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How to capture and keep the reader's attention.
Questions tagged [attention]
12 questions
53
votes
10 answers
How can I write an attention-grabbing first line?
So, the beginning of any story needs to capture the attention of the reader, so he continues and wants to find out what's happening.
A Confederacy of Dunces starts "A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head." and gives you…
Reverend Gonzo
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18
votes
4 answers
Where should I put my tl;dr?
By definition
TL;DR, short for "too long; didn't read", is Internet slang to say that some text being replied to has been ignored because of its length. In slang it can also stand for "Too lazy; didn't read". It is also used as a signifier for a…
Vylix
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6
votes
3 answers
How to keep the reader engaged throughout the novel?
Some authors (a la Dan Brown in The Da Vinci Code) use an expected twist and unanswered question at the end of every chapter.
Some (a la Stephen King) build deep characters that simply draw you in.
What ways (besides just telling a genuinely good…
Reverend Gonzo
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5
votes
5 answers
Writing a song as the hook
I am at the free-writing stages of writing my high fantasy novel. I am looking at or experimenting with different methods for hooking the reader and driving their attention towards the rest of my story. I am currently considering the idea using a…
Alexander
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4
votes
3 answers
Does a page-turner have to be continually high-octane?
I've experimented with both critique partners and people I know (be they friends, family or colleagues) as unrewarded beta readers. The latter are very slow, sometimes reading slower than I wrote a first draft. Clearly, their reading periods are…
J.G.
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vote
1 answer
How much space to give the dilemmata of secondary characters?
I am writing a novel with about 12 subdivisions. About 4 of these are from the point of view of non-protagonists.
These non-protagonists form a group which unwittingly brings the protagonist something [X] that significantly alters the flow of the…
Ludi
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1
vote
2 answers
Why is tl;dr at the end?
Why is it in the end, I see this often after reading the material. The definition is too long, didn't read, but by the time I see the tl;dr, I've already read it. It breaks the flow of the whole story and becomes redundant if the entire article is…
LeanMan
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0
votes
0 answers
How to create section breaks representing the theme
Since my earlier question What are the symbols that pass time called, I would like to ask if anyone could instruct me how to make the section breaks symbols instead of the basic (...) and (***).
Graphic is one method but I don't really want to make…
Artemis Silver
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0
votes
1 answer
Loving book characters too much
What does it take to become obsessed with liking your own character?
A dude in a coffee shop yesterday was talking nonstop about how an author was able to describe one of his favorite characters perfectly (I didn't mean to eavesdrop). I stopped…
Unknown
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0
votes
1 answer
Do I need permission to copy school questions to my book?
My main character is going to a highly advanced school but I have no idea how to make up hard questions. I'm terrible at math, so I was wondering do I need permission to copy my older sister's college questions. (Not sure if this question was…
Artemis Silver
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0
votes
1 answer
My parents disapprove of my dream of becoming an author but I don’t want to wait till I’m eighteen. What should I do?
I'm desperate, that all I can say about my situation right now.
My parents planned to make me the next heir of their restaurant yet I want to have a chance in life where I could choose my own career and my own future.
But unfortunately one night, I…
Artemis Silver
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votes
3 answers
How to seek an audience?
I write mainly short stories and poetry, and am unsure of what social media platform will garner more attention to this type of writing. Is there a tried and true social media that will get me more attention than another?
yasaaMoin
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