Writing academic work or any other piece of work for someone else to read can be a complex task. While the write-up might sound interesting to you as the writer, it may not sound as interesting to the reader. One of the things to consider whenever writing is to meet the reader’s requirements and grasp all their attention. But then, how can you engage the reader in your piece of writing? Keep reading to find out more.
Techniques in writing: what is reader engagement?
Once you write something, especially for academic purposes, the goal is to make the reader enjoy your piece. Some writing can be boring to read right from the introduction, and this is because the writer failed to hook the reader right from the start. The next question is, which techniques are used to engage a reader?
So, hooking the reader means using techniques writers use to engage the reader and to keep the reader glued to your paper and wish to never finish reading your paper. Such hooks include:
- Using a quote
There are countless quotes available in books, articles, and other pieces of writing from famous people. Depending on what you are writing about, you can pose a quote and leave the reader wondering what the quote is all about. This way, the reader will be keen enough to read your write-up to the end.
- Posing a question
You can ask a question relating to your essay topic and make the reader try to figure out the answer(s). However, this question should be a complex one and make the reader eager to keep reading to get answers.
- Narrating a story
Stories are amazing as they divert the reader’s attention to an imaginary world. Therefore, narrating a beautiful and interesting story is among the best ways to engage the reader in your writing. However, you must ensure the story connects and blends well with your topic and the message you want to convey.
- Stating a fact
Another proven tip that works magic when engaging the reader is stating a fact. The fact can be a research analysis of the topic you have been handling.
How to make your writing more engaging
Having highlighted how to grab a reader’s attention using different hooks, let’s analyze how to catch a reader’s attention by making your writing more engaging.
- Maintain short sentences
Good writing doesn’t require you to be extra. Keeping short and clear sentences is the real deal. Many people don’t love reading lengthy or wordy sentences as they lose focus easily along the way. In fact, consider writing simple sentences that a grade-five child can read. Besides, avoid complex words that are hard to comprehend. No reader will be willing to keep checking the meaning of some words to get the meaning. We have some software that helps check the readability of your write-up and helps you correct some grammar mistakes.
- Include headings and sub-headings
Many people will click back immediately once they see a huge wall of text without some breaks. The whole passage sounds boring just from the look, even if it has significant information. So, ensure your writing has catchy headings and sub-headings that describe what the writing is all about.
Apart from simplifying the reading process, sub-headings show that the writer follows a good structure and an outline to bring out engaging content.
- Involve Your Audience
Your reader wants to feel part of the story or information you are putting across. So, ensure you use the second person style that involves using words such as your and you. Such words connect the reader to your writing naturally.
- Use Lists
Sometimes, the reader wants to skim quickly through your work to analyze the information in the passage or the piece of writing. Using lists is the appropriate way to fulfill such a requirement. Creating lists will not only engage the reader but also keep the reader updated on what to expect in the passage.
Conclusion
Writing something interesting requires the writer to apply some techniques to ensure the reader loves their writing. Have you tried some of the above techniques? Be sure to try them!
