Tuesday 3 March

I’ve been reflecting further on the training I undertook with the Royal Literary Fund, and more particularly about walk-ins as a technique to walk your reader into your work. The writers voice is most apparent in introductions – introduction to the thesis, introductions to chapters. It’s important to open a chapter with precision and to give the reader something to look at – showing them rather than telling them. What is in the work that will resonate with the reader? We can situate the walk in anywhere – an historical place, a building, a stage. Be frugal with ‘sensory’ words and with zoom details – one per page is sufficient.

Techniques to consider:

• Making the familiar strange and the strange familiar
• Ambush
• Seductions
• Present tense
• Inciting incident
• Restore order
• Examples that any reader can relate to
• Enjoy yourself

We can also:

• Create tension (conflict, or irresolution, for example, create tension)
• Lean on genre conventions (e.g. parable, reportage)
• Talk about people – people like to hear about people
• Mix the personal with the political
• Introduce a spoiler
• Use ‘we’ to connect with the reader
• Bridge the gap between the past and present to make it feel accessible and relevant

And of course, ensure that the walk-in links to the work.

I’ve drafted two potential walk-ins for different chapters of the PhD. I now need to send these to Anna at the Royal Literary Fund who will give me feedback. She will also give me feedback on a piece of writing that I sent ahead of attending the course. I’ve already received positive and constructive  peer-feedback on this at the course.