When I was ten or eleven, my mom asked me to deliver a message to my sister. Mom and I were in a hair salon where she was getting her hair done, and my sister was across the street taking a guitar lesson.

To this day none of us is sure what happened on my way across the street, but I ended up getting very, very lost. I wandered up a busy road and started crying. After what seemed like hours a kind man in an old beater pickup stopped and asked me what was wrong. This is where the story could have gone horribly tragic because he convinced me to get into his truck, but fortunately he was a good guy. He somehow figured out where I belonged and got me there.

Imagine my mom’s relief when I stepped out of that truck.

I tell this story to point out what it’s like for a reader who gets lost in a book. I’m not talking about the sort of “getting lost” we all welcome–when time stops and reading is sheer joy. I’m talking about the kind of lost that happens when a reader is in the middle of a chapter and suddenly thinks, “Wait. Where am I? Where is this going? What point is the author trying to make again? I can’t see the forest for the trees here.”

That’s the kind of lost we never want our readers to endure. Writing is all about providing the reader with a great experience, as I wrote in a previous post. Crucial to this endeavor is helping readers see the big picture. And, of course, helping readers see the big picture helps the writer do the same.

So how we do this? Glad you asked.

1. The introduction is a great place to explain what your purpose is and how you’re going to accomplish it. You can explain what each section of the book is going to do or describe the overall sweep of the content. This section need not be long; in fact, readers won’t tolerate more than a couple paragraphs. But a quick flyover is often a good idea.
2. Consider grouping your chapters into parts; then label them as such in the table of contents and with part dividers within the book. You may even want to write some introductory text for each part within the body of the book; if you do, again, keep this text brief!
3. Look at your table of contents. Does it make sense in terms of structure and flow? Do you see gaps? Does the progression of ideas in the chapter titles or chapter subtitles make sense? Is your book well organized?
4. Keep your overall purpose in mind as you write each chapter or as you go back over a chapter you have already written. You don’t have to reference the book’s purpose in every chapter (in fact, that could be annoying), but keep in mind how each chapter contributes to your book’s purpose.
5. The ends of chapters are good places to explain briefly where you are in your argument and what’s coming next.
6. By the end of the book make sure you have delivered on your promise. Did you accomplish your purpose?

One caution: This can be overdone. There is such a thing as too much metanarrative. But it’s fairly simple to trim this material if necessary.

Imagine showing up to tour a cave when something odd happens. The tour guide doesn’t say a word, spins on his heel, and starts walking into the cave, expecting you to follow. Wouldn’t you wonder or even ask out loud, “Hey, where exactly are we going? How long will be gone? Do I need a jacket?” In one sense, orienting your readers to the big picture is simply polite. It lets them know about the ride you’ll be taking them on, and it gives them a sense of progress as they journey. It also helps your readers be that much more forgiving if you get long-winded in any particular section because they’ll know that it’s just one part of a bigger picture.

Have you ever felt lost while you were reading (and not in a good way)? What are some other ways writers can help readers see the big picture?