4 Rules to Make Readers Feel They Are Watching a Movie
The world, specifically entertainment, is becoming increasingly visual. Consumers are no longer content to be passive witnesses, instead craving active participation. They want to lose themselves in a different world, an alternate existence, and assume the mantle of the protagonist. 3D goggles and virtual reality headsets are ample proof.
When the dynamics of entertainment change so must the entertainers. Gone are the times of endless exposition and tedious info dumps. Nowadays readers seek compact, evocative stories set against vivid backdrops that stimulate their imagination and engage their senses. As society increasingly favors instant gratification, the market for Forsyth-like writing steadily declines.
As a reader I find that concerning. Forsyth is one of my favorite authors, one of the last of a dying breed. But as a writer I recognize the need to cater to my audience’s desires. Luckily my natural writing style happens to be, for the lack of a better term, cinematic. I have been fortunate enough to be complimented for the same.
In this article I shall cover the four critical rules for cinematic writing. These pointers have been gleaned from a combination of feedback for my own writing and lessons learned from authors far better than I, such as Charles Cumming, Karen Cleveland, John le Carré, JK Rowling, and Tom Rob Smith.
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