Yesterday we started our character’s spiritual journey by asking: What lie do they believe? (by the way, I often use this when chatting with children, or eve myself when confronted with behaviors that might not be healthy…it’s a good exercise!) Armed with the lie, the first thing you want to do on the journey, probably in that first scene is PROVE IT to your hero. (a note here – every POV character needs their own lie journey!) Step 2 – Confirmation of the Lie – Proof What can you do to convince the hero that his lie is true? You want to do something at the beginning of the book that will cement him into this lie – of course, it needs to be something that only pushes him deeper […]
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About Susan May Warren
Former Russian Missionary Susan May Warren is the best-selling author of more than 40 novels and novellas with Tyndale, Barbour and Steeple Hill, and Summerside. A Christy award and RITA winner, and multiple finalist for the RITA, Christy and winner of Inspirational Readers Choice contest, Susan currently has over a million books in print. A seasoned women’s events speaker and writing teacher, she is the founder of http://www.mybooktherapy.com an online community for writers, and runs a fiction editing service teaching writers how to tell a great story. Visit her online at: http://www.susanmaywarren.com.Author Archive | Susan May Warren
The Inner Journey of your Suspense character
We’re discussing ACT 3 of a Suspense! Last week we broke apart the Black Moment. This week and next, we’re going to talk about the second part of the Black Moment…the inner journey element. The purpose of every story is the inner change of the POV characters. The external events are simply a catalyst to drive home the changes the characters need to make. At MBT, we call this the Lie Journey. As an overview, the premise of the Lie Journey is that every character has a lie they believe, based on something that happened in their past. This lie has determined their behavior and choices until the start of their journey. However, this journey is about breaking that lie and helping your character become a better person, or at […]
Read the RestHow to set up and deliver the Suspense Black Moment.
Yesterday, we talked about the substance of the Black Moment and how to craft it, making it Personal, Plausible and it leads up to the Epiphany of the novel. But, how do you deliver such a Black Moment? First, you need to start with…The Hint… At the beginning of every great novel, or movie, there is a hint at what a character’s greatest fears might be. It can be something they experience and never want to repeat. It can be something a friend has gone through. It can be something they witness…but we need to see if (even if we don’t recognize it as the hint…although now you will!) Because it will give us that dark foreboding we need to make the fear seem…well, dark. One of my favorite hints […]
Read the RestCrafting the Suspense Black Moment
Let’s get back on track with our crafting of a Suspense! Over the past 3 months, we’ve been talking about the elements of a suspense, laying out the components of each Act. Just as a review: Act 1 is the set up of the GAME. It contains the Players, the Threat of the Big Event, the Inciting Incident and the rules (or the set up of the story). Act 2 is the GUTS of the story, where all the good stuff happens. It contains the Romance of the hero/heroine, the unexpected twists and turns, the droplets of truth and the uncovering of secrets. Act 3 is the GLORY of the story – the ending, which contains the Black moment, the epiphany, the Climax (or Final Battle) and finally..the Happily Ever […]
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