Picture yourself crossing through the entryway of a magnificent home and stepping down into a gorgeous sunken living room. Marble floors glisten. Huge sofas beckon.
Massive paintings lead the eye up, up, up. And the coffee table, filled with magazines and books, encourages you to draw close. What will you do? Settle onto that sofa? Grab a magazine or book? Make yourself at home?
Now think about your WIP (work in progress) once more.
Imagine you’ve given the piece a terrific opening line and an equally magnificent opening paragraph. Now it’s time to invite the reader into the living room.
By the time she reaches page two or three of your story, her curiosity should be aroused. She should be ready to hang up her hat, sit with a cappuccino, and enjoy your work.
Is your writing style comfortable enough, (inviting enough) to encourage the reader to want to sit down with her beverage of choice and just read, read, read? If so, then you’ve built an “inviting” living room!
- Things to Consider:
- To “beckon” means to “wave them in.”
- People respond to an invitation if it feels comfortable/familiar. To “settle in” means the invitation has been accepted.
- If you high-brow your reader, (talking down to her), she won’t feel comfortable.
- If you slam-dunk her with too many characters or too much action too fast, she won’t feel comfortable.
What are some steps you can take to make your reader want to settle down on the sofa with you, to enjoy your company? (This is an important question because you want your reader to read the whole book, not just the opening chapter!)
