunting. The Trade of shark fins is alive and well developed in countries like the United States and China. However, the number of people who are eager to try shark fin soup has considerably decreased during the last several years because of the popularity of anti-shark fin soup campaigns and laws supported worldwide (Mosbergen). The situation continues to change in China.

Daniel Stacey and Ross Kelly observed that long lines and a new gray market trend for bigger screen phones marked Apple's new iPhones debut. As expected, new phone models drew Apple fans outside retail stores (Stacey and Kelly). Global critics, however, noted that this year's lines were generally longer relative to previous periods mainly because of the developing gray market for Apple products. The new Apple's iPhones have larger screens than the previous models. Also, they boast of improved battery life, faster processors, and an enhanced camera. Tim Cook called them "mother of all upgrades" (Stacey and Kelly).

Sources to look for reliable facts:

• Buzzfeed.com – news, videos, quizzes.
• Cracked.com – a website full of funny stuff, like articles, videos, pictures, etc.
• Webmd.com – an incredible collection of medical facts you will love.
• Livescience.com – discoveries hitting on a broad range of fields.
• National Geographic – needs no introduction.
• Mental Floss answers life’s big questions, a compilation of fascinating facts and incredible stories.

🗣️ Dialogue as a Catchy Hook for Essays

Dialogue is another type of hooks that goes perfectly with pieces of literature and stories. It can even make your short essay stand out if you include it at the beginning. But don’t forget that it only concerns specific topics such as literature and history.

Here it is:

Dialogue Hook Example in Literature

– Why did you do it? – I don't know anymore… That's why I'm leaving for a little bit right now. I need time to think.

With these words, Anna stepped back into the train car and waved goodbye to Trevor. She couldn’t even find the right words to explain why she ran away on her wedding day. It wasn’t that she didn’t love Trevor, but there was this deep, natural, and unexplored feeling that told her it wasn’t time yet. But the only thing Anna realized was that the city made her sick. That day, she took off her wedding dress, bought a ticket on the next flight leaving that afternoon, and hopped on the train taking her to the airport. She couldn’t even remember the country’s name she was going to so blurry everything was from her tears.

Dialogue Hook for History Essay

– If we still had inquisition, we could probably set him on fire. – Some dark magic, indeed, my friend! It would have probably been a real dialogue if we knew who was the first automobile inventor for sure. People were undoubtedly shocked to see the cars moving by themselves without horses. However, since they started appearing around the globe around the same time, it is almost impossible to identify who was the original creator of the idea and the first automobile itself. The credit was usually given to Karl Benz from Germany, who created a gasoline car in 1885-1886. But there are also much earlier records of a gentleman named Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot, who built the first vehicle powered by steam in France in 1769.

🔮 A Story Looks Like an Extremely Good Essay Hook

A universal essay hook is a story. You can use this trick pretty much anywhere. The main challenge is to be as authentic as possible, try to tell something fresh and engaging. The more specific and narrow the story, the more chances for a successful introduction.

Story Hook Example for an Essay on Business

Dell started fast and strong. The original company was founded in 1984 when the founder was only a 19-year-old student at the University of Texas. Four years after the inception of the company, Michael Dell became the Entrepreneur of the Year. Eight years after he started the company from his dorm room's comfort, Dell was chosen as the Man of the Year by PC Magazine. […] The company was acknowledged as the world's leading direct marketer of personal computers. At the same time, Dell was known as one of the top five PC vendors on the planet (Hunger 9). […] However, the company's journey encountered a major hurdle down the road. Even after recovering from an economic recession in 2010, the company continued to experience declining sales.

🦚 Contradictory Statement – Queen of Good Hooks

Everybody loves to start an argument by contradicting some facts. Therefore, you simply need to add a controversial statement at the beginning of your essay. People of all ages and beliefs will not be able to stop reading it!

Challenging your readers works well for social sciences, business, and psychology topics.

Examples of contradictory statements essay hooks:

If you think being a manager is a calm and relatively easy task, try surviving on five cups of coffee, a sandwich, and two packs of cigarettes a day. You would rather believe that managers only walk around the office and give their staff orders, wouldn't you? Unfortunately, the reality is much harsher than such rainbowy dreams. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. A whole set of personal qualities and professional skills must keep up with the successful strategic planning, assessment, and development. All the tasks the managers need to attend to are nerve-wracking and sometimes almost impossible to do. The stress from the demanding managerial position is often overlooked or underestimated.

Social sciences

Video games have been ruining our kids' lives and leading to an increase in crime. Since the gaming industry's development in recent years, the fear of its adverse effects on the younger generations' brains has become a significant concern. There is such a wide variety of games, ranging from educational to violent shooters and horrors. Almost immediately, caring parents jumped on the latter category, claiming that its impact is too significant and children become more aggressive and uncontrollable. Some supporters of this theory went even further. They decided to link real-life crimes to the effects of violent video games on child and adult behavior. However, as we will see later in this article, there is no or little scientific evidence supporting those ideas.

🔁 Vivid Comparison Essay Hook

Introducing your topic with an engaging, vivid comparison is a universal strategy. It is suitable for any kind of writing. The main idea is to grab your readers’ attention by showing them your unique perspective on the topic. Try to make the comparison amusing and exciting.

