One of the struggles I see with many writers – and even myself – is the rush to the climatic parts of the story. They see the drama of the big pieces and want to get there immediately to wow the reader. However, the problem is when we don’t give the drama resonance – when we don’t show the progression of emotions leading up to it, and the significance of the drama, we miss out on the punch. I always advise clients to take their time, to feel the nuances of the scene and allow the reader to, also. However, sometimes it can feel like eating an elephant. You have so far to go, and today you’reworking on a toenail. (okay, yuck. Maybe I should find another analogy). What […]
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Act 2: Keeping the Middle from Muddling
Is your Act 2 slowing down? Do you find it muddling along? Are you running out of content and creating mundane, circular scenes? Here’s a way to fill Act 2 with powerful content. The last scene of Luke and Kenzie’s story was an example of a combo reaction scene to the Romance, and the ramping up of the suspense thread again. I also threw in a piece of the spiritual thread – that idea that relationships are what hold us together and make us better people – which is what Luke is supposed to learn on this journey. Just for a second, I’m going to dive into a discussion about the spiritual journey. Although this is a romantic suspense, every book has some sort of theme, and even deeper, […]
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