The Power of First Impressions

Some people will talk about their favorite book and how they've read it dozens of times. They say that every time they read it, they find something they never noticed before. That's all well and good for those readers, but what about all the other people? What about the people who only read something once?

Those one-time readers are important to consider. They are the majority of total readers and are not afraid to talk about something, even if they've only read it once. Writing things that are layered, have multiple meanings, and require multiple readings are wonderful and should not be ignored, but if you want to take on such an endeavor, don't forget to make it appealing on its first impression.

As much as I want to make people think with my writing, it needs to entertain first. And since you only make one first impression, you should strive to make it the best you can. This raises the question of how you test first impressions.

You can't do it yourself. You're too close to your own work to know what it is like to see it for the first time. So go to somebody else. Give it to a fresh pair of eyes. See if they react the way you want them to. If they do, then stay the course. If not, then figure out what you need to change.

Remember, though, that working with an editor has the same problem that you yourself will have: your editor will become familiar with the piece. Don't let that deter you, though. A good editor will strengthen your writing despite being familiar with it. And when you and your editor have done all you can with your piece, go and find another new set of eyes to read it. Hopefully you won't need to repeat the whole process again, but if need be, then go for it.

It is definitely useful to have a reserve of eyes to read your work. Like I said, you only make one first impression. If you run out of people to get first impressions from, you'll just have to wing it and hope for the best.