Reader PsychologyIntermediate
Mystery and Curiosity
Open questions in the reader's mind are story fuel.
Principle
A reader holds a story in their hands as long as a question is unanswered.
Takeaways
- Plant questions early and visibly.
- Answer some quickly to teach the reader the questions matter.
- An unanswered question that the reader has stopped tracking is wasted.
Overview
Curiosity — a felt gap between what the reader knows and wants to know — is one of the most reliable engines of engagement. Strong narratives layer questions of different sizes, each with their own answer-cadence.
Examples
- A small question per chapter, a medium question per arc, a large question per book.
- A first paragraph that produces a question the rest of the book answers.
- A reveal that creates a larger question than it answers.