As Myriam sat down and snuggled her legs beneath her on the armchair, book in hand, tea on the side table, ready for a session with her latest book, a little voice in her head kept whispering…
Can I stop reading now?
It’s so weird. Even though as readers, we pick up a book because of pain or a problem we want to solve, we feel reluctant to change. Why? Well, changing involves effort on my part. (Some might call that lazy. I call it efficient.)
So, before I follow the advice of any author, I’m looking for my get-out-of-jail-free card. Do you understand me? Do you know what my problem feels like? Do you understand my problem better than I do?
If not, I can go back to watching movies and feeling sorry for myself.
A great book is like a conversation between the author and the reader with the author guessing the reader’s next question, comment or feeling.
When you write, conjure up the reader in your head and have a chat, one on one. Help them see the world your way by seeing the world their way first.