7 tips for keeping your readers hooked

We've touched on the emotional journey you're taking your readers on when you write a story, so now it's time to talk about how to keep your readers' interest peaked throughout this journey. 

If you think of your story like a contract between you and your audience and the biggest clause of that contract is your promise of a good read, it's therefore your duty to make sure you deliver. And if you really want to impress, exceed their expectations altogether.

Here are some tips for keeping your readers hooked:

• Don’t bring people into the story without an introduction – unless of course you’re waiting to formally introduce them. In the opening of Little Child, I substitute an introduction with an explanation of motives instead.

• Don’t switch tenses in the same scene. It stops your writing from flowing.

• Don’t use He or She if multiple characters exist in the scene. It’s so easily done, but will instantly make your text lifeless and dull - and hard to follow.

• Stick to the rules of your genre. If it's historical fiction, include history. If it's a romantic comedy, include love and laughs.

• Ensure your protagonist is active throughout the story because if they aren't, you've picked the wrong character to lead your story.

• If you use characters and scenes as build up before the main event, follow through with these to the very end to give your story depth.

• Every story should have conflict and resolution. Make the conflict good but make the resolution better. The conflict should never just fizzle away.