WHY SHOULD THE READER CARE?

PRE-ORDER SPECIAL OFFER:

“Legend of the Boy” by Sal Cruz

will be available for release Dec 5, 2023 as an e-book (all formats), paperback and hardcover. ‘An Excellent Christmas Gift!’ ~Brandon Symon

PRE-ORDER PRICING:

$9.99 for paperback [Regular price $15.99], $3.99 for ebook [Regular price $6.99]. All pre-orders placed before Dec 5 will receive the pre-order price. When the book is released on Dec 5, it will be priced at retail. Sign-up if you would like to take advantage of the discounted pricing. To Pre-Order, click HERE: NO MONEY NEEDED YET. You will be emailed a special Pre-Order Buy Link when it is available.

Writer’s Writer’s Toolbox Toolbox

Give Me ONE Reason Why I Should Care About YOUR STORY?

At the heart of every short story or novel lies the most pressing question of all: Why should the reader care about your story? If they do not care they will not read it, so you must answer this question. What will attract the reader to become emotionally involved?

This is not as easy a question as you might think. while a good storyline might help, and interesting characters might pique their interest, your work must have something stronger than that. Remember that nothing is unique; it’s all been done before in one form or another. What changes is the presentation, your choice of words—you often hear readers describe how a book read— or the manner in which you present them.

Reading a short story or a novel is an escape for the reader. Don’t bog them down with complex language or convoluted ideas that they may not understand. If the reader has to keep stopping to go back and try to decipher your intention, you’ve likely lost a reader right there.

As a writer and a reader, I see stories everyday. The ones that compel me have an ingredient I find attractive. This could be the tone, the theme, the twists, subtle undertones from a character back story, or something I can directly relate to. Rarely do I feel compelled to read a story because it was cleverly assembled, although that is another element.

Before you sign off on your finished story, go over it and ask the big question: Why will the reader care about this story.