NAKED WRITING: Cue Your Reader

You’re reading a book… and notice a bit of repeated action or dialogue. or maybe it’s visual—a strange-looking rock or a woman’s red scarf—and you know… it will be important later in the plot.

When “later” comes… you discover you were right. You feel a small.. satisfaction—and a stronger connection to the story.

Clever writers use selective repetition to give a story resonance. It’s a bit like the musical refrain we enjoy in a song.

In a story appearing in Death-Edge 3: 7 Teeth-Chattering Stories of Suspense, a man avoids killing a spider. Instead he scoops the spider up, carries it outside and releases it. That particular characteristic becomes important later in the plot. In Death Edge 2: 7 Bone-Chilling Stories of Suspense—a story titled “Fresh”—a man stabs a woman 26 times. That number is repeated often and proves important at the end.

The stories became reader favorites in the 4-book series, and I used selective repetition in both… though in slightly different ways.

With the spider, a man’s character trait of “do no harm” is first shown by his actions. Then it’s emphasized in dialogue that transpires as his wife teases him. And since the story takes place in the wife’s viewpoint, we know how she feels about his soft-hearted nature. Later we see, hear, and feel other indications of the man’s nature.

Conversely, in the story “Fresh”, the phrase—26 times—is repeated exactly, providing a clue in the murder case. When you want readers to fully understand a selective repetition, use all the senses. When you want it noticed but… not quite understood… employ only one or two senses.

In any case, early in the story is the time to cue your readers to what you want them to notice.