Captivating Words

Recently I delved into a novel.  The story line hooked my interest within the first lines. I whipped through pages getting to know the characters and experiencing their story.  One-third of the way through the book the main character made a horrid choice. I finished the page hoping he would change his mind, rectify the error, or simply do anything other than what he did—but he didn’t. 

I was taken aback. How could he continue in this wrong direction?  Dare I turn another page after I’d given him the last five pages to change?  I slammed the book shut and tossed it on the floor. 

The next day during my work lunch break, the storyline crept into my thoughts. I wondered, what did the main character do next?  Maybe he changed his mind and turned away from the evil.  After all, he was the protagonist! He had to!

That night I picked the book up and turned to the marked page.  young king Manasseh turned his bad choice into a worse situation by killing his citizens and leading his kingdom into failure.  His self-absorption drove away all instruction he’d received from his godly father. 

The next five pages singed my heart, ripping at my emotions.  I slammed the book shut again, and yes, tossed it on the floor.

The story wouldn’t leave me alone.  Lynn Austin’s riveting words grabbed hold of my curiosity, and forced me to finish the book. I bought copies for friends and family, they simply had to read this book.

What Captivating Stories Need:

1.     Life-like characters: Readers expect to identify with the characters within the first ten pages of a manuscript, hopefully sooner.  What would the reader know and/or feel about the main characters in your WIP after reading the first ten pages? 

2.     Turns in the plot: Oddly enough, readers like to be wrong.  If the expected falls on the next page all the time or even most of the time, the story becomes boring. Weave unexpected turns, pitfalls, cliffhangers, and trials into the story.  Can you cause another obstacle or escalate obstacles for your characters?

3.     Sentence fluency:  Great stories can be destroyed with jagged sentences.  Sentences need to vary in length, propel the story forward, be written tight, and etc.  Can someone else read your manuscript out loud without stumbling or questioning the meaning?

4.     Conflict that heats to a rolling boil:  Lynn Austin’s story released steam from the first sentence.  It continued to heat, spitting bubbles from the surface that built to a rolling boil at the climax.  The resolution sealed the impact.  Three years later,  I still remember my response to her book.  What can you infuse into your story to cause readers to remember years later?

5.     Don’t drop the ball:  Once your reader turns the first page, keep them turning.  He or she may throw the book on the floor, turn off the light, and attempt to go to sleep, but if the book is in his or her hand the next night…you’ve succeeded. Have you kept the momentum in your WIP?

        What captivating component draws you
to your favorite book?