What a Bestselling Author Can Teach You About Hooking Your Readers
http://www.copyblogger.com/images/copyblogger_email.jpgWhat a Bestselling Author Can Teach You About Hooking Your Readers
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Pulled away. Distracted twitter, e-mail, FaceBook. Ey reader happen times day. yr readers different?
Not unless hook them.
And secret hooking yr readers comes storytellers world.
A storyteller can’t rely copywriter’s standby WIIFM, because, well, oy that’s audience storyteller’s ability engage interest.
That’s they’ve art hooking reader, screenwriting guru Robert McKee crystallized tt art io key lesson.
Steven Pressfield relies key lesson, helped sell or million copies novels non-fiction worldwide. He’s novel, The Legend Bagger Vance, io major motion picture. non-fiction The War Art be handbook writers entrepreneurs, artists, “creatives” types — sort crossroads beloved Copyblogger readers.
So ts key lesson, secret Steven learned?
The inciting incident
Steven Pressfield learned magic “inciting incidents” screenwriting legend Robert McKee. Here’s Steven interview recently granted me:
McKee (and thousands others) my valuable lessons, it’d hard pick out, is:
The ‘inciting incident.’ heard term focused ts concept taking Story Structure class. writing, instinct; idea doing. idea crystallized helped tremendously.
I AS myself, en short blog posts, What inciting incident? event moment story rolling? It’s huge help.
And here’s bit me at inciting incidents described Robert McKee book, Story (emphasis mine):
Bring Central Plot’s Inciting Incident soon possible . . . ul moment ripe.
If writers common fault design placement Inciting Incident, it’s habitually delay Central Plot we pack sequences exposition. consistently underestimate knowledge life experience audience, laying character world tedious details filmgoer ay filled common sense.
The “rule third”
Most drafts suck precisely “habitually delay central plot exposition.”
In words, spend time dull background, jumping exciting opening.
Print post’s ft draft, divide thirds, chop tt third. You’ll cut tt unnecessary exposition wh bh stronger beginning tighter post.
Even better, starting middle ts leaves story questions filled later, leaving details imagination readers. wh engage readers reading pieces fit.
Beginning wh mind
You wt hook readers io reading entire post — ft paragraphs. Here’s how:
- Uncover crux message. words, big idea tt you’re trying convey, matters yr audience.
- Think at embody idea compelling mental image. clothe “big idea” wh imagination emotion? details essential mg image vivid? You’ll wrap post painting ts image readers’s mind, leaving wh powerful impression yr idea.
- Determine we perspective you’re using convey mental image. ts personal revelation, story readers, study se party? angle tt mental image mt powerful?
- Ask yf wt kicks person’s journey tt final mental image? Note inciting incident kicks story usually se trouble. Inciting incidents headlines alike benefit from trouble, be trouble hooks readers wg kw rest story.
- Experiment leave out. leave readers’ imaginations? strip beginning enhance mystery suspense? Pare post essence.
Follow steps you’ll kw end, you’ll start leave out.
Examples inciting incidents Steven Pressfield’s blog
To cement technique yr mind, I’ve pulled examples inciting incidents tn fm Steven’s blog titles lines. cy hooked me; you?
- The Most Important Writing Lesson I Ever Learned: job advertising. copywriter agency called Benton & Bowles York City. artist entrepreneur’s job inevitably bends twig. shapes you’ll become. yr freshman outing journalism, brain tattooed (in gd way) wh who-what-where-when-why, fact-check-everything, never-bury-the-lead. start photographer’s assistant, learn or stuff. plunge io business own, education self-discipline, self-motivation, self-validation. Advertising teaches lessons . . .
- Sex Scenes: oe rewrite porn flick. began, producer me, ge marching didn’t slow project dn mg avoidable rookie mistakes. met breakfast coffee shop Santa Monica. meeting, lessons writing I’ve received . . .
- What the Muse Wants: issue comes me tn ag aspiring artists entrepreneurs this: “How chase dream wn we’ve kids, job, demands deadlines? fd time, self-discipline energy we’re dealing real stuff real world?” Muse tough taskmistress. ds soft spot, look . . .
- Write What You Don’t Know: Probably classic kernel writing advice “Write Wt Know.” surface, ss me lot sense, I’m thousands thousands writers. didn’t me. . .
- The Writer’s Voice: fd writer’s voice? lot humbug written subject. myth tt finding voice, writer achieves kd personal enlightenment. discovers “who is.” experience. . .
Notice eh examples hooks reader violating clichéd writing advice (write don’t know) normal expectations (he learned at gd writing fm porn director?). You’ll he click th posts inciting incidents wonderfully organic “big idea” post.
So steps. Figure 1) stirring (possibly trouble-filled) inciting incident kick off, 2) vivid mental image readers leave wh finish yr post, 3) leave out.
Add te ts yr writing won’t jt hook readers, you’ll tm reading through.
About Author: Jeff Sexton longtime instructor Future Now’s Persuasive Online Copywriting course faculty Wizard Academy, co-teaches Writing for the Radio and the Internet. online www.jeffsextonwrites.com
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