Steven Tyler's Face

Even if you don't enjoy the show, "American Idol," you still probably know that Steven Tyler (lead singer of Aerosmith) is a judge. And what I absolutely adore about him, as a judge, is that he LOVES music. When he listens to an audition and hears a riff or a note that's amazing, he's got this specific look: eyes closed, leaned back, half a smile, sometimes with a nod. I love it, because it shows that he's soaking it up -- that something, musically, has struck him as special, spectacular. It's no longer just an audition. It's a musical experience that goes a little deeper, taking him to another place.

Example at the 2:10 mark here

And today, as I've been editing, I realize that THAT is the exact face I would love readers to make (well, except for the closed eyes) when they read my work. Not with every sentence, of course -- just that somewhere, in a phrase or a description, they're moved beyond "just a story." That, somewhere, a connection is established and they're taken to another place.

I don't know exactly how to achieve that "Steven Tyler look" in my readers, but I don't think there's a magic formula. And it's not something we should try to manipulate. But if we're truthful in our writing, if we listen to our inner writer's "voice," I think it's possible to get there...