on Writers Helping Writers:

We’ve all heard the writing advice that our stories must hook readers from the start, and that pacing our scenes so readers stick around is equally important.

It’s all too easy to take that advice and assume we must infuse our scenes with all the makings of a blockbuster movie. Speed, chases, weapons, explosions, scary monsters, you name it.

But what this advice fails to remember is that readers largely come to story for character.

Specifically, they come to your story for your character, who they want to care for, worry about, and subsequently cheer for in those high-action scenes.

If we don’t keep that truth at the heart of our scenes, all the trimmings of an action-packed story won’t matter.

Let’s talk about four reasons readers unbuckle their seatbelts and climb out of that fast-moving vehicle of your story so we can understand how to keep them until your ride has come to a complete stop.