When it comes to captivating an audience, few do it like Shonda Rhimes. Venelize de Lange from media update explains how her stories manage to hook millions, and how you can do it too.
From Grey's Anatomy to Bridgerton, Shonda Rhimes has proven that she is the master of narrative craft. Whether she is writing a medical drama or crafting the next diamond of the season, Rhimes knows how to deliver a hit show every time — and keep her audience coming back for more.
But what can journalists learn from Rhimes when it comes to keeping your audience engaged and hooking them from the get-go?
Here are a few tips:
Plan, Plan, Plan
As with anything, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Rhimes says that she always knows what the ending scene will be before she puts pen to paper.
The take-away? Always have an end goal in sight. Know where you want to lead your audience and make sure every paragraph builds toward that goal.
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Don't Fall Victim to a Cliche
Rhimes warns that cliches are a "shorthand for laziness". They dilute your voice and distance your audience, showing that there's nothing new and nothing you, in your writing.
To combat monotonous writing, use precise and vivid language that reveals your subject's world and stop relying on default ideas. Instead, focus on finding your voice.
If thousands of journalists are writing about the latest AI development, what makes your article different? Find your hook and stick with it rather than merely following the crowd.
Tap Into Emotion
Whether you are watching How to Get Away with Murder or The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (yes, she wrote that too!) Rhimes always makes sure you are in your feels.
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Her stories are grounded in emotion and she attains this by focusing on what she wants her audience to feel at the end of them. The key, however, is that she doesn't tell her audience what to feel, but shows them.
If you want to do the same, never force a story into something it is not and stay away from telling people what they are reading. What you can do is let them tell you what your piece meant to them.
People also respond to emotions first and facts second, which Rhimes knows better than anyone — it's exactly what hooks her audience in the first place. The best writing has a purpose and gives readers a reason to return. If your story feels emotionally honest, your readers will keep coming back for more.
Write Like It's a Conversation
Rhimes makes it clear that writing should sound like people talking. This makes your piece feel real, which in turn makes your audience more likely to connect. The goal is to not only inform your audience, but also keep them engaged.
Try listening to the conversations happening around you. What are people interested in and how are they talking to one another? The information you are sharing should be as easily accessible to your audience as possible, because you want them to understand your writing and actually enjoy it.
Stay True to Character
While you never know what is going to happen next in Rhimes's shows, she rarely ever goes off character. Audiences might not know what happens next in Grey's Anatomy, but they do know Meredith, they know Derick, they know Christina and they know Bailey.
In this way, Rhimes holds the audience's trust while keeping them on the edge of their seats. They might not always know what to expect, but they know who.
As a journalist, you also set expectations and build a relationship with your audience. Think of your writing as a person that is visiting an old friend. They know who to expect even if they don't know what new stories will be shared.
You make a promise when you write, a promise that this — your writing — is what your audience can expect. So, don't break it by veering off course. Stay on track and true to character.
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Keep It Real
There is no one recipe for the perfect story. While there is a lot we can learn from Rhimes, the most important thing she teaches us is to lead with originality. The fact remains that the stories that stay with people are the ones that are real, raw and vulnerable.
Grey's Anatomy was the first series Rhimes wrote with little to no prior experience in Hollywood. She admits that while writing her first show, she didn't really understand the rules of the industry, but she wrote what felt right and true to the story that needed to be told.
For Rhimes, the most important thing to remember when writing a story — whether it's a novel or a news article — is that it doesn't have to be perfect, but it needs to feel right.
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