Picture the scene: you start reading a story, and a few paragraphs in, BAM!! Out of nowhere, a crucial climax that nobody saw coming. Everything else after pales in comparison. By the end of the story, you keep thinking why you even bothered reading. Talk about going off too early, amirite ladies?

What if I told you that you can please your readers and make them keep wanting for more? After all, it's a two-way relationship, and you don't want to be the only one to achieve completion, don't you? I mean, would you even really finish if nobody else bothers to finish your story? Look, I'm not an expert, and I certainly won't ever claim to be. Just a fellow storyteller here to remind you that a slow build-up would go a long way. I'm just writing some of the points I've picked up along the way, and passing it along to help others out. This is in no way something which I would ever claim to be correct or optimal.

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Stick with me, kid, and I'll help you get over your performance issues. Who knows, we might learn a thing or two about a thing or two from each other. How neat would that be? If you're up for it, dim the lights and put on some slow jazz. Oh, and before I forget, welcome to another edition of NaNotes!

Do some stretches / Warm up

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First and foremost, stretch. I cannot emphasize that enough. Once you're in the middle of the story and you end up pulling something or you peak too early, you won't have enough gas to keep things consistent all the way through. I know that this is more advice about writing than completing NaNoWriMo but yeah.. I've already taught you how to kill the Buddha before. I don't want to milk the rewards pool by repeating myself. I don't want to milk the rewards pool by repeating myself.

Write in short bursts until you find your rhythm. Once you get your groove, don't stop. You'll find that it's quite hard to get it back up once you lose your momentum. Just keep pounding on it until you finish. But, in case you're not able to sustain it, don't feel bad. It happens to the best of us. Regroup and stretch even harder.

What I do when I lose focus is I switch to other stories to keep things fresh. While it's not what I suggest for others, I find it great in terms of dealing with stories going stale. When I come back to a previous story, it feels brand new and there's some renewed vigor when dealing with it. The downside is that it takes time to gain momentum once again. But, I'm a patient guy.

Set the mood

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I don't have to tell you this twice, do I? Well, I don't have to, but I guess a part of me wants to, y'know? There are just some things that you have to drill in. When I was listing ways how to kill the Buddha, I told you to set up a relaxed environment. Just to add to that, you can put on some music or light some candles. Some even go as far as getting a third person to join in. So that's you, the reader and, I don't know, an editor, to carry some of the proofreading burden so you don't have to. What? Did you think I was talking about something else, you pervert?

Personally, I enjoy roleplaying. I mean, I physically act the scenes out. Helps to capture some of the emotion. Let's say a lot of tissues are involved, especially when it comes to tearjerking scenes. Well, not just for tears, if you know what I mean ;)

In terms of the story, set the scene and do some worldbuilding or make the reader feel the motivation of the story to get them fired up to read along. What are the stakes? What is the story leading up to? You can easily pepper it in at the initial chapters to make the reader feel like it's something he/she could sink their teeth in it.

Go easy

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It's a hard nut to crack, but you have to find a balance regarding how quickly and how thick you lay the build up on the reader. Unloading too much information too early could be too boring or too exhausting. You know your story and all of the miscellaneous backstory involved, but your reader doesn't need to be forced to digest it in the early chapters. Look, I'm not a master when it comes to this, but as a reader, I prefer a slow buildup. It makes me appreciate the pay off even greater.

Some enjoy a faster pace, and that's all well and good. Others enjoy being presented with the entire backstory at the very beginning, and that's alright as well. But, nobody wants to know the ending just when everything is just getting started. The build up is key, and you're going to be losing a lot of readers if you lay it on thick at the very beginning. We don't want to make a mess of things now, do we?

Switch it up

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This is case to case basis, but if you're working with a lot of moving parts, then make sure to give every character equal attention. Now, the length of the attention is yet another topic. What's right for you may not be right for others. This is something that I get into with @dreemit with her Renewal story. While we may not agree on the time devoted to some of the characters, we do agree 100% in helping each other out to improve each other. But yeah, it's up to you how much of the feedback you'll take. I totally get that listening to a lot of opinions could have a negative impact in terms of consistency. So, it really depends on how you'll handle it.

Taking too long with supporting characters will run the risk of readers feeling too detached from the main story. But, if you don't give the supporting cast ample screen time, you'll be chastised for not fleshing out other characters. However, focusing too much on the main story has the potential of being too exhausting of a read. Really though, there's no winning in this. The best you could do is work with the parts you have and try your best to give every character their due.

Communicate with the reader

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As previously mentioned, if you have access to beta readers while you're developing the story, then take advantage of it. Getting reader feedback as you go along is a double-edged sword, and that means that there are positives that come with the negatives I outlined in the previous point. You're not going to win them all, but you have the power to adjust the story to fit with whatever you prioritize. Whether you want maximum reader satisfaction or you want your vision to be followed to a tee, there's no harm in listening.

Leave them wanting

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Like I said before, keep your cards close to your chest. The readers want to know what they're playing for, but they don't want everything to be laid out from the very beginning. Reveal it in spurts, and keep them hooked. You're building up to a climax (or multiple climaxes), so don't rush it. Once you cross the threshold, you'll have to try and clean thing up, so don't hurry it. Enjoy the process, and make the reader feel like everything is there for a reason. Write scenes that make the reader hold their breath and grip tightly. They don't all have to be cliffhangers at the end of the chapter, but just keep revealing some then leave them asking for more. You'll know when you're ready to let go, but did you help the reader accumulate enough excitement? If not, rinse and repeat. But, if it's a yes, there are no questions surrounding it.

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Yes. Yes. Yesssss...

Ahhhh... Did that leave you wanting more or did I shoot my load too early? Have some extra points for me? I'm happy to hear it! I'm all ears :D

I completely spaced last time and forgot to put up my update. For transparency, here's where I'm at currently. Looks like someone needs to put in more work (aka the title of my leaked sex tape).

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STEEM slumping? Vote @lukestokes.mhth as a Top 20 witness to help it grow! :D

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