Eyes on Me! How to Keep Reader's Attention

In a world with Facebook, Twitter, and other internet distractions just a tab away (resist the temptation!), keeping your reader interested in your blog can be a challenging task. Worry not; we have some tricks of the trade to keep your readers hooked.

Figure Courtesy of Casey Marion.

1.      Bait your reader with a catchy title. You want to stand out from the crowd. Think of your title as your billboard, your advertisement; a boring billboard doesn't get noticed. Recall how companies try and get your attention, how articles and websites try and hook you. A clever pun, a dramatic statement, shock value, suspense, humor, conflict, etc. Pick an approach that you think will best get the interest of the audience you are trying to reach, and adapt it. You are trying to sell a product (your writing), and attention is the currency your readers pay you in. They won't give you a second chance to catch their attention, so take it while you can.

2.      Know your audience.  You wouldn’t lecture the subtleties of Shakespeare to a preschool class, and (most) college educated students wouldn’t want to sit through See Spot Run.  In the same respect, it is crucial to adapt your writing to your audience.  Joshua Stein, in his article, “Writing Clearly and Effectively: How to Keep the Reader’s Attention,” tells us to know our audience.  Both tone and content should match your intended demographic.  Nothing turns an audience away like being talked down to, or by talking over their head by getting too technical.   Stein also tells us to think about what the audience already knows, and what they need to read about.

3.      Energize your writing.  Word choice is crucial.  Powerful words make an impact on your readers. Use active words, which are words that energize your writing and allow your readers to connect to your message clearly. For example, Joshua Stein tells us that instead of saying, “there are available a significant range of meaningful options,” say, “a specific person can choose from four options.” Think of how you want to present your idea to your reader, and choose your words to match your tone.  A somber and serious tone requires words that convey those solemn emotions, whereas a less serious topic might adopt a more playful tone.

 Figure  Mylene Bressan, CC: Attribution-ShareAlike

4.      Stay Focused.  Keep your purpose in mind and don’t stray too far from it.  Any deviations should lead back to your original idea, your thesis.  A consistent tone throughout your writing helps readers follow your train of thought, and a runaway train is hard to keep up with.  A wifty paper is hard to follow, and leaves your audience confused (and probably not thinking very highly of you). If you feel yourself straying too far from your topic, take a break and when you return read what progress you’ve made so far. Referring back to your thesis statement occasionally throughout your writing is a good way to keep your original idea in mind. 

5.      Help your reader visualize. Engage your audience with all five senses. People like to taste what they read, feel it, smell it. Indulge that with creative use of metaphor and imagery. You want to use descriptive words that ignite your readers’ senses. Readers who have their imagination stimulated will be able to relate to your writing. Imagine a cake.

Figure  Michael Jastremski, CC: Attribution-ShareAlike

Everyone has their own idea of a generic cake. But you want them to imagine YOUR cake. Your cake, a moist and fluffy chocolate, with a heart stoppingly delicious cream filling, topped off with layers of Cool Whip and crumbled Butterfinger. With any luck, our readers are now salivating. In the same way, you want to use vivid and descriptive imagery to engage your reader's senses and draw them into your writing.

6.      Humor them (when appropriate).  An audience who laughs will keep you in mind.  According to Leigh Anne Jasheway in “How to Mix Humor into Your Writing,” humor can keep your writing from drying out and getting stale, breathing a little playful energy that your readers will relate with.  Wield humor with caution though, as too much or ill timed “funny” can turn an audience away.  Use it wisely and sparingly, and make sure it’s consistent with your overall tone.

            Writing can be a challenge, but now that you have a few more gadgets in your metaphorical utility belt, you are now better prepared to tackle the Wonderful World of Writing.  Hook them with a title, stand out from the crowd, pick the right words for your tone, get them to giggle, and let them eat cake.

 Meet the authors of this post:

 

Casey Marion, a student at D.A.C.C, is majoring in Elementary Education.

Lee Cooper, a student at D.A.C.C., is planning to major is Human Resource Development.

Shane Trunnell is a student at DACC with a fondness of psychobabble, philosophical waffle, and all things whimsical.  He has an annoying tendency to write in third person.

Joseph Mann, a student at D.A.C.C, is majoring in Mathematics.

We chose the topic of keeping reader’s attention, because it is something that we as students struggled with ourselves and feel it is a valuable skill to have as a college student. Searching through information, we have found materials and methods you can use to make your paper more appealing to your chosen audience.  Or in other words, to make the world a better place for any literonaut.