A reader grants your opening seconds of attention on credit. They are waiting to see if you offer value or merely “throat-clearing” filler. Many writers waste this loan with abstract setups that describe landscapes without delivering substance.
Every early line must provide a “return,” a distinction, a consequence, or an example. If a sentence only “sets the stage,” it is wasting the reader’s attention.
Perform a relevance audit on your first five sentences. Ask: What does the reader receive from this line? If it provides no value, cut it.
Your hook must pay rent before the reader leaves.
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