Unveiling the Power of Writing: Entice Readers With and Without Hysteria

Not every story begins with an explosion or ends with a sunset

Photo by Thomas Ehling on Unsplash

Conventional wisdom withstands the test of time for a reason. It works and is based on success. I’m dumbfounded by the idea “Do whatever you want and readers will flock to your work.”

Trust me. It ain’t necessarily so. Don’t toss out what works in favor of what’s easier. Here’s an example. It’s essential to engage readers from the get-go. If you don’t connect with me early in your story, I’ll move on.

That goes for books, articles, stories, and even pamphlets. A writer’s job is to motivate readers to stick around. Or why write?

The theory that today’s readers are hyper-active attention deficit

The world is crammed full of information and communication. We all know that. But never doubt that both readers and publishers can appreciate the value of high-action stories as well as the worth of something calmer and more methodical.

Pick the pacing that suits you but do it well. Not every story has to begin with a bomb exploding. Not every reader loves Jane Austin. But every story, wild or tame, must engage the reader from the first words.

Does your writing do that?

When I think of a compelling first paragraph or page, I don’t feel like I need instant gratification or am hyper-anticipating a huge rush of adrenaline and dopamine. Quiet, low-key storytelling can be compelling and engaging without banging a gong or beating a drum.

Think about Harper Lee’s choices in one of the most popular books of all time, including today. To Kill a Mockingbird doesn’t have the pacing of a Jason Bourne adventure. It doesn’t need it. In fact, it would suffer from such a paroxysm of energy.

Lee deliberately opens with a calm, explanatory thought.

“When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow. When it healed, and Jem’s fears of never being able to play football were assuaged, he was seldom self-conscious about his injury.”

Not a blood rush of endorphins, but for sure, an image almost anyone can identify with—obviously, readers want to read more, or the book would not be what it is today.

Even before page one, Lee begins to lure the reader into identifying with her story. Her opening quote is, “Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.” — Charles Lamb

Clearly, fireworks and explosions aren’t essential, but as a writer, you must understand, as Lee did, how to scatter breadcrumbs in front of your reader in order to draw them in and keep them.

Bing, bang, boom works sometimes, but so does the soft, calm, deep experience of a quiet tale.

Jason Bourne’s stories open with Bourne waking with amnesia. He tries to piece together his identity while being pursued by assassins from the first page — his body riddled with bullets from time to time. The books and movies are wildly popular.

On the other hand, These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant is called “an immersive story of survival and family.”

It opens like this

Something wrong. I can feel it. A Sting pricking the skin and stitching inward. A dream, maybe memory — both have brought me their share of grief. I force open my eyes, the slightest tinge of gray seeping through the curtains. Not day yet, but light enough that I can make out the silhouette of her curled on the little bed beside mine, blanket tucked to her chin and wrapped tight around her small legs. Finch. Sleeping safe.

These Silent Woods is a best-seller from a conventional publisher. It wasn’t rejected because of quiet pacing. It was accepted because the reader experience is solid and satisfying. No bullets. No assassins. It was a good experience for the reader.

What attracts readers and holds them?

Well, what attracts you to a bit of writing and keeps you reading to the end? There is no single answer.

We’re drawn to stories with an irresistible plot that resonates with us. We can see ourselves in the story. We like to learn something new or gain understanding of something we already know.

Then, too, unexpected twists, whether wildly adventurous or curiously surprising, have always been valuable. But every story or theme has to unfold in an understandable, non-confusing progression.

Humans love to identify and even judge other humans emotions and experiences. Evocative writing that reveals inner thinking or feelings works for most readers.

To lure readers in at the very outset of a story or essay, the greatest writers may pose a question, even if it’s just an implied question. If a writer causes me to think about the writing, I’m all in. I love it when I involuntarily look up and ponder what I just read.

Don’t forget about humor and sarcasm. Even if a story is serious, lightening it up with wry or belly-laughing humor can please a reader and motivate them to stay with you.

If a writer is self-conscious, meaning they think more about how they sound and how clever they are than about what they give to the reader, that writer is on thin ice. Big, puffy words and bloated, run-on narration are not likely to seduce anyone.

What is the conventional wisdom?

It has nothing to do with tyring to write for readers who need instant gratification, have no patience, or are too busy to read a quiet, serious piece.

Publishers advise writers to engage readers from the first sentence. They talk about things like creating a hook, using figurative language, showing instead of telling and keeping the story moving. That doesn’t mean The Hunger Games or The Murder of Roger Ackroyd are the only possible role models.

Exciting, edge-of-your-seat reads like those please some people some of the time. But The Secret Life of Bees has just as big a following, even though it’s a smoother ride for readers. This advice works for poetry or non-fiction as well.

The conventional wisdom isn’t as much about pacing and energy as it is about writing in a way that makes sense, is understandable, causes a response, and imparts something of value. It’s quite possible to tell a quiet story that builds across the pages to a satisfying ending without getting all worked up.

A hook doesn’t have to be painful or intimidating. Give the reader something to get inside of. I encourage you to think about what you want to say—what you want a reader to take away.

Then make sure, when you’re done writing, that you actually succeeded. Make sure every sentence adds to the reader’s experience, so at the end, they’re kind of sorry the journey is finished.

Humans have been writing since the first time a glyph was carved into a cave wall, and our storytelling evolves continuously. Go ahead and make your writing and style personal but try to remember that some things work because they work. Go for the fireworks or go for the Zen experience but slow down your process and help your readers feel rewarded. There’s not a publisher on earth that can resist that kind of writing.

Quiet wisdom is perfectly acceptable, and frantic excitement has its audience. Readers (and publishers) needn’t feel guilty for preferring either style or expecting quality. It’s up to the writer to deliver.