When I go to the library, I scan the new-book shelves for intriguing-looking titles. More often than not, I decide whether I’ll check them out by reading the first paragraph or two. If the writing is good, I’m instantly hooked.

I feel the same about blog, newspaper and magazine articles. If the content appeals to me from the start, I’ll keep going. If not, I’ll skim for anything useful. If I’m in a real hurry, I might skip them entirely. Of course, it’s all subjective – what’s good in my opinion wouldn’t necessarily appeal to someone else.

On top of their game

Some of the best writers are people I’ve worked with over the years, and they’re still producing outstanding work that makes me proud to know them. Consider an example from Dave Sibray, general manager of The West Virginia Explorer. Dave writes much more than Wikipedia-style content for his Web site. When I read the opening to his unfinished story about a lost rural town, I was awestruck. Like a caffeine addict who craves the next cup, I wanted more:

“Hundreds of communities in West Virginia might justifiably be termed ‘lost towns.’ Only the odd foundation or teetering chimney stands where their mills and mines once rumbled. Yet one is exceptional. It appears on no map. It surfaces on no common record. This is its story.”

Unfortunately, I can’t share the rest with you because one of Dave’s sources became ill. I hope he can finish it one day and that he’ll send it to me. It’s a brilliant beginning that deserves a middle and an ending.

Rachel Zallon David, another former colleague who is a reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, wrote an outstanding piece about her quest to learn how to play the piano. But it was so much more than that. She did what the best writers do – Rachael tapped into her personal experience and shared it with readers:

“When I first stepped into Fred’s parlor for piano lessons six years ago, I was looking for a challenge. As it would turn out, I got much more. I wanted to learn piano. He was a piano teacher. I was 30. He was 88. … I admitted I couldn’t read a bass clef to save my life. I did not mention my unhappiness. One friend called it a mid-career crisis. Looking back on it six years later, I think I was disenchanted. So instead, I retuned Fred’s playful smile and told him I loved music. Not just listening to it, but playing it. I’m not sure I ever told anyone that before. He said loving music was beautiful. I believed him.”

I won’t tell you how the story ends, but you can read it in full here. Grab some tissues; you’ll need them.

More winners

I’m an avid reader of sailing books since that is one of my passions in life. I’m angling for a long-distance journey that takes me far away from the Chicago skyline, but that’s another story for another day. If you scan the book shelves in the adventure and sports sections of any library or bookstore, you’ll find an abundance of titles in which the authors share their tales of navigating the high seas.

One book, however, Alvah Simon’s North to the Night, stands out from the crowd because of the incredible story and exceptional writing. He set sail for the Arctic Circle and became trapped in ice on his boat 100 miles from the nearest settlement. He emerged several months later a changed man. The first paragraph grabbed me:

“Heavy winds howl off the Inussualuk Glacier, whipping Tay Bay into a winter tantrum, trying to huff and puff and blow my house down. How long has this blizzard blown – two, three days now? What does it matter? The sun vanished months ago, leaving this wasteland cloaked in blackness and life-sucking cold. An hour, a day, a week, they all feel the same to me, huddled in this sleeping bag, sealed in my solo tomb.”

More recently, I’m entranced with Neko Case’s work. Her song lyrics about love and wanting read like oblique poetry. “This Tornado Loves You” is a good example from her newest release, Middle Cyclone:

“Carved your name across three counties/And ground it in bloody hides/Broken necks will line the ditch/Till you stop it/Stop it/Stop this madness/I want you/I have waited with a glacier’s patience/Smashed every transformer with every trailer/Till nothing was standing/Sixty-five miles wide.”

The magic formula

So what’s the secret to writing in a way that entertains, inspires, engages, educates and elevates reading to a new level? Start with a bowl of fairy dust, add a few prayers and a dash of genius, and mix in a little luck and you’ve got the makings of a success story. The real secret is (drum roll, please) that there is no magic bullet. A number of strategies, however, can help writers improve their craft. I’ll cover some of these in a future post, so stay tuned.