Comparison Essay Hook Options:

• Comparison with daily chores (e.g., Proofreading your essays is like cleaning your teeth.)
• Comparison with something everyone hates (e.g., Learning grammar is like going to the dentist.)
• Comparison with something everyone loves (e.g., John was happy like a child eating a free vanilla ice cream.)
• Comparison of modern and old-school phenomena (e.g., Modern email has much in common with pigeon post.)
• Funny comparison (e.g., Justin Bieber is the Michael Jackson of his time)

Check out examples:

Environment

For many people, flying feels like a dream come true. More and more people take their first-ever flight thanks to the rapidly developing aviation technologies. Aircraft and airports are advancing, and air traveling is getting cheaper. However, except for transporting eager travel addicted and business people, planes are used in other ways. It appears that the whole economies across the world depend on the effectiveness and efficiency of airlines. Import and export demand this kind of transportation to work at all times. Aviation development seems like a great thing. However, just like any other technological breakthrough, it comes with a price. Environmental issues did not wait too long to show up.

Social sciences/psychology

Leaving home for the first time as a freshman can only be compared to the level of stress you had in childhood when your mother left you in the line at the checkout for too long. Indeed, becoming a student and moving out of the parent's house comes with a great deal of stress. All the unknown that lies ahead makes youngsters too anxious. Then, the difficulties of financial planning and increased academic pressure come as additional sources of worries. However, it does not have to be such a negative experience. Particular techniques can help students overcome their stress related to the separation from their parents.

📄 Definitions = Easy & Good Hooks for Essays

Another versatile essay hook option is introducing a qualitative definition. Try to make it capacious, and don’t fall into verbal jungles. This narrative hook is perfect for short scientific papers where there is only one focus subject.

Business Ethics

White-collar crime refers to the peaceful offense committed with the intention of gaining unlawful monetary benefits. There are several white-collar crimes that can be executed. They include extortion, insider trading, money laundering, racketeering, securities fraud, and tax evasion. Enron Company was an American based energy company. It was the largest supplier of natural gas in America in the early 1990s. The company had a stunning performance in the 1990s. Despite the excellent performance, stakeholders of the company were concerned about the complexity of the financial statements. The company's management used the complex nature of the financial statements and the accounting standards' weaknesses to manipulate the financial records. The white-collar crime was characterized by inflating the asset values, overstating the reported cash flow, and failure to disclose the financial records' liabilities. This paper carries out an analysis of the Enron scandal as an example of white-collar crime as discussed in the video, The Smartest Guys in the Room.

Motivation is the act of influencing someone to take any action to achieve a particular goal (Montana& Chanov, 2008). Employees' motivation depends on the job's nature, the company's organizational culture, and personal characteristics. In this case study, various theories influence and show how employees can be motivated in the workplace.

📚 Metaphor Hook for Essays

Naturally, using a metaphor as a hook for your essay comes with some limitations. You should only use this type in literature and sometimes in psychology. However, it serves as a great attention grabber if it’s engaging enough.

Let’s see how you can use a metaphor:

When life gives you dirt, don't try to squeeze the juice out of it. It's better to leave it alone and let it dry out a bit. Kate decided to follow this philosophy since nothing else seemed to work. After the painful divorce process, last week's ridiculous work assignments and managing two kids alone almost drove her crazy. No polite discussions, arguing, or bribing helped take care of seemingly a million tasks these little women had to deal with. Even letting out the anger just like her phycologist recommended did not help much. Instead, Kate referred to the last remedy. She put all the issues aside with the hope that it would get better later.

The recipe is relatively easy – take a cup of self-respect, two cups of unconditional love, half a cup of good health, a pinch of new positive experiences, and mix it all for a perfect state of happiness! We all wish it would be possible, right? However, the mystery of this state of being happy is still unsolved. The concept and its perception considerably change depending on time and values. Happiness is so complicated that there is even no universal definition of it. Besides, humans are social creatures, so associating your level of success with others is not unusual. Therefore, being happy means achieving a certain level of several aspects.

🧩 Puzzle? Yes! Amazing Hook for Your Essay

Doesn’t a good riddle grab your attention? Sometimes you just want to find out the answer. The other times, you want to figure out how it is related to the topic. Such a hook would be great for writings on psychology and even economics or business.

Here are the examples:

How many Google office employees you need to destroy a box of fresh donuts? Google is indeed famous for some of the most accommodating and unique working places around the whole world. However, the success of the company does not only appear from treats for employees. It seems that the organizational culture has many effects on business decisions and overall performance. All the staff working in Google share the same visions and values, helping them cooperate and lead the company to success. However, there is one aspect to consider. The organizational culture needs to be adapted to the ever-changing business environment.

Who survives on dirt-like substance, is never joyful, and only returns to the cave to sleep? It sounds horrible, but the correct answer is human. Nowadays, the demands for any kind of workers are rising, which brings tremendous effects on people. As the number of duties increases, it is getting harder for employees not to chug on coffee and come back home in time for a family dinner. The work-life balance is disturbed, leading to anxiety, relationship issues, and even health problems. Social life appears to be as important as making money. Therefore, the correct distribution of time between personal life and work duties is necessary for happiness.

📢 Announcement Is Also a Good Essay Hook Option

Announcements could be suitable for literary pieces and historical essays.

Such a hook doesn’t have to be too long. It should be significant enough to persuade your readers to stick to your writing. Make sure it aligns with your topic as well.

Ways to use announcements as essay hooks:

It was a revolution! The Beatle's first song came out in 1962, and almost immediately, hordes of fans pledged their loyalty to this new band. Nearly all youngsters became obsessed with their music. No one can deny that the Beatles are still considered the creators of some of the best songs in history. However, the arrival of the British band influences culture as well. Many photos depict girls going crazy on live concerts and guys shaping their haircuts after the Beatles' members. The revolution that the band brought left an impact, evidence that we can still trace in modern British culture and music.

