by Aaron Gansky @adgansky

You hear writers often mention the “fictive dream.” John Gardner called it a “vivid and continuous dream.” It’s a term used to describe a simple principle: no one wants to read a book.

There, I said it. Man, it feels good to get that off my chest.

But there’s more to this principle: readers want to experience the story. In order to do this, several things have to happen.

First, the writer must provide enough detail to inspire the imagination of the reader. Sometimes this takes a long paragraph of prose packed with sensory detail. Other times, you need only one or two of the right details to do the trick.

Secondly, and the point I want to make this week, is this: The writer must be completely invisible.

While the hand of the creator should be evident – the fingerprints of the author, as it were – the reader should never feel that the author is along for the ride. Why? It ruins the dream. It’s like going to a movie and having someone next to you saying, “Don’t worry, it’s not real.”

I think I speak for all of us when I say, “Clam up! I want it to be real!”

As a writer, your job is to create a world that is tangible, experiential, and then hide yourself among the bushes so those who walk through the world cannot see you, cannot hear you. There’s nothing worse than a hyper self-aware writer. With every turn of the page, we read things like, “But, dear reader, be hearty! The evil villain will soon meet his demise.” Use your writing superpower – invisibility.

But not every authorial intrusion is nearly as overt. Most are subtle traps we fall into – namely melodrama and over-writing. This is why subtlety is so important; it removes the writer from the forefront of the reader’s mind.

Here are three things to remember when trying to remain invisible:

1. Be subtle.
2. Be specific.
3. Be succinct.

Review your writing. Where do you see yourself over-writing? Where do you see yourself leaping in the air, waving your hands and screaming, “Hey you! Dear reader! I wrote those! Aren’t I brilliant?!” Find these places, and surgically remove them.

When you read a book, what elements of the writing wake you from a dream and remind you that you’re reading a book? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

In addition to being a loving father and husband, Aaron Gansky is an award-winning novelist and author, teacher, and podcast host. In 2009, he earned his M.F.A in Fiction at the prestigious Antioch University of Los Angeles, one of the top five low-residency writing schools in the nation. Prior to that, he attained his Bachelor of Arts degree in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from California State University of San Bernardino.

He lives in quiet little town in the high desert of southern California with his family.