Dracula's Guest, written by Bram Stoker, is a perfect example of a novel with an inviting opening, do to the fact that the chapter one of Dracula's Guest follows the guidelines from K. M. Weiland's "The Hook". A few of these points include opening with the main character, Johnathan, as he travels through Munich, (thus indicating movement of both the story and the character), and establishes the setting while developing the tone. This use of an inviting and interesting hook draws readers in so they can become invested enough to continue reading, thus capturing the readers attention for the duration of the novel.
Opening with a character, according to Weiland, prevents the reader from "failing to connect to the characters right off the bat,"
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Weiland uses Jonathan's literal movement, through his travels through Munich, to give the reader "a sense of progression... and urgency" (Weiland 2). As Jonathan travels through Munich, the stakes become higher and higher as suspense is built. This suspense draws the reader in and captures their attention for the duration of the chapter. The action created by the suspense is necessary to draw the reader in but, according to K.M. Weiland, "openings need more than action, they need motion." (Weiland 2). This is where the movement of the character comes into play. Jonathan and his guide, Johann, are traveling through the eerie countryside of Munich, eventually reaching a cross-roads where those who commit suicide are buried on the night of Walpurgis, all while the reader is trailing behind them. This subtle guidance of the reader is extremely impactful. This technique used by Stoker creates a true hook as defined by K.M. Weiland. "We've created a hook only when we've convinced readers to ask the general question, "What's going to happen?"…" (Weiland 2). The conflict between Johnathan and Johann makes the reader do just that, thus creating an irresistible