I Want To Hold Your Hand

My grandmother was a white-haired cherub with a delightful giggle.  After thirty-odd grandchildren, she also developed the wisdom to let kids be kids.

I was seven and reading a book with her.  I finished the first page, turned to page two then stopped because I had to make sure she was following the story.  Turning back to page one, I pointed to a particular sentence.  "See?  You remember Tommy was the boy who lived in the yellow house?"

"Yes, I remember."

I got to page four before I stopped again.  "Tommy's the one who was riding a bicycle on page three."

"I remember."

Even so, I pointed to the appropriate paragraph.  I was amazed that she was following the story.  My diligence was partly due to fear that I couldn't retain her attention but also due to a fascination with how a writer keeps a reader engaged from page to page.

Even when I read on my own, I was always backtracking to significant plot points, teaching myself that it's these series of events that make the story unfold.  In the novel Bambi, I became captivated by one chapter in which one leaf speaks to another as the autumn arrives.  Poignantly, one leaf falls, leaving the other one alone.  I kept coming back to this chapter because I was fascinated by how the author used the scenario to detail the transition of one season to another.

Dickens is masterful at little refrains, catchphrases, and physical traits to help readers keep track of the cast of characters.  Scrooge's "Bah!  Humbug!"  Micawber's "Something will turn up."  Uriah Heep's "humbleness."

Little details like that still captivate me, so when I write stories, I stay aware of how to leader the reader through.  It's sort of like holding the reader's hand:  "Follow me.  I know the way.  This is what comes next.  Do you see how this connects to the previous chapter?  Trust me; it'll all make sense."

(Photo:  Missione genovese del Guaricano - Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), by Twice25)
But how to do that without using the written equivalent of a sledgehammer?  How do you convey to your audience what is important?  How do you hold their hand?

I'd love to hear what techniques other writers use, as well as the details that capture a reader's attention.  What are your favorite tricks?  Please leave a comment below.