Sometimes a single sentence can sell a book. It’s also called a hook. That’s what you want to do, you want to attract potential readers with this sentence. This post has a good summary of how to write a one-sentence summary.
Looking at what it says, you should have a character, conflict, what’s at stake, action, and if necessary, the setting. So, I thought I’d give this a try with various upcoming books I have planned.
Ariadne: Origins Book 1
This is going to be my debut novel. It takes place several years after the colonisation of Ariadne. It’s called Origins because the two books will show how important features of Ariadne develop or are discovered.
- Character: A young woman with unusual powers
- Conflict: A hostile takeover
- What’s at stake: Survival of the colony
- Action: Lead a resistance
- Setting: Ariadne (though this may not be necessary to mention by name, so I may call it a distant colony world)
On a distant world, a young woman with unusual powers must lead a resistance against a hostile force threatening the survival of the colony.
Ariadne: Origins Book 2
This is the second book in the Origins duology.
- Character: A team of investigators
- Conflict: A former team member who defected wants to control an alien biological weapon
- What’s at stake: The lives of the colony
- Action: Discover the secret of the alien presence
- Settings: Ariadne (or a distant colony world)
A team of investigators must discover the secret of an alien presence to prevent a defector from destroying everything with an alien biological weapon.
Honestly, I don’t like this one as much. I need to figure out a way to make it sound better.
Untitled Solar System Exploration Science Fiction Series
This series is a collection of shorter books that I have in mind that mostly features only one character and a handful of minor characters who don’t appear much at all. It’s a solitary exploration.
- Character: A terminally ill man
- Conflict: An internal struggle with mortality
- What’s at stake: A dying wish to see the Solar System
- Action: Test a new spacecraft and space suit.
- Setting: The Solar System
A terminally ill man battles with his own mortality as he tests a new spacecraft to fulfill his wish to explore the Solar System.
This one seems simpler and I think the story itself is a straightforward tale.
These are the three most immediate books or series I plan on writing. There are others that I have planned for the future, as well. I’ll do another post summarising those.
My question for you is this: Which of these one-sentence summaries catches your eye the most? Are there any that don’t sound very good? Any that sound very good? Let me know in the comments below.
Also, if you want to share your own one-sentence summaries for books you’ve written or plan to write, please include those in your comments.
I Read Encyclopedias for Fun 
I want to read the one about the terminally ill man exploring the solar system. That one evoked an immediate emotional response. I can feel the poignant longing in just those few words alone. You nailed the very essence of the hook in that.
It’s been a long time since I’ve written a hook to my shelved novel and any I have in my rejected queries is far too embarrassing to reveal to other eyes again :p
Thanks. Glad you liked that one. I think I’m most satisfied with that one. That series is something that I’ve wanted to read, but doesn’t exist in that form. So, why not write it?
Thank you for this advice. Very helpful! Hooks are difficult to write.
They definitely are. Mine are really rough hooks. They need to be sharpened (haha).
The Ariadne one is the most eye catching.
Good post too, because one sentence really can sell an idea, a book, anything. It’s given me something to mull over, when I tackle my synopsis for my imminent book.
Thanks. I’ll continue to work on these sentences, because I need them to sound really good to be able to hook potential readers.
Origins Book 1 hooked me the most. Girl. Unusual powers. Alien planet. Sign me up! 😀
Thanks! Hopefully, I’ll hook you with that one so you’ll have to read the rest of the series. You like series, and I can see a lot of books from this world.
The third one hooked me the most. A terminally ill man testing a new space craft to explore the solar system. Made me think of the Martin and already I had images in my head.
Unlike the Martian, this one doesn’t involve being stranded. However, he does get to experience some dangerous places.
Sounds like it has potential for an exciting story.
Thanks. I hope so.
I can’t decide if the first or third is the most interesting for me. I think it helps to have one character as the focus when you only have one sentence.
Yeah, I think so, too. The second one isn’t getting any likes, it seems.
That’s my point of view about writing! There are stories that I want to read and if they don’t exist and I’m able, I’ll write them. It’s actually how my latest finished work came about 😊
I think this is how many of my stories start out. I just want to see that kind of story.