THE WRITER'S ART

How to Invite Your Reader in to Your Story

Shutta Crum, the Florida Writers Association: let’s talk about openings. You want your home to have curb appeal and your front door to be inviting—to say Welcome! as it opens. (At least most of us do.) It’s the same with a piece of writing. The last thing you want to do is to put a roadblock, or an overstuffed couch, in the way. Poet Billy Collins says, “Usually I try to create a hospitable tone at the beginning of a poem. Stepping from the title to the first lines is like stepping into a canoe. A lot of things can go wrong.” This is very true. If the opening is too longwinded, then the reader may not have time to figure out your point, or the why of the piece. Too obscure and immediately the reader has to decide if it’s going to be worth his/her/their precious time to figure things out. Too overused/trite/tiresome and a reader may think there are better things to do with one’s time. Ways to invite your reader in.

Symbolism in storytelling: building emotional depth and thematic unity.  Writers.com

Eric Puchner: How to be funny when writing a novel. Lit Hub.

5 famous authors who used pseudonyms (and why they did it). Big Think.

How to isolate your characters in the 21st century. CrimeReads.

How Romantasy Seduces Its Readers

The literary genre has skyrocketed in popularity, with titles dominating best-seller lists and commanding billions of views on TikTok. What’s behind the allure? The New Yorker.