Coming soon: The Seven Levels of Attention

Several months ago, I wrote a series of blog articles called ‘The Seven Levels of Attention’. It began as a reflection on what happens in the marketplace when an author (or anyone else for that matter) steps out and tries to attract people to whatever it is that they are offering. It was a ‘no-holds-barred’ sort of thing, an analysis of what actually happens as opposed to what we would all like to happen or have been convinced by others might happen.

It examined the world of the marketplace, how it can be a vast desert of ‘zero attention’, how visitors ‘glance’ at things of interest, how it’s possible to ‘corral’ some of that attention and take it further, and what’s actually happening when we read a piece of fiction.

As it progressed, the series went deeper and deeper into what we call ‘attention’ and explored the kinds of things that drive it, guide it and motivate it. This was especially important material for writers of fiction, whose prime commodity, if you think about it, is attention.

I’ve now revised those articles and developed some of the ideas further. The whole thing has been packaged into a full-colour, fully illustrated 94-page e-book which includes diagrams, lots of examples from literature, and some practical exercises. It will be available soon as a direct purchase from the Clarendon House website.

Anyone who is serious about writing and then marketing a piece of writing — especially if, like me, you wonder WHY things work the way they do — should look out for this book.

Stand by for further announcements here, and through the Inner Circle Writers' Group.