I will never go to Starbucks again! Oh, no, mind me. I love their coffee. At some point in my life, I even thought I had an addiction and had to ask my friends to watch my consumption of Pumpkin Spice Latte. Then, the wind of change turned everything upside down. On my usual Starbucks morning run, I noticed a homeless man holding a paper cup begging for money. At first, I didn't pay much attention since it's a usual occurrence in our area. However, one day, I recognized my old neighbor in him. The only cash I had on me, I usually spent on my cup of coffee, but I decided it was not much of a sacrifice. From that moment, I only showed up on that street to shove a few bucks into that poor guy's cup. One day, to my surprise, he talked to me.

ℹ️ Background Information Essay Hook

Last but not least, give background information on your subject to make a good intro. Such an essay hook is effortless and suitable for practically any paper. Try to find the most unobvious angle to the background information. At the same time, keep it short and substantive.

Here are the ways to use background information essay hooks:

Air Arabia is among the leading low-cost carriers in the global airline industry. The airline is mainly based at the Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (Air Arabia, 2012). The airline came into inception in 2003 after His Highness Dr. Sheik Mohammed Al Qassimi, the Ruler of Sharjah, issued an Emiri Decree. Later, Air Arabia was transformed into a limited liability company. For nearly a decade, Air Arabia has witnessed tremendous growth, resulting in increased fleet size and improved sales revenues. At the same time, Air Arabia has created a renowned brand that offers reliable and safe services (Dubai Media Incorporated, 2012). Air Arabia identifies itself as a low-cost carrier by providing low fares in the industry. Some of the key strengths of the airline include punctuality and safety. This aims to ensure that the airline serves its customers most efficiently by observing its safety requirements and adhering to the landing and takeoff schedules (De Kluyver, 2010).

Walmart was founded by Sam Walton in the Arkansas United States in 1962 as a grocery store. The company, which operates a chain of over 8,000 stores in fifteen countries, is estimated to employ over two million employees from diverse backgrounds. Wal-Mart was incorporated in 1969 and started trading in the New York Stock Exchange in 1972. […] Although the company can leave its consumers with a saving due to its low-price policy, it has faced some sharp criticisms over how it treats its employees and other stakeholders. Wal-Mart boasts of its ability to save its customers' money, an average of $950 per year. This, however, has been criticized as harming the community. Also, the feminists' activists have focused on Walmart's misconduct in offering low prices. (Fraedrich, Ferrell & Ferrell 440)

Now we won’t keep you for long. Let’s just go through simple points of essay hook writing.

Someone may think that you have to write your hook first. It comes first in the paper, right?

In reality, though, you can wait until your entire essay is nearly finished. Then go back and rewrite the very first paragraph. This way, you can have a fresh look at what you’ve written in the beginning.

Here’s a simple plan you can follow.

• First, write a basic version of your thesis statement.
• Then, provide supporting evidence for your thesis in every body paragraph.
• After that, reword your thesis statement and write your concluding paragraph.
• Finally, search for an attention-grabbing fact, statistic, or anything from the list above to serve as an engaging essay hook.

Add this essay hook to the beginning of your introduction. Make sure that your ideas still flow naturally into your thesis statement.

⚠️ Pro tip: choose various hooks and play around, adding each hook to your introduction paragraph. Like this, you can determine which one makes the most impressive beginning to your paper.

Some of your choices may sound interesting but may not lead to your essay’s main point. Don’t panic! Paper writing always involves trial and error. Just keep trying your essay hook ideas until one fits perfectly.

That’s it 😊

Good luck with your work!

🔗 References

• Hook – Examples and Definition of Hook
• How to Engage the Reader in the Opening Paragraph – BBC
• Hooks and Attention Grabbers; George Brown College Writing Centre
• Hook Examples and Definition; Literary Devices
• What Is a Narrative Hook? Video
• How to: Writing Hooks or Attention-Getting Openings-YouTube

Research Paper Analysis: How to Analyze a Research Article + Example

Film analysis: example, format, and outline + topics & prompts.

37 Writing Prompts About Vampires

Count Dracula is not the only vampire well known in literature. There are countless other examples to draw inspiration for our writing.

These writing prompts are great for use around Halloween and are also great fun anytime you want to break up some of the usual creative writing with something on the lighter side.

After all, these are prompts that your students should be able to sink their teeth into!

A fun way to use these prompts would be to write them on bats and display them one way or another for students to choose from.

Or there are always the gummy fangs that could be used to pick prompts.

These are all prompts that any student should be able to write on, so have some fun. Go Batty!

