The Writing Life
“Writers are troublemakers.” — Meg Gardiner, author, CreativeMornings (Austin)
Good writers employ solid plot structures and interesting characters. Better writers tweak the models. That is, they get into trouble. They twist fate, upset the predictable plot line, use present tense instead of the standard past, or create empathy for the most dastardly of villains.
[Read more…] about How to Be a Better Writer: Get into Trouble
My default suggestion for drawing in a reader is to start “en media res,” that is, in the middle of things. It tends to arouse curiosity; however, it isn’t the only way to draw in a reader. Writers like Tolkien, Irving, and Shakespeare prove the point. Other writers would say that the magic is in the title. In the online world, they’re probably right. The title and accompanying visual elements are essential to drawing in the reader.
Today’s post is the final one in the “Six Things Readers Need” series. At some point, the series will be modified and turned into teaching materials. I think the series has importance to communication initiatives, and teaching materials could be helpful when giving talks about the subject of readership. Understanding one’s readers and remembering what it is to be a reader are tantamount to writing and communicating successfully.
Every piece of writing has a voice. Even if the writing is written in the third-person, that writing has a voice. The reader can hear the timber of it. The reader becomes familiar with it. The voice becomes as real to them as a voice in a conversation does.
I hated my childhood endocrinologist. I would get nervous about seeing him weeks in advance. The reason was simple: he made me feel small, worthless, and stupid. After waiting for hours and hours to see him, he would rush into the examination room, tell my mother and I what was wrong and what I was doing wrong, and leave. He never spoke with me; he didn’t even speak to me. He spoke over and around me.