Keep the reader reading

 

Whether you’re writing a short story or a novel the outcome is the same – you want the reader to be so captivated by your words they can’t put your story down until they’ve reached the very end. So, keeping hold of the reader’s interest is something that needs to be worked on. And there are lots of little ploys that can be woven into your fiction that help to do just that.

Firstly however, you must have a good story, believable characters, realistic dialogue, a gripping flawless plot, written without superfluous words and continually moving forward with vocabulary that’s a pleasure to read. And then you can start to be a bit crafty!

When I’ve found a good book that keeps me reading, it’s often because there’s no let up from the action, the protagonist hasn’t resolved their troubles. Before one problem is solved another is just beginning. Be sure to have things happening in your story, don’t allow it to become stale or slow.

Be guided by your own judgement. If a section you’re writing feels even slightly long winded or tedious to you, then look to shorten it, either in content or in the sentence structure. Or consider whether it’s even necessary.

Of course, you don’t want every sentence and scene to be high drama, but when the action isn’t so dramatic or intense, then feed the reader with tasty little morsels or hints of the drama to come. You can do this either through narrative or dialogue. For example, this snippet of dialogue foretells trouble: “We can’t go there, haven’t you heard the legend?”

Or a little narrative to sow the seed of more drama to come: She put the creaking of upstairs floorboards down to the house settling for the night.

The occasional repetition of a word or a poignant phrase can work well to keep the reader on board. A word or phrase they’ve heard before in the story, but then said in a different context can be effective.

In The Beast, when the strange old Scotsman tells Grant and Amanda to “Beware the Beastie” they find it hilarious. But later in the story, when they sense something stalking them, the old man’s words, “Beware the Beastie” take on a far more sinister meaning.

And look at punctuation and sentence length. Short punchy sentences can give a breathless effect to a scene. Likewise, with dialogue, you can really create drama and mood through your characters’ conversations.

Still with The Beast, the valley where Grant and Amanda are camping is reputed to be haunted and early one morning:

    “You must be able to hear it. Listen, Grant. It’s coming from the valley.”

   “What is? I can’t hear a thing.”

   Amanda swung round to face him, her frown heavy over her eyes. “Are you deaf or what? There are people coming this way…I can hear an enormous crowd of people heading right toward us. And horses, can’t you hear the hoof beats? Can’t you feel the vibrations through the ground?”

   Grant slowly shook his head. “Manda, it’s as silent as the grave out here.”

   “Shouting! They’re shouting now!” She gripped his arm. “And screaming.” Her voice rose. “Can’t you hear those screams, those horrible shrieks? Like…like people killing each other.”

   Grant put his arm around her. “We’d better go and get Mum.”

   “What’s happening, Grant? What’s happening to me?”

It might be a cliché but remembering the calm before storm can certainly work when pacing your story. When you have a tense scene about to happen, ensure that the scene before is the complete opposite. Trust/betrayal; love/hate; tranquility/chaos etc. So, when the drama happens it has more impact because of what’s just gone on.

Another little ploy when you want to ‘up’ the tempo of your story, is to create a change – perhaps in the environment your character finds themselves in; or a change in the weather; or a change in the atmosphere in some way. Have something happening which triggers that switch.

Cliff-hangers

One sure way of increasing the tension and the dramatic high spot is by having cliff-hangers. Plan your scenes so that the most dramatic spot can come at a point where you can break off for a new chapter. Build each scene up to its most exciting point – then stop. Perhaps your character is left in a tricky position emotionally or physically.

A new chapter may provide fresh momentum, or you may keep your reader hanging on in suspense while you deal with another thread of your story. Maybe that too can be brought to boiling point. You could be like a juggler spinning plates, precarious yet balanced so perfectly with you in control.

Read aloud

And finally, if you want the readers to keep reading, then read your work yourself – out loud. By doing so, you’ll hear the euphony of your sentences and phrasing. You’ll get a good ear for how it should sound and how it does sound. Awkward sentences may only need a word taken out or putting in, or a slight alteration of the punctuation. Read aloud and only pause where you’ve indicated a pause with a punctuation mark. The smallest little tweak to a sentence can make all the difference.

So, go through your story and see if by re-phrasing certain sections you can add to the atmosphere or build tension. See if you can create little ploys of your own – barely noticeable things which only register in the reader’s subconscious. Occasional words in italics for example, or the repetition of a word or sentence that turns it into something poignant or sinister. Could you subtly hint that disaster is soon to befall the character? Could there be a recurring thought, word or phrase that jabs at your character when things are getting tricky? Experiment with your writing and see what works and what doesn’t.

Today’s Exercise:

Write two scenes where it's the calm before the storm, e.g. trust/betrayal, joy/misery. read aloud and try to improve your work so it has more impact.

Tomorrow: Making Sense of it all.

Opening photo is of my good friend, writer Karen King and I running a writing workshop.