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The Big Event…make it terrifying!

By on April 25, 2011 in Editing Basics

The last few weeks we talked about the key to creating a suspense is  the Big Event that awaits the characters – either a positive or negative event that looms at the end of the story, one they either know about or don’t, but that has the effect of raising the tension as they draw closer (or are kept from it).    So far, the Big Event needs to be Believable, Compelling, Immediate…and now Terrifying.   See, we need to believe that his horrible Big Event will be…horrible.  This is different from believing it can happen.  It’s answering the questions — so what?  If it happens, how does it affect me?    You make it terrifying by looking at two different perspectives – personal and public fears.    Personal fears […]

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The Big Event…make it immediate!

By on April 19, 2011 in Editing Basics

We need another bathroom in our home.  Not that we don’t already have three, but we have an unfinished room in the basement, plumbed out for a bathroom. More importantly, our daughter is graduating from High School next month, and I have about 30,875 people arriving at our home for the festivities.    I’m anticipating a high need.   So…with that thought in mind, I dragged my husband to the tile store to contemplate options.  His eyes nearly rolled into the back of his head from the excitement. Still, with a vision of the lineup in front of the boy’s scary bathroom, he helped me pick out tiles.  See, it’s not about whether we need this, but how soon.  Even more important than the need is the deadline that looms […]

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The Big Event…make it personal!

By on April 18, 2011 in Plotting, Suspense

The last two weeks we talked about the key to creating a suspense is  the big EVENT that awaits the characters – either a positive or negative event that looms at the end of the story, one they either know about or don’t, but that has the effect of raising the tension as they draw closer (or are kept from it).    Think about it – if we didn’t believe there would truly be an invasion of aliens, then we would have laughed our way through Independence Day.  If we didn’t believe the Russians and the Americans could wage World War 3, then we would have never had  the cold war (and the Hunt For Red October). If we didn’t believe that Buttercup might not marry Wesley, that Prince Humperdinck […]

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The Big Event: Make it Believable

By on April 11, 2011 in Plotting, Story Crafting, Suspense

For some reason this didn’t post last week – sorry for keeping you all in suspense! Last week, e talked about the Big Event in writing a suspense, and how you must have this hovering over the story as you draw closer to the climax.  The reader must believe that something terrible will happen if the hero/heroine don’t save the day, otherwise, there is nothing “suspenseful” to worry about.    Think of it like a football game – if the team won’t lose, there is nothing at stake.  There has to be a believable threat of a disaster, or a loss.   Let’s take a closer look at the Big Event. Whether the event that is/will happen is caused by an elements or a villain –  needs to have four components.  […]

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