We’re building a suspense book live here at MBT, and today we’re onto Act 2, pressing our heroine in to what I call the “fun and games” of the story. As I talked about yesterday, I’m going to address the following elements as I build her scene. First, we are going to start chapter 4 in Kenzie’s POV since we just ended Chapter 3 with Luke. I don’t always have to alternate, but it’s a nice rhythm. We’ll begin with a ReAction scene and since it’s a suspense, I’ll keep the momentum going by segueing into an Action scene. My ReAction scene elements are: Response – Now that she’s seen the “vacation home,” she has to have a reaction to it. We might thread this in with her inner journey […]
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Setting up Act 2 of your Suspense Novel
It’s time to set up Act 2 of your Suspense novel, and I’m going to show you how by moving onto Act 2 of Limelight, our MBT Romantic Suspense novel today. In Act 1, we’ve set up the foundation for the suspense – the players, what’s at stake, where the game will be played (the Cherokee forest). I’ve also set up sympathy, competence and greatest fears – those things that we’ll start manipulating in Act 2. As I begin chapter 4, and the start of the Second Act, I need to balance a number of threads and ignite the story to keep it flowing into what I call the Fun and Games of Act 2. Suspense Thread: First, I need to keep the suspense thread running by bringing the threat […]
Read the RestAct 2: Uncovering the Secrets
Don’t you love uncovering a secret? Unlocking the truth, and seeing the light? So does your reader! And that’s the final key to a powerful Act 2. A powerful ACT 2 includes the growing relationship between the Hero and Heroine, the Unexpected Twists and Turns, dropping of Truth Tidbits and finally the uncovering Secrets. The secrets of the suspense plot are uncovered through the Act 2 scenes. You want each decision, each action to reveal more of the plot and cause the villain or element to up the stakes, to make it harder, to increase the pressure, to add more tension. Here’s a trick: Often when I plot, I start with the Antagonist, and his goals. I ask: What does the villain want? What choices does he have? […]
Read the RestAct 2: Adding in Unexpected Twists, Turns and Tests
Last week, we talked about the GUTS, or Act 2 of your novel, the first element being the Growing romance of the hero and heroine. However, this romance only happens through the next element: U- Unexpected Twists, Turns and Tests: During the GUTS portion of the story, the hero and heroine’s mettle will be tested – especially as it relates to their competence, that thing they do well. The point of the middle to cause them to grow as human beings through lessons, revelations, challenges and epiphanies. However, the middle is often where the tension sags – and that’s usually because we run out of the unexpected, and our motivation to keep going sags. The key to a powerful middle is using the peripheral plotting, and stakes […]
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