Prompts to Salivate Over

• Write a story about a vampire and a werewolf.
• What other animal should a vampire change into besides a bat? Describe what would happen.
• Do you like vampires or some other mythological creature better?
• Describe what makes the best vampires?
• Who is the scariest vampire you can think of? Why did you pick them?
• Did you read Twilight? Was it believable to you? Why or why not?
• Describe the kind of vampire you would be.
• Do you think that vampires have a blood type that they prefer? Why? Which one?
• Do vampires only drink blood? What other kinds of vampires do you think there are?
• Start a vampire story: “It was a warm summer day, and no bats should be flying, except there could be one seen…”
• Write a story about a vampire who doesn’t like the taste of blood.
• Make up a story about a vampire and his best friend, the ghost.
• Write a story that tells why vampires are nocturnal.
• Create a vampire who is also an animal and write a story about them.
• Do you believe that vampires are real? Why or why not?
• Do you think there is a good reason for the creation of the vampire? 
• Why do we want to believe in things like vampires? Can you think of a good reason?
• Describe what the world would be like if everyone were vampires instead of regular humans.
• Write a story about a vampire’s perfect day.
• Discuss the scariest thing that you think of when someone says, vampire. Why is that scary to you?
• What is the importance of the vampire myth to society as a whole? What purpose does it serve?
• Write a story about vampires on vacation. Where would they go, and what would they do?
• Create a story about a place where vampires can go outside in the sunlight.
• Write about a vampire and his best friend, the werewolf.
• Are you a fan of vampire novels? What makes them so appealing to people?
• Why do you think that vampires need to turn into bats? Describe the motivation?
• Write the origin story of a vampire who wants to drink chocolate milk instead of blood.
• Describe what you would do if you met a vampire.
• Create a story about a vampire who only wanted to be loved.
• What kind of pet do you think a vampire would have? Why did you choose that pet?
• Do you think that vampires get lonely? Why?
• Write a story about a sensitive vampire who wants to be an artist.
• Rewrite a story and change the main character to a vampire. See how it ends up!
• What kind of place would you want to live in if you were a vampire?
• Do you believe that vampires can be good instead of evil? 
• Describe what it would be like if your grandma were a vampire.
• What would you do if all your friends were vampires, but you weren’t? Write a story about this scenario.

Mouth Watering for More?

We’ve got thousands of other free writing resources across our website, and you can find all sorts of fun and creative prompts to inspire young minds.

There are a lot of prompts as well as other educational resources you could be interested in.

If you feel like we missed something or know of a resource we missed and would like to share with us, Please feel free to let us know by sending an email.

We can’t wait to hear from you!

Vampire Writing Prompts—Over 15 Ideas That Are Sure To Give A Fright

• July 24, 2022

Are you looking for ideas for your next scary story? Are you a fan of the vampire horror genre and want to create your own blood-sucking characters ?

 If so, you’re in the right place. 

Below we’ve included a list of over 15 vampire-themed ideas for short stories (or longer stories if you like!)

Vampire writing prompts and story ideas

We all grew up with vampire stories. From classic vampire novel Dracula to modern YA series Twilight , vampires are some of the most popular monsters in literature. 

Given our exposure to vampire fiction, we can easily make up a few vampire stories.

The rules are changeable – some vampires can’t go out in the light, while others need more than a stake to the heart to die. 

When writing your own story, you can make up your own rules. It’s wise to use known, common vampire traits such as thirst for human blood or immortality. Again, this is your story, and you create any kind of vampire you like.

Vampire writing prompts

• A retired vampire hunter picks up the stake once again when a pack of vampires begins to terrorize local high school students. Write about the vampire hunter’s background, their last hunt before retirement, and the connection between that last hunt and the current vampire culprits.
• Write a vampire’s recount of his life so far, covering the periods of history he saw and his influence on them politically and socially.
• In this world, vampires dominate. The few humans on the planet hide in fear, but they must leave their hideout and seek food every few days. Write a short story from the perspective of one of the remaining humans about living in hiding and the risks of going out to look for food.
• Write a story about a world in which humans and vampires must learn to live in harmony.
• A police detective is assigned to investigate a series of murders. Each victim has two punctured holes in their neck, but the case has been at a standstill for months. The detective is the vampire.
• A man is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Fearing death, he seeks a vampire to stay alive.
• A family man gets bitten by a vampire. He experiences all the symptoms – fangs grow, he has thirst for blood, aversion to sunlight, and immortality. Write a story about this man’s attempts to maintain his normal life while living with vampirism.
• In a world where most people are vampires, write a story from the perspective of one of the last remaining humans.

Vampire story ideas

Look no further if you’re looking for inspiration for a new vampire story. 

Below we’ve got some simple but engaging story ideas to help you craft your own vampire story. Feel free to chop and change any details of these story ideas to suit your writing style and imagination better. 

Combine elements of different stories if you like, or see one through to the end.

Closing time

A fellow barman at a cocktail bar works until 6 am. When closing time comes and the sun starts to rise, he’s always in a rush to get out and get home. One day, he gets delayed and doesn’t make it out before sunrise. He can’t leave, but the bar needs to close. 

Stuck and needing help, he reveals his secret to you – he can’t go out in the sun because he’s a vampire. 

Vampires are real, but they no longer hunt humans (most of the time). To keep a low profile in their communities, vampires in this world only eat animals. A hunt begins when one vampire is overcome with greed and goes on a bloody rampage, draining the blood of many of the local farmers’ animals.

The farmers and townspeople set out on a hunt for the mysterious beast killing their livestock. Will the real killer manage to lure a few humans from the pack?

Seven strangers are invited to a beautiful island mansion. The invitation does not inform them of the sender, but they go anyway. The butlers and maids show each guest to their rooms. That evening, all guests are invited to dinner. At the head of the table sits the host and an old, gray-haired man with a smirk.

A human-vampire romantic relationship is tested when the human gets fatally injured in a street fight. The vampire can save the human, but only by turning him into a vampire so he can live forever. Write a story about the conversation between these two lovers as time runs out and the only options are death or vampirism.

Gartrell is a vampire, but he doesn’t drink human blood. In this world, vampires are not known for drinking blood but for draining consciousness from a person through their minds. These vampires are telepathic and can make a person reveal their innermost secrets and traumas by looking at them intently. Eventually, the person loses memory and passes out. 

What do the vampires in this world gain from consuming others’ memories?

A teenage boy has vampire fantasies from reading too much vampire lore. He wants to be a vampire, to the pain of his parents, who must tell him repeatedly that vampires are not real. One dark evening, the boy meets an eclectically dressed man on a walk home from school.

