Part 1
Surprise refocuses attention. When reading, our brains try predicting what comes next.
When those predictions prove right, a text feels rather boring. However, when the predictions turn out wrong, learners are jolted awake and stay more engaged. Also, as learners, we like surprises. It appears that when people were asked to read stories that were cut off before the end, they said they would prefer an unexpected ending.
Research at the University of California showed that we predict what words are to come before reading them. Even a surprising word combination or an unexpected metaphor can grab learner’s interest and keep them engaged.
This week and next week I will explain 4 ways to use surprise in your writing for learning to keep your learners captivated:
- Break through habitual word patterns
As writers of learning, we tend to follow well-worn word patterns. Fresh bread smells delicious, old bread is stale. Hikers roam, shoppers stroll.
How can we break through such patterns? Change the scene. Borrow a word from a completely different area.
For instance, the following sentence is rather vanilla:
The book was so boring, I couldn’t get through.
To inject some surprise, change the scene. For instance, if you’d rather discuss food than a book, which words would you use? The bread was stale. The steak was chewy. The vegetables were bland.
This book was so chewy, I choked.
Here’s another example of a predictable sentence:
This modlette was so good, I completed it all in 30 minutes.
If you talk about food rather than a modlette, which words would you use? The cake was scrumptious. It was lip-smacking good. I devoured it. I gobbled it up.
So, you could change the sentence about the modlette to:
This modlette was so scrumptious, I gobbled it up, and craved more.
To break through habitual word patterns, don’t take editing too seriously. Instead, nurture a sense of play. See what happens if you pick up a different word.
I like borrowing words from cooking but you could try other areas, too, such as sports, theatre, travelling, or anything else you know a lot about.
Next week in Part 2 I’ll introduce:
2. Make up words
3. Create an unexpected analogy
4. Set up a pattern, then break it
Read these on your screens next week.