Musings of a Hopeful Author

"The Hook" is such a loaded phrase when it comes to writing. You have to hook your reader within the first few pages, or arguably the first few paragraphs or even sentences. And that ain't easy. But more than that, you have to hood an agent in your 300 word MAX query letter selling said book with a hook. And you have to do it while also including other important stuff about yourself, the potential agent, and the book itself. No pressure. I mean "it is a truth universally acknowledged," that writing ain't as easy as we think it is or should be. Not only does a story have to make sense, but it has to have likeable characters, compelling narrative, and tie in all the loose threads that are woven throughout the book. Or at least it should. But does any of that even matter if you don't hook the reader right away?  I know I tend to have a problem of telling rather than showing when I want to explain some background information that doesn't exactly fit into...