Writing Tidbit #5: Write For Your Reader

Have you every listened to someone who is a terrible storyteller as they tried to summarize a movie plot or recall a life event. Perhaps they got easily distracted by insignificant side stories. Or maybe the details were disjointed and jumped around. Did they leave something important out, only to later wedge it in at the conclusion? Whatever their struggle, it assuredly had the effect of breaking your engagement with the tale.

Editors have long lists of common mistakes that they look for in writing, especially if the author is a novice. Many of the issues, such as head-hopping perspectives and info dumps, have the effect of damaging a reader’s engagement. Too much information results in boredom and distraction, while too little makes a world feel parched and uninteresting. Unorganized details cause confusion. Authors must be vigilant in rooting out such weaknesses in their writing.

You the author have spent hours wrapping your mind around the character, setting, and backstory. Your readers, however, are experiencing everything with fresh eyes. Be mindful of them and their perspective gap. The lessons to be learned are too many to be covered in a brief article, but here are some quick pointers.

• Info dump: Rattling off every detail you have created for your world is bad for two reasons. First, it makes for dull reading. Second, like a boundary fence at Disney World, it disturbs the magic. Do not use up every area of exploration in your creation, and blend the revelations into your narrative.
• Underwriting: Most enthusiastic young writers overwrite rather than underwrite, but this trait frequently rears its head in specific scenes. If a chapter feels rushed, ask if you are making it an enjoyable part of the reader experience, or if you are merely getting it out of the way to move on to something more fun.
• Disjointed narrative: Stories require flow. Does each paragraph and chapter segue into the next? Is the information arranged to maximize impact and clarity? Poor organization can undermine a great scene. Avoid this by sketching out summaries of the story and confirming the structure.
• Head-hopping: The term “head-hopping” refers to a story’s perspective shifting unintentionally or incorrectly to a different character’s. While I am not entirely sold on the common advice to never include more than one POV in a scene, it is true that perspective drift causes confusion. Ask yourself if what you are saying through a character is truly what they think in their mind and see with their eyes. For example, a customer can initially describe a new restaurant entrée by sight and smell, but details about taste must wait until they have had a bite.