A while back at a newspaper’s web site I spotted this
headline for a story from the Associated Press: “Naked Couple Grapple Over Dog
Near Shower.”
I was researching something else, but I had to stop and check out the naked couple story. What did the dog have to do with it? And, for that matter, the shower?
Well, it turns out they were taking a shower together and the guy wanted his dog in the bathroom with them. Don’t ask me why, they didn’t go into that part in the article. Anyway, his girlfriend didn’t want the dog there, and they got into an argument that turned physical. The girlfriend was arrested for investigation of second-degree assault (she threw a picture frame that broke and cut him).
Another headline from the same site: “Men Shoot Themselves in Tattoo Attempt.” It worked again: I felt compelled to find out how you could possibly shoot yourself while trying to give yourself a tattoo.
The reason I’m telling you all this? I believe that this headline illustrates a hugely powerful tool that writers can use: namely, the power of curiosity. We human beings are wired for it. Even when we know that we should be doing something else, when something arouses our curiosity, we just have to find out what’s going on.
USING CURIOSITY TO SELL YOUR BOOK
How can you harness the power of curiosity for your writing? Let’s take the example of a book. Most people have a set routine when browsing at a book store: look at the title, look at the front cover, look at the back cover, then look at the table of contents if it’s a non-fiction book, or the first page if it’s a novel. Each of these gives writers the chance to heighten curiosity.
CURIOSITY-AROUSING TITLES
More and more, authors are giving their books intriguing titles. A recent example: “The Secret.” Who doesn’t want to know a secret, much less THE Secret? Or how about “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?” What the heck are hallows, especially deathly ones? Or the marketing book, “Made to Stick”—that one hooks you long enough to read the sub-title, “Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die,” which explains what the book is about while at the same time arousing further curiosity.
THE POWERFUL BACK COVER
The back cover usually features some testimonials that reinforce the idea that you’ll find something useful inside. The best ones also raise our curiosity level more. Compare these two testimonials:
“Joe Bloggs has written the best book on getting organized that I’ve ever read. It’s helped me a lot. – Martin Smith”
“Joe Bloggs reveals the three secrets that finally allowed me to get organized. – Martin Smith”
The first just makes me wonder whether Joe and Martin are old pals. The second makes me wonder what these three secrets could be.
In the next post: a look at how curiosity can add power to your table of contents.
(You can get lots more useful advice on writing in my book, Your Writing Coach, published by Nicholas Brealey--it takes you from the idea alll the way through publication. You can find it now on Amazon and other online outlets as well as in discerning bookshops.)
