Hooks

Hooks are how your story starts. A hook sets the scene for the AI and for your readers.

Title and description

Start with a title and a description. Together they give readers a quick preview of what each hook involves.

Writing the opening

Try not to speak for your readers in your opening scene. It also helps the AI avoid speaking for their character later on. End with something that gives their character clear room to act.

{{user}} gasps and runs up the shrine steps, heart pounding. {{They}} decide to trust him. Kirimori smiles as {{they}} reach the top.

Footsteps sound on the shrine steps behind {{user}}. At the top, Kirimori lowers his lantern and studies {{them}} for a long moment.

"You came back," he says. "Are you staying this time?"

The reader's name and pronouns

To insert the reader's name, write {{user}}. To insert their pronouns, write the they/them form in double braces, and it's replaced with the pronouns they chose for their Star.

Multiple hooks

You can create more than one hook, so readers can choose between different openings. Hooks can start in different locations, at different times, or from different perspectives. Try a few different openings to see what you like.

If you have story headers turned on and use more than one hook, you can set the starting time and location for each hook. Learn more about story headers.

Let the AI write it

Your other option is to let the AI write the opening for each reader. Give the AI a direction and a vibe, and it writes a new hook every time someone starts your story. You choose this separately for each hook, under How it opens.

Quiet and eerie. Open at dusk on the shrine steps, with Kirimori already waiting. End by giving {{user}} a choice to make.