Lost

Have you ever been lost before? I have; it’s not fun.

It’s disconcerting, confusing, and causes anxiety.

It’s also hard work—working out where you are, what’s going on, and how you’re going to find your way again.

Confusion

There’s a particular kind of cognitive inertia that descends when I’m reading a novel and the writer hasn’t done enough work to orientate me in where and when of a chapter or scene. I’m lost, disorientated. It’s confusing and frustrating. I often have to re-read a paragraph or flick back a page to work out what the writer’s intent was.

This is a cardinal sin and squanders any good will the writer has built up, as well as, you know, narrative momentum, the suspension of disbelief, etc.

I often blame myself for not having read the prose close enough, or not being smart enough to intuit the writer’s meaning. I assumed, for years, that I was at fault. As readers, we trust the infallibility of a published work. Of course we do.

Specifics

So how do we, as writers, avoid confusing our readers? How do we ensure that they don’t get lost? After all, we don’t want to lose them! Frustrate a reader enough times (for me, it’s usually twice) and they’re liable to throw your story across the room and go on Instagram instead.

Well, first, we must be hyper-aware of the problem. We must keep it in mind at all times when we’re writing. Do not confuse the reader! Do not confuse the reader. Being vague and mysterious is often mistaken for building suspense, drawing the reader in. Do not make this mistake. There’s no virtue—no virtue at all—in being vague.

If I were tattoo one piece of writing advice across my forehead it would read BE MORE SPECIFIC. I may do this. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve given this note then I’d have a larger market cap than Apple and the ability to outbid Elon Musk in eBay auctions.

Efficiency

A mistake that some early writers can sometimes make is to begin a story or chapter in a vague way and slowly (so slowly) move toward the specific.

DO NOT DO THIS.

As well as being confusing and frustrating for the reader, it’s also very inefficient. And inefficiency is a crime against your reader—your reader who has decided to give up doing something else (spending time with their spouse, their kids; Instagram) to read your work. Respect their time. Respect their attention. Because as we hurtle head-long into the black abyss that is the near-future, a person’s attention is their most valuable commodity. And everyone wants a piece of it.

So write these three words on a piece of card and stick the card above your desk:

CLARITY. PRECISION. EFFICIENCY.

Readers are like puppies. Love your readers, treat them with respect, and I promise that if you do, your readers will respect you and love you back.