The man informs him that he is a vampire and knows what the boy wants. He offers to bring the boy on that night’s hunt to introduce him to the world of vampirism. On the hunt, the boy learns just how gruesome and brutal vampires are and tries to make his escape. 

What happens to the boy?

The most elite members of society seek to maintain their status by achieving immortality. Large sums of money are offered to the Vampire Counsel to turn these elites into creatures of the night, granting them immortality, immunity to disease, and incredible strength. Soon, the blood-sucking elite exerts their dominance over the laypeople. The new vampires rule the world and call for a blood tax.

An older vampire reflects on his life so far and sees the error of his ways. He wants to make amends for the death and pain he has caused in his life. He stumbles across an abandoned baby in the woods and decides to care for it. He does the best he can, but the vampire hunters in the area don’t know about his wish for repentance and intend to kill him. 

Write about this old vampire’s attempts to change his ways while avoiding being hunted and persecuted.

Vampire writing tips

When writing about vampires, it’s best to avoid heavy use of cliché. 

Of course, you’ll need to incorporate the classic themes – blood-sucking, turning a human into a vampire, and an effective method of killing vampires – but you can still create an original piece with these considerations.

Don’t focus on the shock value of a vampire. We’re well versed in vampire literature, and their concept is no longer scary. Instead, focus more on your vampire as a character with a background rather than solely a vampire.

Giving the vampire(s) in your story a vivid life is essential. Being a vampire comes with challenges – no longer having a normal life, out-living all of your loved ones, and having to kill or turn people to feed. 

Incorporate your character’s struggles, weaknesses, and desires to enrich them and make your story more engaging for the reader.

If you’ve got a favorite vampire story, feel free to take inspiration from that story when it comes to writing your own . 

The vampire horror genre is broad, and countless vampire stories exist, so you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Be inspired by the stories you heard and read growing up, but don’t be afraid to offer your creative input. 

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A short literary history of vampires.

You've heard of Twilight . You may have read Twilight . Try as you might, you can't escape Twilight (or 'True Blood', or Anne Rice, or wonderful B-horror vampire movies that are on ITV at three in the morning). These days, vampires are everywhere. So where did they come from? Le Vampire by Phillip Burne Jones[Public Domain]via Wikimedia CommonsIn England, the vampire craze began in 1819, the Year Without a Summer . Lord Byron, John Polidori, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Wollstonescraft Shelley (check out the Bodleian Library's exhibition on the Shelleys here ), and Claire Clairmont were staying at Villa Diodati by Lake Geneva. Trapped indoors due to bad weather for three days, they took turns telling, then writing, ghost stories. Mary Shelley's would become Frankenstein . John Polidori, physician to Byron (inspired by his pale, languid, over-sexed patient) wrote The Vampyre: A Tale . A craze (or bloodlust?) was born. Lord Ruthven was a vampire modelled after the Byronic hero, sophisticated, tortured, and highly seductive. Partly because of a misattribution to Byron, the story was published in New Monthly Magazine , and became an instant hit. The Vampyre was made into a play and an opera. Emily Brontë would reference the new fad for vampires in her 1847 novel Wuthering Heights , when the housekeeper suspects Heathcliff of being a vampire. In 1872, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu wrote Carmilla , a novella which introduced the concept of lesbian vampires, which Hollywood would later adore. And in 1897, English literary vampires reached thrilling new heights with the publication of Bram Stoker's Dracula , which introduced such conventions as garlic, stakes, vampire brides, Vlad the Impaler, and the vampire hunter Dr. Abraham Van Helsing (not to mention providing some pretty intriguing commentary on the role of women and sexual repression in Victorian society). Today, the character of Count Dracula appears in over 272 films. Why did the vampire capture the English (and now, global) imagination in the way that it did? We are of course assuming an explanation other than vampires using their dark powers to seduce us all. Literary vampires grapple with basic fears: fears of what's foreign, fear of the dark, and the fear of the enemy that can pass among us, unrecognised. They also capitalise on the sort of sensationalised, tantalising danger that was popularised by news reports about the Jack the Ripper murders. Vampires are sexual, mysterious, and have a long history and extensive lore. Most of all, they make a great bad guy.

If reusing this resource please attribute as follows: A Short Literary History of Vampires at http://writersinspire.org/content/short-literary-history-vampires by Kate O'Connor, licensed as Creative Commons BY-NC-SA (2.0 UK).

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BEST VAMPIRE WRITING PROMPTS

Join (probably?) the world's largest writing contest. Flex those creative muscles with weekly writing prompts.

Showing 23 prompts reset

• About six years ago, he was turned into a vampire by his best friend. This is the story of everything that happened since.

Write a short story that ends with the question: "Will you join me?"

• Write a story from the perspective of a third party who witnesses the moment that someone gets turned into a vampire.

Write a story about revenge.

• Write a short story about a vampire hunter on a mission to kill the last remaining vampire in the world.

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🏆 Featuring 12 prize-winning stories from our community. Download it now for FREE .

Write a story that starts with: "That was the last time she saw herself alive."

Write about a vampire who becomes an editor at a publishing house in a desperate attempt to edit twilight for accuracy., write a story about a vampire trying to cross international borders., write about a vampire who has just tried a bite of pasta for the first time in 241 years., write about the concept of mortality from the perspective of a vampire., subscribe to our prompts newsletter.

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• Your favorite coffin has been stolen. What do you do?

In the form of text messages, write a conversation between a young tech-savvy vampire and an ancient vampire who doesn't know how to text.

• In the form of letters, write a love story between two vampires.
• Write a story that details the rise and fall of a vampire clan.

The cure to vampirism has just been discovered. Do the vampires in your world decide to take it, or forgo it?

