5 Tips To Hooking A Reader (And Keeping Them Hooked)

It’s safe to say that if you spend time and energy (so much energy, all of the energy) writing and editing and re-writing and line editing a novel, you probably want a few people to read it. I mean, if it happens to top the New York Times Best Sellers list and Hollywood offers you a movie deal that spins off into an entire franchise with its own theme park at Disney World, that’d be ok too, right?

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. When you think about your favorite books, those books that draw you in and don’t let go, those books where you almost forget that there is an author telling a story because you are living the story for yourself between the pages, they all have one thing in common: immersive writing.

Immersive writing is more than just a “hook,” it’s a style of writing that hooks a reader and keeps them hooked till the very last page. Even if the readers don’t like the ending to the book, they can’t help but applaud the fact that they were sucked in and invested in every page. (My Sister’s Keeper, anyone?)

One of the easiest things to point out about immersive writing is that it uses the senses. Think about it – how often do you use your senses? All. The. Time. Seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, smelling – these are all invoulentary actions, for the most part. Moreover, there are other senses like hunger or balance that are natural parts of our body’s response to the world around it. Use this in your writing! This, coupled with the age old “show, don’t tell” policy packs a powerful punch. Watch the video below to find out more tips for immersive writing!