Make Them Love You
If someone asked you what the most important part of your story or book is, what would you say? Would you say it’s the first line? Or maybe the first page? The first five pages? Or maybe it’s the end of the book because we all want readers to love the end so they seek out our next story or novel or nonfiction title.
If you said any of these things, I would nod and say, “Yes, it is.”
“You’re right.”
“It’s all of these things.”
The most important part is every part of your book/story/piece of nonfiction, starting with the first sentence and ending with the last one.
No doubt you’re wondering how this information can be of any service at all. You may even assume that I’m making some kind of (not helpful) joke. But that’s not what I’m doing. I’m not making a joke.
Many years ago, I participated in a summer workshop with Amy Hempel, master of the short story. I remember very clearly the day she told our group of newbie writers that wherever the reader was in a piece of writing was the most important part. Whatever page they were on, whatever paragraph, whatever word or sentence, that was the most important thing. Right there. Because if the reader didn't like wherever he was, he would put the book down. He would get on his phone and start scrolling. It’s our job to give him a good reason not to. He can scroll any old time. Right now, he needs to continue reading our words.
It’s our job to give the reader a good reason to keep reading.
In other words, if you’re not doing a good job of keeping the reader engaged every step of the way, she’s not going to make it to the end of that piece of writing. So wherever you are in your writing, you must make sure it’s interesting. Wherever you are cannot simply be a bridge from here to there. It must be significant, a present moment that deserves to be present. And by that, I mean the moment must be intriguing in some way.
How does one keep readers engaged? There are many ways:
Strong writing. Work on your craft. Dedicate yourself to being better, whatever that means to you, in your own unique voice.
Interesting characters. Give readers people they want to follow and learn about. Show them different walks of life. Show them what it’s like to be in another person’s head.
The right amount of setting for your book (not too much, not too little). Give them the pertinent details that inspire their imagination to fill in the blanks. Provide the few things that draw a picture in their mind.
A plot that elicits emotion. Your reader must be emotionally engaged; he must feel what your protagonist is feeling.
Unsatisfied characters. They can’t be content. They argue or they are scared. They want something to happen—or not to happen. Tension must be present in some way in every scene (and there must be a reason for every scene).
Lively dialogue. Not the boring stuff of everyday life, but a more concise replica.
Story structure that propels the story forward. Structure is the framework that you hang the story on. It ensures that the plot comes together in a way that promises the most impact.
A believable ending that leaves readers satisfied, if not happy.
“Is that all?” you say with a sarcastic gleam in your eye.
No, actually, there’s plenty more, but this is a good start. We don’t want to get bogged down trying to do everything at once. Go down the list and consider what you do well and what you need to improve on. Then, when you revise your manuscript, keep an eye out for your weaknesses, whether the culprit is dull dialogue, run-of-the-mill characters, or something else. After each scene, ask yourself if you have moved the story forward. Will readers wonder what’s going to happen next? You want them to wonder!
Every part of the piece of writing is the most important part. This is why writing a story or novel or nonfiction book is so hard. You must keep the reader content from word one through to the last. You must start with a great first sentence that leads to an intriguing hook that persuades readers to follow you down the path of the story. Then you must prevent them from getting bogged down in the murky middle, and find a way to fly through to a satisfying end.
After that, simply thank them for reading your book and ask them to join you on your next writing adventure. If you’ve done your job well, they’ll be happy to oblige.
Further Reading:
Create Your Very Own Special
Books to Get You Through
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Kim Catanzarite is a freelance writer and editor, and she teaches copyediting for Writer’s Digest University. Her sci-fi thriller, They Will Be Coming for Us, published June 1, 2021, and has received enthusiastic reviews from Kirkus, BlueInk (starred review), Prairies, Foreword, Readers’ Favorite, and Amazon and Goodreads readers.
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