The art of magnetic writing

How to captivate your readers from the first line

Welcome home, fellow writer. Yes, home.

This is the place where you get to sink into your creative self—that part of you that longs to write words so magnetic they pull readers in and don’t let go until the very last period.

I’m going to share something magical with you that I want you to chew on as you read: You are already a master storyteller. Yes, you.

You tell stories all day long, every day. The challenge isn’t learning to tell stories—it’s learning to capture them on the page in a way that captivates readers from the very first line.

The power of a magnetic first line

“Call me Ishmael.”

This simple three-word sentence from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick has captivated readers for generations. Why? Because great first lines create reader buy-in. They’re hooks that snag a reader’s split attention and refuse to let go.

How often have you flipped to the first page of a book and started reading? Those first lines either capture your attention or have your interest fizzing out like a gone-flat soda.

Take this opener from Albert Camus’ The Stranger:

“Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I can’t be sure.”

Oh, wow. My mind immediately wanders—is this someone with mummy issues? Is this person a bit off? Do they even care that their mother is dead? It’s too soon to answer any of these questions, but aren’t you curious?

Or consider this classic from George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four:

“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”

This line still gives me chills. What questions does it stir in you? What emotions? Do you find yourself wanting to understand why or where a clock would strike thirteen? If yes, Orwell succeeds in hooking you.

Showing, not telling: The heart of magnetic writing

Most how-to-write books lay out storytelling in a systematic, structured way. A series of linear steps that may look something like:

• Choose a captivating idea
• Develop strong characters
• Build a detailed setting
• Craft an engaging plot

But I’m not that kind of teacher. I write and teach from a space, a place of feeling.

One of the most important skills in magnetic writing is showing, not telling. Consider these two approaches:

Telling: The coffee was hot.

Showing: Steam seeped out of the nearly full ceramic mug as she added a splash of heavy cream. Done with sugar, she stared as the white bled into the dark roast, forming a mocha-coloured swirl. It was like witnessing a pending storm brewing in a humid, early morning sky.

Using 49 words, we’ve now got a mug of coffee that’s hot enough to steam, a character who’s “done with sugar” and perhaps in a mood as she watches her cream mix with her brew and likens it to a pending storm.

Cool, right?

But is all that needed? Maybe. Maybe not.

The key when you start writing is simply to write with abandon. To show what’s happening more than you tell what is happening. Learning to show more than tell is an amazing skill that will grow as you write daily.

The rhythm of a magnetic sentence

Like a poem, a well-crafted sentence takes readers on a tiny journey, describing one thought, one feeling, one evocative scene.

You’ll appreciate great writing more when you read it aloud, savouring its rhythm. A beautifully constructed sentence has energy, propelling readers from the start towards the end. As a reader, you feel a sense of anticipation, wanting to know what comes next.

For online readers who are often in a hurry and easily distracted, choose where to place longer, more complex sentences carefully. Especially at the start of a blog post, newsletter, or social media post, keep your sentences short.

Once you’ve captivated readers, you can experiment with a longer sentence here or there:

• Always read your work aloud to check the rhythm. Does it sound natural? If you’re running out of breath or stumbling over your words, try to rewrite.
• Check how your sentence looks online. Large blocks of text can put readers off, so don’t overdo it.

Finding your voice: The true secret to magnetic writing

The secret to magnetic writing is finding and trusting your authentic voice. This is not about accepting labels or trying to sound like someone else.

I am not just a writer. What I am is a creative. A writer of words. The form they take does not matter.

I see myself as the conduit through which words come, and that is a delicious thing because there are no restrictions; no “should be this way or that way—only.”

When you know your authentic voice and trust it, you can write with confidence, knowing that somewhere, someone is waiting to hear from you. Just as someone right now is reading this post, feeling like I know them intimately because of the words I write and the way I craft them.

Perhaps that someone is you.

Beginning your magnetic writing journey

So where do you begin? How do you start crafting writing that captivates from the first line to the last?

1. Write daily. Commit to writing a specific word count five days a week. This builds the writing muscle and creates self-trust.
2. Read voraciously. Notice what captures your attention in others’ writing. What makes you want to keep reading?
3. Listen to real conversations. One of the best ways to capture authentic dialogue and character traits is to observe people in their natural environment.
4. Show, don’t tell. Practice describing scenes, emotions, and actions in a way that allows readers to experience them rather than simply being told about them.
5. Read your work aloud. This helps you hear the rhythm and flow of your writing, making it easier to identify awkward phrasing or places where readers might stumble.

Remember, if you feel called to tell captivating tales that draw readers in and inspire them to keep turning pages, you can. You don’t dream that which you cannot make reality.

Start today. Start today crafting characters that people love or love to hate. Start today writing that scene that’s been calling you.

It’s not about getting it perfectly right—it’s about getting it out of you and onto paper, your way, now.

You are never too young or too old to begin. All you must do is begin.

Write, writer, write.