Q: My most vexing issue is figuring out how to tighten the noose (build the suspense) toward the end of the novel leading up to the climax scene. A: Don’t you just love movies where you’re on the edge of your seat, eyes glued to the screen, thinking, how could this get any worse? We think of classics like Die Hard, and Hunt for Red October, and Frequency, and one of my newest favorites, the Cell. But really, all dramas, and even comedies operate on this principle. Of course, instead of risking the life of a character, a comedy risks their reputation and status quo. Still, the structure is similar…each situation brings the character further and further from their goal. Some of my favorite television shows (and most stressful!) are […]
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Prescriptions: How to Hook your reader Wk 2
This week we’re going to continue with: How to hook your reader on the first page! To review, two weeks ago we talked about the HOOK, and how the hook needs to be SHARP. This week, let’s take a closer look at that first element of crafting your HOOK. S = Stakes – Making them big, scary and intimate Why does it matter? This is the question every reader is going to ask themselves, if not verbally, then underneath it all, as they’re reading. Why, indeed, should I spend my time reading this book? Stakes don’t have to be as epic as Red October (saving the world from a cold war weapon), or Independence Day (saving the world from an alien invasion), or even a cultural level (Erin Brockovich – […]
Read the RestSelf Therapy: What’s Important To A Scene?
Back from 12 days on the road, visiting family and friends, I sat down to work on Love Starts With Elle, my work in progress. (WIP for those who are new to this game.) I started editing chapter one, a chapter I’d edited many times, but as I worked it yesterday, I didn’t like it. Before vacation I did, so what happened? Panic. I felt the stakes weren’t high enough. Was the opening hook strong? Did Elle seem too sanguine? I pondered these questions while walking my dog, Pal, later in the evening. I was going to revamp my whole story, take my “soft” opening and drive some hard core plot point into it. Yet, I realized, stakes are raised gradually. Since this is a love story, I needed to […]
Read the RestDoctor’s Notes: More on Secondary Characters
Monday, we answered Julie’s question about secondary characters – how many is too many? How to keep them from being boring or flat? I’ve been thinking about this issue today and wondering how we can get creative with secondary characters. Think of a painting. Many times the artist will outline images with black in order to make them stand out. Sometimes, an artist covers an canvas in blue or orange before beginning to paint. These are accents that help the over all painting though the eye of the observer many never really notice. On the television show, Samatha Who, Samatha has two friends. One acts as Samatha’s good conscious, Dina. The other, her devilish side. Angela. The premise of the show is Samatha has lost her memory. She can’t remember […]
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