WRITING TIPS

ii. keeping your story entertaining

Now keeping your story "entertaining" for the readers is something that a lot of authors find themselves struggling with. Having your book become "popular" is difficult, and it's very competitive. I've been there too, but I believe I've found a way out.

I'm not saying I'm a professional writer or even J.K Rowling when it comes to keeping readers engaged, but I do believe I've gotten to a point where I'm able to maintain quality writing, publishing a satisfying amount of quantity, and finding new ways to keep readers of their toes.

Down below, I have listed my top 5 tips on how to keep your stories "entertaining"

01. This is a simple one but, use humor. One of the easiest ways to grab a reader's attention is by using humor. If the reader is laughing their butt off of something you wrote, then chances are, they'll keep on reading. We all love a good laugh (I hope), and comedy is one of the basic elements that every story needs, at least at some point.

I love writing humor. Most of the time, the entertaining and humorous scenarios I create in my head are ones that I, realistically, won't experience or get to have often. So if you're the same way, write those scenes. Find a way to incorporate them into your stories in a way that flows naturally and matches the personalities of your characters.

02. Add breadcrumbs within the first three chapters of your book.

These don't have to colossal breadcrumbs that flat-out tell the reader the entire plot or give away major future characters arcs. These breadcrumbs can be small, mysterious, enticing, and lingering. Which I find are the best ones to leave. You want to trigger the curiosity in your readers and get the gears in their brain turning. This means that the breadcrumbs need to come at the beginning of the story. When I'm reading, I usually read up to about three to four chapters before I decide if it's a plot that I'm genuinely interested in, want to know about, and will continue to read. If not, it's an automatic toss, and I remove it from my library. For others, it's the same way. So, put those breadcrumbs within the first three chapters frequently. Get people curious and wanting more.

Now, these breadcrumbs need to be appealing and not so hidden that readers might skim right over them. Make them obvious, but not too obvious. Does that make sense?

Also please keep in mind that your book will always be competing with another form of entertainment. There are a million different reasons that can distract readers and deter them from your story. At the beginning of your stories, you've got to give your readers a reason to commit to following the journey of your book. A reason that will get them to turn away from everything else and dedicate their time to your book.

03. Do the unexpected

This can be taken and used in terms of plot-twists or by giving your characters an obstacle or choice that leaves them vulnerable, emotional, and torn. Think about the terms of the penultimate episode of a TV show season; the episode right before the grand finale. You want to pull the carpet out from the reader's feet and make their jaw drop. Now don't do this in a way that doesn't make sense, connect with your plot, or make it seem as if your characters are acting out-of-character. Make it make sense with your story and elements.

04. Don't write or end scenes that'll leave readers with questions, uncertainty, or have them confused. Leave scenes in a manner that will cause the readers to want more.

When readers have all the answers, or they think they do, then what's left of them to keep on going?

They won't have a reason to want to continue reading. Think about your readers: what will they have anticipating their next chapter? Is there an event or future encounter that the main character will have that makes it worth sticking around? Give them something new in every chapter if the plot, events, and characters appear to be moving along smoothly. Keep things coming, you don't want to put your audience to sleep by the end of your chapters.

Also, don't introduce new elements at the end of a chapter, endless you know that the next chapter will pick up where you left off. You want the readers to have questions such as, what's going to happen next? What are they going to do about this? You don't want them asking, what the hell was that? I'm so confused. That's literally made no sense! What just happened? Don't leave unintended openings, that you'll never fill, or develop in your story.

05. Bottom line: keep the reader in mind. Once you've planned out and created a rough draft of your book, make sure it's including scenes and passages that will have readers leaning forward with anticipation and on the edge of their seats at all times. You can't expect readers to stick around, just because your prologue and your first three chapters hit perfection. If everything starts to go downhill and is bland and uneventful, people will stop reading. You've got to give your audience entertaining moments along the way. ( Maybe use humor and comedy) Keep people curious and alert.

When writing, you can't spend all your time simply sketching the layout, developing characters and the plot, and plotting particular events. You have to take a look through what you have and identify elements that'll capture the reader's attention, and from there you start building up. And yes, the story is about the plot and it's respected characters, but you're writing this for real people to read. Expect tough competition, and remember to keep these tips in mind.

I really hope this helps!