The trick to addictive writing is seizing your reader’s mind and making them hunger for more! You must make every word, every sentence, and every paragraph count. You must drive your reader into an insatiable need to know more. You must push them to the limit and not let them go. You want them so enraptured by your words that when they retell your story they say, “I couldn’t put the book down!”
One tip to make this happen is to follow the basic rules of writing, then add
amazing embellishments with words of vivid color and unbelievable power to enhance their encounter with your writing.
Here are a few triggers to get you started on your quest to addictive writing:
· Hit the ground running with a great story. Grab your readers with something raw, racy, or unbelievable. Tell them something that will make their eyes bug out!
· Write with power, passion
, and magic. Fill your piece with enchanting adverbs and pulsating adjectives. Never use a common, dull declaration when a brilliant, captivating phrase can turn your message into magic! Take them on a roller coaster ride that just doesn’t end!
· Construct a storyboard of characters and actions. This works well for non-fiction as well. Draw a circle in the center of a page – write the central plot in the circle. Then draw smaller circles around the plot. In each circle write your characters (or thoughts) about the plot (or central theme). Now brainstorm actions and scenarios about the characters and how they collide into the plot.
· Brainstorm. Make a list of every idea, fragment, trace, and splinter of a thought you can spawn. Pour out all the ideas and don’t hold back. A thought that seemed ridiculous at first could become the very spark you need to captivate your reader.
· Push your readers forward. Use lots of verbs to make active sentences. Adjectives and adverbs set the ball up, verbs knock them out of the park! Hit hard with great verbs!
· Rip apart every word. Addictive writing demands ferocious editing. Editing is more than just punctuation and spelling errors. You must identify weak clauses, flaccid phrases, and lifeless words and replace them with dynamic descriptions and daring details.
· Finis! End with a flash and a twist they couldn’t see coming and makes them scream, “That was great!”
Ray Driver is co-founder and CEO of Reflections Publishing, Inc. She is a published author whose literary work includes two children’s books - Jemma's Treasure, and Quick n Sweet and The Purple Stream. She is the author of the self-help book for healthy relationships called Nappy Edges. She is a contributing author of Chicken Soup for the African American Soul, and the co-host of Reflections Presents Cable Show. Ray is a professional ghostwriter, writing coach, and facilitator of Creative Writers' Workshops.