Creating "Memory Photo Shots" in Your Writing

Ever read a book and it's not your favorite book, but a certain description of something, or a character stayed with you? It stuck into your cerebral cortex, in the frontal lobe  of your brain and never really quite faded away? The book might not have been your favorite, it might even had been the worst book you've ever read, but you came away remembering something, right? Well, the goal is to get your readers to both love your story, but come away with a "memory moment" -- something they won't forget easily. In a good way, of course...

Three Ways to Create "Memory Photo Shots"

1. Don't bore your readers! This is a given. I run into the problem where either there is way too much description or not enough, and there is a balance. The sunset MIGHT just be worth the poetical ambiance if it fits that moment. That description might just be what your reader remembers. It might "snap a picture" into the readers minds'. That is something to try and work towards: creating the mental picture. But when you got so much going on such as the sunset, the clouds that are colored orange and red, and the fog at the bottom of the mountain with a bird flying low to the ground, not all of that has to be described in detail. The short and specific is that 'in-the-moment-quick-snap-that-shot'.
2. Besides creating a mental picture, your next goal would be creating memorable characters. There description is just as important as their personality, but what people remember most is the personality. You might be able to describe your character perfectly and with elegance, but if that character has no personality, then the readers won't come away with that "wow, I really like that character". Zeke's sass will be more likely to be the "memory" the reader comes away with, not his blue eyes. But then adding the sparkle to his blue eyes while he is being sassy will create a better mental picture, and will be the "photo". 
3. Create an emotional connection. Besides an actual mental picture, you can create emotional impressions on your reader. When I read The Fault in Our Stars, I expected a normal slice-of-life novel, a sob story about a girl who has cancer... All that normal stuff. But what I found was that John Green didn't play off the sob story about a girl who has cancer, he created an emotional connection by allowing the characters to find joy and hope in spite of the pain. Then he suddenly ripped that away with a heart crushing incident. That kind of story leaves an emotional impression -- like a tattoo -- on the readers. Perhaps someone will remember the description of the house, but not many will. The memory the readers come away with is the feelings that John Green provokes. The emotional part is imprinted.

Picture of a Picture

As writers, our job is to put the picture into words. We see the picture in our minds and we do our best to describe that picture to the readers so that they, too, will see the picture. It's like taking a picture of a picture. Maybe not all the details will be conveyed; not all the little things will we be able to have the reader see. A corner or two might be cut off, a bird missing from the shot. It's our job to try and let the reader see as much as possible. But ultimately, they create the picture they want to see, and that is what they will remember: what they themselves have felt and seen. 

We put so much of ourselves into character development, into world-building and into the plot. We don't have to paint it all out for the readers, though. Just a hint. A frown can say a thousand words that should never be written, but instead interpreted inside the readers head. Readers also enjoy being able to create the mental pictures. All we have to do is nudge it, to influence it. We have to plant the little seed that will create the picture of our picture inside their brains. 

So now it's your turn. What do you think? What are some ways you try paint the mental pictures that might later become a memory for your readers? I'd love to hear from you! Comment and share. 

Photo: Hannah Ruth at Vintage Rose Photography