What do readers remember?
Readers are drawn to fiction for many reasons, but entertainment may be the most important. Your job as a writer is to give readers a story that pulls them into the action and emotions of the characters. As an author you have invested a lot of time and effort to write your book, get it published, and attract a reader. Once a reader picks up your book, you want that reader to stick with it to the end.
Find the path that keeps the reader engaged but don’t turn the act of reading into a chore. One of the things that can make reading a chore is needing to remember details from an earlier chapter to a later one. That’s the big picture, but the devil is in the details, as they say.
Back story:
How much of the back story does the reader need? If your story is part of a series, how do you know how much of the previous book(s) the reader remembers? You don’t. Some readers may have read the earlier book a year ago, others will have finished the previous book hours earlier and remember every detail, and still others may start with the most recent book and never read the others. Whether you deal with back story as a prologue or weave the earlier events into the narrative of the new book as needed depends on how the series is constructed and how vital a role the prior information plays in the succeeding plot.
Remembering details within a book is a form of back story—just not as far back. It may have taken you years to write the book, but some readers will swallow it in a single sitting and not need any reminders. Do not bore the fast readers with repetition but be patient with the slower readers. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to sit down and read for an extended period.
Repeat the bare minimum in as subtle a manner as possible.
Character Names:
A similar situation exists with character names. Does the reader remember characters who were introduced two chapters earlier? Does the mention in the current chapter need an attached explanation? Again, the answer depends on the reader. Some readers might retain all the information and be impatient with any repeated introductions. Other readers may read the book in short spurts of five or ten minutes each. I’m sure I’m not the only reader who has a quicksand pit where names land. It takes multiple introductions for a name to stick in my head. It only takes a word or two for the name to reconnect, but I work hard to keep names in my head. Unfortunately, this is true in my social life as well as my reading life.
A few suggestions:
· Try to introduce no more than one character at a time.
· As you introduce secondary characters, give them enough of a role in their first scene to put some depth into their personality.
· Try to repeat the name during the scene.
· Whenever possible avoid using more than one name with the same initial letter. Some readers rely on a mental picture of the name rather than the sound of the name.
· If the character does not appear for a chapter or more, give a word or two of explanation when he or she appears again. For example, you can mention his relationship (cousin, neighbor, classmate) or a distinctive physical trait such as red hair, infectious grin, tall, gravelly voice, or anything that was mentioned during his first appearance.
· Any time a minor character appears after an absence of more than a chapter, make some specific reference to the scene in which the person was introduced or had an active role.
· Above all, do not burden your reader with named characters that only appear once.
We hope that you find the snippets of hints and suggestions helpful as you journey through your writing career. Please feel free to contact us any time with comments, questions, or suggestions for future posts. Write to Member@writingwomen.club and we will be happy to respond.