How to Command Attention on Paper

Why will you pick up one piece of writing and read it eagerly from one end to the other yet won't even start another piece -- or if you do, you lay it down almost immediately?

The reason is that some writing commands attention and forces you to read on while others are written in such a way that you simply do not want to bother,

The problem is that we are bombarded by so much written material that we literally build a barrier.  Then unless there is some compelling reason to read on we say Ho Hum, toss it into our mental waste your basket, and stop reading.  As a result passages that do not command attention immediately have very little chance of being read and retained.

Fortunately there are several ways to break this barrier and take your reader along with you.

Grabbing your reader with a ho-hum crasher

A ho-hum crasher is simply a few words that create attention.  You grab the reader's attention by saying something briefly that attracts attention, then go immediately into the body of the writing. For instance, you receive a letter that starts like this “In a previous letter to you we stressed the importance of properly conducting your account and ask your cooperation in refraining from drawing checks against insufficient funds."

Your reader probably won't read pass the fifth word before he tosses this into his mental waste basket.  But what if you use a ho-hum crasher like this.  Do you know what happened to your checking account this time?  Now you got your reader.  He or she is eager to read on to find out what you mean that.  A ho-hum crasher must be kept brief and utilize a hook. Here are four types you will find useful.

The Question Method

Simply ask a short question that you can tie back into your material.  If you are writing something on car care for instance, you might use one of these: Is extra gas mileage important to you?  How would you like a driving bonus?  Do you have dollars to throw away on your car?  Will your car be a wreck in two years?  All questions must apply directly to the subject you're writing about, but be phrased to make your reader read.

The Striking Statement

The striking statement: ho-hum crasher is simply a short abrupt statement that says something that the reader isn't quite expecting.  It can be startling or just a bit different.   "Before you finish reading this page over a hundred people will have died,"  “ Most drivers feel lucky to get 15 to 20 miles to a gallon of gas, but it's actually possible to get 70, 80, 90 miles to a gallon and more." "Everybody thinks kids don't like homework but that just isn't true."  See how easy it is to pick something striking then immediately to tie it back to what you want to talk about.

Talk Directly to Your Reader

A good ho-hum crasher can consist of a single simple short statement that talks directly to your reader using the word "you."  You can say "Here is something I think you'll like."  "I'd like you to look this over for me."  "Give me your opinion."  This approach, while not as dramatic as the first two, commands your reader to read on

Offer a Promise

This crasher utilizes a short abrupt sentence offering the reader something he can only find by reading further.  "This article will give you six secrets for a longer life."  "Want to wake up feeling refreshed?"  "This memo will make you money."  Simply think up something the reader needs, then promise it to him in the lead.  If that's what he wants nothing can keep him from reading on.

The Gee-Whiz Approach

This technique captures your reader by saying to him, look how great this is.  You'll find this type of ho-hum crasher used in a lot of magazine articles.  It goes something like this: "There are few students who could make straight A's even three years in a row, but George Hamilton of Dell oral high school, Loomis, California,  has now done this for seven straight years”.  Let's try another.  "It is not unusual for a church congregation to spend many dollars building a new church but the Reverend Abernathy of the Peace Congregation, Orange, California, has invested 10 million dollars building a church strictly for a congregation of dogs."