Kia ora,
How are you today? I’m feeling sloth-like, after walking a lot with my dog yesterday! For me there is nothing more inviting than a warm, sunny winter’s day.
To those who are new here, welcome. Perhaps you came in via a talk I gave to some people in Epsom library yesterday. Or perhaps you found your way here in some other mysterious way. Thanks for welcoming me into your world today.
So let’s talk about context.
Ever since I was a journalist, part of my mission as a writer has been to take care of my readers so they can relax and enjoy the story. Another reason to do that was to make sure they continued reading my stories!
When readers feel confused, or lost, they’re likely to stop reading.
Here are some tips you can choose from, to take care of your future readers, as you write:
- Tell them when your story is happening – what year is it? What season is it?
- You might show them what season it is, by referring to the warmth of the fire, or the long swims you took.
- Mention what was happening out there in the world, for example which political party and leader were governing? Did anything significant happen in your community or your country at that time?
- Maybe you want to explain who in your family was alive in those days, and where they were living.
- Always explain who people are when you first mention them, listing their first and last names and saying who they were or are to you.
- You might say why you came to be living in a certain place, maybe it was to be closer to your parents or work.
- And finally you could mention your age and what you were doing at that stage of your life.
It all comes back to making sure your readers know what’s going on as they read. You do the heavy lifting for them, so they can relax and enjoy your story.
Keep writing, dear one.
Charlotte
PS if you’d like to dive more deeply into how to write your story check out my course Write Your Memoir. Now’s a good time to join because I’m hosting a monthly online meeting for students next Wednesday, to check in on people’s progress and talk about ‘bringing people to life in our stories.’
PPS if you’d like a hand with editing or proofreading, my team can now offer that service. Reach out to me for a chat about it if you’re interested: charlottesquirecoms@gmail.com
Charlotte Squire 