Write about two vampires who have a meet-cute after one has accidentally spills a pint of blood over the other..

• Write about a vampire who hates the taste of blood.
• You are a bat, and you and your bat friends are annoyed when some noisy vampires rudely move into your cave.

A vampire and a werewolf walk into a bar.

Write a story involving a friendship between two different species., win $250 in our short story competition 🏆.

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

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The best vampire writing prompts

Grab your garlic and don't go out after dark — there are vampires about. Vampire stories are a staple of our literary diet, whether we're talking about the kind of undead creatures thirsting for blood that are the stuff of myth and legend, or the dreamy hunks in Twilight. We've put together our collection of vampire writing prompts to give you a whole host of ideas with bite.

Here are our top ten vampire writing prompts:

• Write a short story that ends with the question: "Will you join me?"
• Write about a vampire or werewolf who moves into a quiet suburban neighborhood.

Want some more help writing your vampire story? Here are some free resources:

• The Ultimate Worldbuilding Guide (free resource) — When writing vampire fiction, you'll want to get your lore right. What are your vampires' strenghts and weaknesses? How does the transformation happen? Do they sleep in a coffin and have to aboid the sun, or are they able to move among us comfortably? To help iron out these details and make sure you have all the information before writing, try filling out our worldbuilding guide.
• How to Write a Horror Story: 7 Tips for Writing Horror (blog post) — Our horror writing bible. If your story leans on the side of scary, you can learn how to terrify you victim — and your reader — with this handy guide.

Want more help learning how to write a vampire short story? Check out How to Write a Short Story That Gets Published — a free, ten day course guiding you through the process of short story writing by Laura Mae Isaacman, a full-time editor who runs a book editing company in Brooklyn.

Ready to start writing? Check out Reedsy’s weekly short story contest , for the chance of winning $250! You can also check out our list of writing contests or our directory of literary magazines for more opportunities to submit your story.

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101 Terrifying Horror Story Prompts

Welcome to the story den of horror, scares, and the macabre.

Most writers are often asked, "Where do you get your ideas from?" A majority of the time, writers find it difficult to answer that question.

We get our ideas from a plethora of sources — news headlines, novels, television shows, movies, our lives, our fears, our phobias, etc. They can come from a scene or moment in a film that wasn't fully explored. They can come from a single visual that entices the creative mind — a seed that continues to grow and grow until the writer is forced to finally put it to paper or screen.

In the spirit of helping writers find those seeds, here we offer 101 originally conceived and terrifying story prompts that you can use as inspiration for your next horror story.

They may inspire screenplays, novels, short stories, or even smaller moments that you can include in what stories you are already writing or what you will create in your upcoming projects.

But beware! If you scare easily — and have active imaginations like most writers do — turn up the lights and proceed with caution...

1. A girl goes missing in the woods, and her parents find only a decrepit and scary doll left behind. They soon learn that the doll is actually their daughter. And she's alive.

2. New residents of an old neighborhood are invited by their friendly neighbors to a Halloween party. The neighbors are vampires.

3. A family dog runs away from home. He returns a year later to the delight of his family. But there's something different about him. Something demonic.

4. A girl goes missing. Fifteen years later, her parents get a call from her older self. But they listen in fear because they killed their daughter that dark night years ago.

5. A man reads a novel, soon realizing that the story is his very own — and according to the book, a killer is looming.

6. A scientist clones his family that died in an airplane crash — but soon learns the repercussions of playing God.

7. A man wakes up bound to an electric chair.

8. A man wakes up in a coffin next to a freshly dead body.

9. A woman wakes up to find her family gone and her doors and windows boarded up with no way to escape.

10. A man afraid of snakes is shipwrecked on an island covered with them.

11. Serial killers worldwide are connected by a dark web website.

12. The world's population is overtaken by vampires — all except one little child.

13. A woman afraid of clowns is forced to work in a traveling circus.

14. An astronaut and cosmonaut are on the International Space Station when their countries go to Nuclear War with each other. Their last orders are to eliminate the other.

15. A treasure hunter finds a tomb buried beneath the dirt.

16. A young brother and sister find an old door in their basement that wasn't there before.

17. Winged creatures can be seen within the storm clouds above.

18. A man wakes up to find a hobo clown staring down at him.

19. Residents of a town suddenly fall dead while the dead from cemeteries around them rise.

20. A doctor performs the first head transplant — things go wrong.

21. A man is texted pictures of himself in various stages of torture that he has no memory of.

22. A girl wakes up to find a little boy sitting on his bed, claiming to be her younger brother — but she never had one.

23. A scare walk in the woods during Halloween is actually real.

24. A bartender serves last call to the only remaining patron, who is the Devil himself.

25. Earth suffers a planet-wide blackout as all technology is lost.

26. A boy's stepfather is actually a murderous werewolf.

27. Something has turned the neighborhood pets into demonic killers.

28. A priest is a vampire.

29. A woman wakes up with no eyes.

30. A man wakes up with no mouth.

31. A monster is terrified by the scary child who lives above his bed.

32. An astronaut jettisoned into the cold of space in a mission gone wrong suddenly appears at the doorstep of his family.

33. A woman answers a phone call only to learn that the voice on the other end is her future self, warning her that a killer is looming.

