Using Anecdotes - Remember, People Like to Read About People
Thursday, January 25th, 2007Okay, I admit it: I’m a keen people-watcher. (Most writers are: we know people love to read about people - not things; not statistics; but people!)
We collect anecdotes and snippets of other lives. If you do the same, you’ll find your readers avidly waiting for your next article.
I love to sit in a sidewalk cafe or at a table in a shopping-mall restaurant, and watch the crowd go by. I’m fascinated by snatches of conversation at the next table or between people who meander past. (I do draw the line at edging my chair closer so I can hear better!) I like watching mini-dramas being played out between warring couples… or friends who are meeting after a long period apart.
When I watch the evening news, what grabs me is how things affect the people in the stories. Who will ever forget the expressions on the faces of the people in the streets of New York on September 11, 2001? We shared their emotions as they watched fireballs engulf buildings, saw desperate people leap from the eightieth floor, or waited for news of loved ones working in the Twin Towers.
But stories don’t have to be dramatic. They just have to strike a chord.
I’ve found my eyes filling at a story of how an old couple have been cheated out of their life savings and are forced to sell the family home.
I’ve laughed at tongue-in-cheek stories about incompetent bank robbers who write ‘Fill this bag with money!’ on the back of an envelope that they shove across the counter with a sack… overlooking the fact that the envelope has their name and home address on the other side.
I’ve rejoiced when a lost child is found and have been saddened by the sight of refugees trudging into the distance in search of safety.
No matter what your message is, show how it affects people and you’ll have a much better chance of the reader staying with you. It’s no accident that weight watching magazines feature two or more weight-loss success stories in every issue. It’s no accident that the most successful car sales ads feature people having fun (or being envied, or being adventurous). We are all interested in other people. (more…)