“Easy reading is damned hard writing.” Nathaniel Hawthorne
As writers devoted to craft, one of our primary jobs is to make the reading experience as satisfying as possible. We’ve all hit our share of jarring moments in our reading life: We’re cruising along in a short story or a novel and then we’re stopped short: We suddenly encounter an awkward word or phrase or a clumsy transition that catapults us out of the narrative flow.
“Delightful Writing,” an online article on the ever-helpful Copyblogger site, offers four techniques for ensuring that your content flows easily from sentence to sentence and keeps readers engaged. While the article’s focus is on nonfiction writing, there are still some ideas and reminders we may all find useful:
Transition words: The simplest way to alert readers to an upcoming shift in action or place is to use simple “signal” words like “and,” “but,” “or,” and “so.” Using them at the beginning of a sentence enables readers to make seamless connections that move your story forward.
Short questions: Leavening your text with short questions from time to time can be an effective way to keep readers involved while also letting them know that they need to pay attention: something important is afoot. Artfully planted questions also give your readers insight into what your characters are thinking or worried about in a given moment.
Teasers: Sprinkling “seeds of curiosity” — phrases at the end of a paragraph that pique your readers’ interest can be a powerful tool for impelling them to move from one paragraph to the next. They are a version of the “cliff hangers” often used to end chapters and induce readers to turn the page.
Connecting words: One of the most effective ways to connect one sentence to another is by repeating a key word. These “connecting words” often prove especially helpful in amplifying a metaphor.
Helpful tips for smooth transitions to ponder as we all write on.