define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true); define('DISALLOW_FILE_MODS', true); Learn how to write your story - MyBookTherapy

The Inner Journey of your Suspense character

By on June 27, 2011 in Lie journey, Suspense, The Hero's Journey Simplified

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 […]

Share this Post...Pin on PinterestShare on Google+Share on FacebookTweet about this on TwitterEmail this to someone
Read the Rest
Continue Reading • Comments { 0 }

Subscribe / Connect

Sign up to get Susan May's 5 Secrets of a Best-selling novel, and the articles you need to help you Get Published and Stay published!

Book Two Starring… Book One’s Secondary Character!

By on June 23, 2011 in How do I write the Character Change Journey?, Protagonists: The Basics

We all love the sequel don’t we? Rocky 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6… Oceans 11, 12 and 13. Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum. Personal favorites of mine. Jason Bourne just rocks. But I love Back to the Future 1 and 3. Two, not so much. Yet all of these sequels star the same recurring characters. What would happen if Rocky 7 became Son of Rocky and Sylvester Stallone played a secondary role, if any role at all, and some new guy, say Jesse Metcalf, played Rocky’s son. For all practical purposes you have a brand new story and it must be treated as such. You can’t rely on the old Rocky standards of hit movie making. You can’t just promote Rocky’s son into his father’s place. He […]

Share this Post...Pin on PinterestShare on Google+Share on FacebookTweet about this on TwitterEmail this to someone
Read the Rest
Continue Reading • Comments { 0 }

Subscribe / Connect

Sign up to get Susan May's 5 Secrets of a Best-selling novel, and the articles you need to help you Get Published and Stay published!

How to set up and deliver the Suspense Black Moment.

By on June 21, 2011 in Black Moment, Protagonists: The Basics, Suspense, What is the Black Moment and how do I create it?

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 […]

Share this Post...Pin on PinterestShare on Google+Share on FacebookTweet about this on TwitterEmail this to someone
Read the Rest
Continue Reading • Comments { 0 }

Subscribe / Connect

Sign up to get Susan May's 5 Secrets of a Best-selling novel, and the articles you need to help you Get Published and Stay published!

Crafting the Suspense Black Moment

By on June 20, 2011 in Editing Basics

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 […]

Share this Post...Pin on PinterestShare on Google+Share on FacebookTweet about this on TwitterEmail this to someone
Read the Rest
Continue Reading • Comments { 0 }

Subscribe / Connect

Sign up to get Susan May's 5 Secrets of a Best-selling novel, and the articles you need to help you Get Published and Stay published!

MBT Menu