Engaging a Reader

Engaging a Reader

Knowing Your Reader

  • Create a clear picture of who your reader is before you begin to write.

  • Knowing your intended reader helps you better anticipate what they already know, what they need to know, what they may think, and how they might react to your piece of writing.

  • This will help you tailor your content, language and tone to them effectively.

Creating a Hook

  • Think about how to ‘hook’ your reader in your first few lines, in order to capture their interest and attention.

  • This could be something unique, surprising, thought-provoking, emotive or controversial.

  • Ensuring your opening lines are engaging, sets the tone for the rest of the piece and encourages the reader to continue reading.

Building a Connection

  • Build an emotional connection with your readers. This can make them more invested in your piece and more receptive to your arguments.

  • Use personal anecdotes, emotive language, and elements of storytelling to achieve this.

  • A strong connection ensures that the reader is more likely to keep reading and engage with your ideas.

Variety and Pace

  • Keep your readers interested by varying your sentence structures and the pace of your writing.

  • Mix up short, punchy sentences with longer, more complex ones to maintain reader engagement.

  • Constantly consider the pace of the piece. A piece that drags or rushes can disengage a reader.

Engaging Language

  • Use deliberate and effective vocabulary choices.

  • Use a mix of everyday language and more complex, subject-specific terms to keep the reader intrigued and demonstrate your knowledge.

Ending with Impact

  • Aim to conclude your piece with a strong closing statement which encapsulates your main argument or viewpoint.

  • This will ensure your piece remains memorable and impactful for the reader.

  • It should ideally reinforce the main points you have made throughout your writing, leading the reader to your intended conclusion in a natural and convincing way.

  • This also provides closure and coherence to your writing, leaving the reader satisfied.