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How to create a “slippery slide” so readers can’t tear their eyes away from your writing

Every once in a while, you come across a book with an opening so good you just have to keep reading.

This is what’s known as the “golden rule” of copywriting. The goal of each sentence is to keep your reader moving on to the next one.

It’s what copywriting legend Joseph Sugarman calls “The Slippery Slide.”

And whenever I write sales copy or emails for clients, the idea of the slippery slide is always in the back of my mind.

Regardless of whether you write fiction, non-fiction, or marketing content, if you can master the art of the opening line, you’ll set yourself apart from many other writers out there.

One of the best ways to do that?

Study the opening lines from the world’s best-selling books.

So let’s dive into the “hooks” from 8 of the world’s most famous novels and see how the authors keep your eyes glued to the page.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.”

Everyone has heard of hobbits now, but when Tolkien first wrote his masterpiece, hobbits were a new creation.

That’s one of the reasons this opening line works so well. You can’t help but wonder what in the world is a hobbit?

Plus, the sentence is short which makes it easy to read. Dropping this sentence into the Hemingway Editor shows you a readability grade of 0, which means readers of all levels will find it easy to understand.

Slippery Slide Lesson: Use language at or below the 4th-grade level so your writing is accessible to just about anyone.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

“Renowned curator Jacques Saunière staggered through the vaulted archway of the museum’s Grand Gallery.”

I’m a huge fan of Dan Brown. The man knows how to keep you glued to the page.

One way he does this is by creating drama and curiosity in the very first sentence.

You can’t help but wonder what happened to make this man stagger through a majestic European museum.

In general, reading thrillers is a great way to pick up on techniques to keep your reader on the edge of their seat.

Slippery Slide Lesson: Get to the good stuff and open with drama right off the bat.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

“Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.”

As the best-selling book series of all time, J.K. Rowling’s opening line for Harry Potter is worth studying.

For one, the language she uses is simple, straightforward, and even playful.

You get a sense of her unique voice.

Plus, she captures the reader’s interest and creates curiosity by begging the question why does this couple insist on being seen as normal?

So you can’t help but read on to find out and before you know it, you’re in the magical universe of Harry Potter.

Slippery Slide Lesson: Show your unique voice and writing style from the get-go.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature, about the primeval forest.”

What’s different about this opening line is that it makes you feel like you’re sitting with the narrator and listening to the start of a personal story.

It feels intimate.

Many successful writers know how to make you feel like they’re speaking directly to you. And since it would be rude not to listen to what they have to say, you keep reading.

Slippery Slide Lesson: Make the reader feel like you’re sitting in front of them, speaking the words directly to them.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

“Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.”

Where to begin.

There is so much packed into one sentence.

For starters, who hasn’t wondered what their final thought would be as they face their death? And here in the very first sentence, you’re granted access to the innermost thoughts of a man facing a firing squad.

The line is striking and fills you with curiosity because all of a sudden you have so many unanswered questions:

What kind of ice was it?

Why is he facing a firing squad?

How come he’s never seen ice before, what time and place is this?

Slippery Slide Lesson: Paint a picture in your reader’s mind that fills them with questions they’ll feel compelled to answer.

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

“Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.”

You can just picture these two awestruck men hanging on Scarlett O’Hara’s every word. There’s something irresistible about this character.

In the first line you’ve got the hero, her strength, and her weakness. It makes you care about her straight away.

Plus it foreshadows one of the central conflicts of the novel. From the very first line, you just know you’re in for a good story.

And who doesn’t love a good story?

Slippery Slide Lesson: Hook your reader by introducing your most compelling character in all their flawed glory.

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

“I scowl with frustration at myself in the mirror.”

Okay, I know what you’re thinking, how in the world did this book make it onto the list?

And while I certainly wouldn’t classify Fifty Shades of Grey as great literature, it is one of the top-selling novels of all time and it does have a catchy opening line.

The main reason it works is because the author manages to tap into a feeling that is familiar to her target audience: looking in the mirror and not being happy with what you see.

After all, what woman (or person) hasn’t felt this way?

So you have to give E.L. James credit for tapping into her target persona’s innermost emotions.

Slippery Slide Lesson: Tap into your reader’s emotions and they won’t be able to resist reading on.

The Great Gatsby by Scott F. Fitzgerald

“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.”

Seriously, how do you read that and not read on?

It’s simple, yet so irresistible. You just have to find out the advice given to this man by his father.

It’s obviously something important because he’s remembered it all his life and can’t stop thinking about it. So you also can’t help but wonder what it is.

Slippery Slide Lesson: Offer a promise to your reader of finding out an interesting piece of insight or information if only they keep reading.

Final thoughts

This list could go on for hundreds of books, and yet even with this small sample, you’ll find valuable lessons on how to captivate your readers’ attention and hook them in.

Let’s recap:

• Offer a promise to your reader of finding out an interesting piece of insight or information if only they keep reading
• Tap into your reader’s emotions so they won’t be able to resist reading on
• Hook your reader by introducing your most compelling character in all their flawed glory
• Get to the good stuff and open with drama right off the bat
• Paint a picture in your reader’s mind that fills them with questions they’ll feel compelled to answer
• Make the reader feel like you’re sitting in front of them, speaking the words directly to them
• Use language at or below the 4th-grade level so your writing is accessible to just about anyone
• Show your unique voice and writing style from the get-go