What do readers really want when they turn to a book?
Is it entertainment? Escape? Catharsis?
Or is there a deep rooted evolutionary need?
In this episode, you’ll learn 4 reasons readers keep reading.
Once you learn the unconscious drivers pulling your reader further into a story, and what a reader’s actually responding to on the page, you can use that intel to craft your novel, short story, or memoir.
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Episode at a glance:
[01:15] The Evolutionary Pull Towards Story
Learn why story is hardwired into our instinct for survival. Once you know why readers turn to story, and what keeps them hooked, once you know the underlying hold stories have on us, you can use that power in your story.
[03:40] Reason 1: Make Sense of an Overwhelming World
We’re bombarded with 11 million bits of sense information per second. But our conscious mind can only process about 40 million of those bits. In order to survive, our brains filter out all the unnecessary information so we can focus on what matters.
[06:30] Reason 2: Catharsis
Readers want to feel something. Something they don’t always feel permission to feel in their real life. Learn how to use your emotions to reach theirs.
[10: 04] Reason 3: Guidance
As the ultimate virtual reality, learn how stories allow us to vicariously live out challenging situations we haven’t yet experienced.
[12: 28] Reason 4: Companionship
Your readers want to know they’re not alone. They want assurance that whatever happens, they’re going to be okay.
Link mentioned in this episode:
Episode 36: Three Storytelling Techniques To Steal From Superbowl Ads