How can stories be more interesting for readers?
The Ottawa Citizen’s writing coach, Lynn McAuley, shared some tips recently at a Women in the Media conference in Halifax.
She criticized the styles adopted by many papers such as the popular “inverted pyramid.” This is where the most important facts are at the top, and the less important stuff follows.
Most of the facts – the who, what, where, when and perhaps why – are in the top few paragraphs, and editors can cut from the bottom of the stories easily.
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Sometimes this is OK, but not all stories need to be that way, said McAuley. Other writing tips followed.
Make stories more interesting by having good transitions.
Don’t just cut off endings, but leave a “reward” for readers who reach the end. Make a story compelling enough that readers will read it until the end, even if it involves turning from one page to another.
Use the narrative style, have people explain things instead of writing “experts say,” and maintain the interest of readers through style or subject matter.
Avoid getting carried away when recreating a dialogue or saying what the characters thought or felt: “You can’t write anything you don’t know is a fact,” McAuley advised.
Telling a good story doesn’t mean it needs a lot of space, she said.
What it needs is a character facing complications and finding a resolution to the problem. The character doesn’t need to be likeable, but someone with whom the reader can build a relationship.
The complications add the tension and suspense to keep the reader interested.
While the setting is important, McAuley said not to overdo it. Keep only the information that reveals character or advances the action in the story.
Next week: more on writing.
