When we were kids, my friends and I made up a game we called “Made You Look.” Three or four of us would get fairly close together – in a shopping plaza, on the street, or anywhere there were lots of people – and look up as if we saw something incredible.

It would never fail. Passers-by would glance up to see what we were looking at. Some would stop and stand there for half a minute trying to discern the object of our attention. And the more of us doing it, the more people would look. One time in New York City, we did this with a dozen cohorts and virtually stopped traffic on Broadway.

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A few weeks ago, I wrote about some ways you can keep your reader’s attention. But I didn’t mention one of the most important techniques–one that requires no particular writing ability, no creativity to think of a great hook, and no hours of research to find the most compelling facts to tell your story.

This easy technique is infinitely versatile. I use it in nearly every piece I write. But it’s so deceptively simple, you might not be taking full advantage of it.

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