34. A boy realizes that aliens have replaced his family.

35. A woman wakes up in an abandoned prison that she cannot escape.

36. A bank robber steals from the small town bank that holds the riches of witches.

37. A door-to-door salesman circa the 1950s visits the wrong house.

38. Deceased soldiers return to their Civil War-era homes.

39. Kidnappers abduct the child of a vampire.

40. An innocent circus clown discovers the dark history of the trade.

41. A homeless man is stalked by faceless beings.

42. A spelunker stumbles upon a series of caverns infested with rattlesnakes.

43. A group of friends is forced to venture through a chamber of horrors where only one is promised to survive.

44. He's not the man she thought he was. In fact, he's not a man at all.

45. Suburbia is actually purgatory.

46. Someone discovers that we are all actually robots — who created us and why?

47. She's not an angel. She's a demon.

48. An old shipwreck washes ashore.

49. A sinkhole swallows a house whole and unleashes something from beneath.

50. A man has sleep paralysis at the worst possible time.

51. A woman out hiking is caught in a bear trap as the sun begins to go down.

52. Naked figures with no faces stalk campers in the woods.

53. An astronaut is the sole survivor of a moon landing gone wrong — only to discover that the moon is infested with strange creatures.

54. A woman is wrongfully condemned to an insane asylum.

55. A mother's baby will not leave its womb and continues to grow and grow and grow while doctors try to cut it out but can't.

56. Friends on a road trip stumble upon a backcountry town whose residents all dress up as different types of clowns.

57. Tourists in Ireland retreat to an old castle when the country is taken over by greedy and vengeful leprechauns.

58. A boy on a farm makes a scarecrow that comes alive.

59. A figure dressed in an old, dirty Easter Bunny suit haunts the children of a town.

60. The abused animals of a zoo are unleashed and wreak havoc on a small town.

61. A deceased grandma's old doll collection comes alive.

62. Little Red Riding Hood was a vampire.

63. Somebody clones Hitler and raises him as a white supremacist.

64. A pumpkin patch comes alive — beings with heads of pumpkins and bodies of vines.

65. An endless swarm of killer bees wreaks havoc on the country.

66. Christ returns to Earth — at least that is who people thought he was.

67. A natural anomaly brings all of the country's spiders to a horrified town.

68. A woman finds old 16mm film from her childhood and sees that she had a sister — what happened to her?

69. Something ancient rises from an old pond.

70. A woman suddenly begins to wake up in somebody else's body every morning — each day ends with her being stocked and killed by the same murderer in black.

71. An Artificial Intelligence begins to communicate with a family online, only to terrorize them through their technology.

72. A family buys a cheap house only to discover that an old cemetery is their back yard.

73. Years after the zombie apocalypse subsides, survivors discover that the epidemic was caused by aliens that have appeared to lay claim to the planet.

74. A woman has memories of being abducted by aliens — but she soon learns that they weren't aliens. They were...

75. A boy has a tumor that slowly grows into a Siamese twin — the older they get, the more evil the twin becomes.

76. A cult that worships history's deadliest serial killers begins to kill by copying their methods.

77.  Stone gargoyles suddenly appear on the tops of buildings and houses of a small town.

78. A family on a boat trip stumbles upon an old pirate ship.

79. A winter snowstorm traps a family in an abandoned insane asylum.

80. A little girl comes down from upstairs and asks her parents, "Can you hear it breathing? I can."

81. A town is enveloped in unexplained darkness for weeks.

82. A jetliner flies high in the sky as Nuclear War breaks out below.

83. Children discover a deep, dark well in the woods — an old ladder leads down into it.

84. A child sleepwalks into their parent's room and whispers, "I'm sorry. The Devil told me to."

85. As a woman showers, a voice comes from the drain whispering, "I see you."

86. A child finds a crayon drawing of a strange family — it's inscribed with the words we live in your walls .

87. All of the cemetery's graves are now open, gaping holes — the dirt pushed out from underground.

88. A woman is watching a scary movie alone on Halloween night — someone, or something, keeps knocking at her door.

89. Someone is taking a bath as a hand from behind the shower curtain pushes their head into the water.

90. A farmer and his sons begin to hear the laughter of children coming from his fields at night — no children are in sight.

91. Someone looks out their window to see a clown standing at a corner holding a balloon — staring at them.

92. Mannequins in a department store seem to be moving on their own.

93. What if the God people worshiped was really Satan — and Satan had somehow kept God prisoner?

94. A man dies and wakes up in the body of a serial killer — and no matter how hard he tries to stop killing, he can't.

95. A prisoner awakens to find the prison empty — but he's locked in his cell.

96. A woman jogging stumbles upon a dead, bloody body — she then hears a strange clicking sound and looks up to see a dark figure running towards her.

97. A girl hears laughter downstairs — she's the only one home.

98. An Uber driver picks up the wrong person — and may not live to tell the tale.

99. There's someone or something living and moving up in the attic — but it's not a ghost.

100. A child's imaginary friend is not imaginary.

101. The reflections that we see of ourselves in the mirror are actually us in a parallel universe — and they are planning to do whatever it takes to take our place in this world.

Share this with your writing peers or anyone that loves a good scary story.

For some more scares, check out ScreenCraft's  20 Terrifying Two-Sentence Horror Stories and  8 Ways Horror Movies Scare the S*** Out of Audiences!

Sleep well and keep writing.

Once you're inspired, take your idea to the next level and  Develop Your Horror Movie Idea in 15 Days .

Ken Miyamoto has worked in the film industry for nearly two decades, most notably as a studio liaison for Sony Studios and then as a script reader and story analyst for Sony Pictures.

He has many studio meetings under his belt as a produced screenwriter, meeting with the likes of Sony, Dreamworks, Universal, Disney, Warner Brothers, as well as many production and management companies. He has had a previous development deal with Lionsgate, as well as multiple writing assignments, including the produced miniseries  Blackout , starring Anne Heche, Sean Patrick Flanery, Billy Zane, James Brolin, Haylie Duff, Brian Bloom, Eric La Salle, and Bruce Boxleitner. Follow Ken on Twitter  @KenMovies 

For all the latest ScreenCraft news and updates, follow us on  Twitter  and  Facebook !

