Illustrations can be an effective way to add charm to your story. Author Peter Mayle and his publishers have mastered this technique, and delightful examples can be found throughout his novels, including those chronicling his adventures through the Provence region of France. Below is an example from his beloved novel Encore Provence (Vintage, 2000).
Before the book is even opened, readers receive a hint from the illustrated cover of the amusement inside. Between the pigeon sandwich and the smoking granny on the bicycle, we can’t help but anticipate the quirky adventures the author has cooked up for us.
Seriously, a pigeon sandwich?
Here’s the opening line: “I think it was the sight of a man power-washing his underpants that really brought home the difference, cultural and otherwise, between the old world and the new.”
Between the pages that follow, readers are gifted with charming illustrations at the start of each chapter. Coupled with simple but interesting titles, we experience an immediate sense of the enjoyment that awaits us if we keep on reading.
Don’t these men look so totally French?
If you’re seeking ways to keep readers enthralled in your story, consider enhancing the charm factor by including illustrations.