Easing the reader into your story
As I’ve been studying the work of the great Donald Crews, I’ve noticed his ability to ease you into his story using book design. He uses every element across the cover, end papers, title page, and copyright to create an atmosphere.
For example, he uses the copyright and title page in FREIGHT TRAIN to build anticipation.
Though we can’t see a train, we definitely feel its presence.
And in Big Mama’s, he immediately places us within the perspective of his characters as his end papers look like blurry foliage that you could see from a train window. Little by little, Big Mama’s house comes into view.
We start out in blurry foliage like we are in motion looking out of a train.
Then the foliage becomes clear as though we are slowing down.
Until we finally arrive at Big Mama’s!
I definitely want to make sure I’m thoughtfully using every element of my book to craft an atmosphere, build anticipation, and invite readers into my stories.