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Dan Stevens and the Allure of Kooky Characters

Despite his “Downton Abbey” roots, the co-star of “Godzilla x Kong” and “Abigail” likes the kind of role “that makes the filmmaker smile.”

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By Carlos Aguilar

The kookiest characters onscreen this season may be the ones played by Dan Stevens.

This batch of charismatic weirdos joins the collection of peculiar roles he has amassed since the 2014 thriller “ The Guest ,” his post-“Downton Abbey” breakthrough. Stevens, 41, lands somewhere between leading man and character actor, and he revels in the mischievous tone required for these offbeat parts, some of which he describes as “funcomfortable.”

Right now in theaters he can be seen as a winning monster veterinarian in “ Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ” and as a corrupt cop turned bloodsucker in the horror comedy “ Abigail .” This summer, he will appear in “Cuckoo,” a sci-fi horror mash-up set in the Alps, in which he plays a German scientist whose welcoming facade hides a fascination with a bizarre endangered species.

Stevens, who is British, recently spoke with The New York Times over coffee in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. He wore a long-sleeved T-shirt bearing the defining image of “The Holy Mountain,” Alejandro Jodorowsky’s 1973 cult classic: a man seated and wearing a pointed hat, framed by two women.

During the interview, Stevens talked about his interest in genre movies and why his goal is always to make a director laugh. Here are edited excerpts from the conversation.

I have to ask about your “Holy Mountain” shirt. That’s a great, trippy midnight movie.

I’m a huge fan of Jodorowsky. He’s a true visionary dreamer. I absolutely love filmmakers who present you with unforgettable imagery. He’s a common touchstone with a lot of great filmmakers I admire.

What were you watching growing up?

It was somewhere between Amblin movies [like “The Goonies” and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”] and John Carpenter. But I also watched a lot of British comedy. I’ve always had very mixed tastes.

Do you consider yourself a horror fan?

Yes, but I’ve met real horror fans and I wouldn’t go toe-to-toe with them in a quiz. Horror shares something with comedy, which I love just as much, in that you instantly know if it’s working in a crowd. The audience feedback tells you. Filmmakers in both are actively looking to poke the audience and evoke a reaction.

Have you always been a fan of genre films or is that the impression we get from your body of work?

I’ve done more horror than any other genre, although one could say period drama is a genre as well. I’ve always been attracted to horror. Mainly because they’re such playful films and usually the filmmakers are themselves very playful people. I like being part of that game-playing aspect of filmmaking, with the audience and sometimes with the actors.

Would you say weird characters are inherently more enjoyable to play?

From the output this year, that seems to be what I enjoy doing. [Laughs] I’m looking to continue that trend. But it can be all sorts of different kinds of characters within that remit. Straight leading men don’t tend to be that interesting. It’s rare that they’re written as the most interesting role in the script. [Laughs].

How do you know when a peculiar character, like the ones you play in “Cuckoo” or “Godzilla x Kong,” is working?

It has to be something that makes the filmmaker smile, that gives them the right kind of laugh that’s going to see them through the making of this thing. That usually transmits through the screen. Audiences tend to enjoy something we’ve mischievously enjoyed creating.

How would you describe the vampires in “Abigail”?

It seems that when people get turned into vampires in the world of “Abigail,” they just become worse versions of themselves. [Laughs] There are certain vampire movies where the vampires become very sultry, or sexy or have superpowers, but in ours they just become [expletive].

They are also criminals. They don’t come from a wealthy lineage of vampires.

No. These are new-money vampires.

For Trapper, the vet who treats Kong, were you channeling any specific personality?

There’s probably a bit of Kurt Russell’s Jack Burton [from “Big Trouble in Little China”] in there. A smattering of Ace Ventura and a lot of those ’80s action figure guys. But also, a bit of a British pop star that emerged in the last few years called Sam Ryder. He was in the Eurovision Song contest. He’s such a sweet, optimistic, happy chap. I thought it would be lovely to see a British character like that.

You recently voiced a character in the English dub of “The Boy and the Heron.” Is voice acting for animation something you are actively pursuing?

I have had ambitions to get involved for a while. Since I was a kid, I’ve always enjoyed doing voices. It’s some of the earliest evidence that I was into this at all, making cassette tapes and doing silly made-up radio shows with different voices. There are characters you can play in animation, in voice-over, that you could never play in live action.

Did you ever intend to pursue a more traditional leading-man career?

I don’t think I had my sights set on that. Other people assumed that’s what I wanted and maybe put those things in front of me. It just didn’t quite click. “Character leads” are my sweet spot, whether they’re actual lead roles or just fun parts within an ensemble. That’s the stuff that tends to light me up.

Growing up, were there any actors whose path you hope to emulate one day?

I’ve always admired any actor who is able to be in a family fantasy epic, and then in a weird, creepy horror, like Robin Williams. He was in something as sweet and innocent as “Hook,” and then years later in “One Hour Photo.” The fact that this performer was allowed to do that was so exciting to me.

Do you use the word “allowed” because you feel the industry restricts actors?

It’s one of the challenges, particularly if you make it big in something specific when you’re young and people want to see that forever. “Downton Abbey” was on TV. You’re in people’s homes on a Sunday night. There’s a peculiar ownership people feel over your character. And they just want more of it. Audiences can get greedy, and I want to serve up something different. That’s not going to be to everyone’s taste.

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