Authors Inspire Authors and Where You May Find Creativity -- Book Festivals

Happy Monday! I wanted to write this post because it involves all things positive. Well, almost all. A great way to jump start the week. Right? Anyway, I attended an author expo at a local library on Saturday. Somewhere around forty authors attended. Tables were decorated with books, tons of swag, bookmarks, and candy, animated chatter of authors talking to authors echoed off the walls and down the halls from floor to floor, sharing ideas, experiences, lamenting about lagging book sales, the dismal pricing of what we put so much time, effort and creative sweat into that goes mostly unnoticed. Did I have fun? You betcha!

This is my crew, my playground, my chance to reconnect with like-minded people. The book sales are icing on what's already a very delicious seven-layered cake. (Yes, I do tend to speak in dessert metaphors. Don't judge.) So, what's the deal, you ask? Here's a rundown in list format:

1) Authors think alike. We speak the lingo and completely understand one another. If you're skeptical at why this is such a big deal, try talking about books, publishing, who's in, who's out, the challenges of waiting for the CALL, where to find readers, etc. to your significant other and see the puzzled expression on his/her face. Or the response: "So what? You write a book, sell it and make lots of money. Isn't that how it goes? And penguin is a bird species. Why are you talking about birds?" *sigh* It's really like that.

2) It's a let's-trade-ideas moment, social-networking. How great is this?! I gain a lot of knowledge and writerly tips from other authors. Make new contacts, which can lead to even more writerly tips and ideas. For instance, this Saturday I learned about another site where I can buy printed materials, and also the names of a couple of local conferences. I never leave without some valuable info.

3) A chance to socialize is therapeutic. Those who write for a living know that it's a solitary activity. You admittedly resort to carrying on conversations with yourself and staying in PJs all day. And when was the last time you showered? Five chapters ago? (I'm picturing scenes of a disheveled Johnny Depp in The Secret Window.) Socializing is a chance to reconnect with someone other than your characters, though the real ones may not always agree with you ;-)

4) Inspiration, i.e. you're energized. Okay, this will sound weird, but when I visit friends and family, see their pretty, neat houses, I go home, take a look at the clutter, and then become Suzy Homemaker ... at least for the day! I guess it's no surprise that when I hear about the books and projects belonging to other authors, it inspires me. Sure enough, when I got home Saturday ... well, maybe not Saturday because after several hours of jabbering about books, I came home and crashed! Anyway, the next day I hammered out the outline for current WIP, Don't Judge a Con by Her Cover and wrote chapter one this morning! It can work like that.

Yes, good things happen at author festivals. Give 'em a chance. 

Have a great and productive week, be creative and write! 

UPDATE: Mother-in-law is doing great with her rehab! May come home at the end of the month. Here's to staying healthy :-) 

Just Spring It!

I can’t think of a better way to welcome Spring than to clean out my closets and flowerbeds. But add to that, how about cleaning out my file of writing project ideas? Sounds like a reasonable plan.

I have a few ideas, some good, some really dumb ones, and one that even after letting it simmer for awhile I still think is fantastic! Guess that’s a keeper. Now, when I decide to work on it is one question. The other is how do I start?

Ideas are just that. Have you ever met someone who says, “I’m an idea person.” Yeah, that’s great. You come up with the idea and somebody else will do all the work, sweat and toil through the details. Don’t misunderstand me. You have to start somewhere and an idea, a premise for a story, is a really great place.

And what’s my idea? Well there’s the other thing. Call me superstitious, but I don’t really want to talk about it because then if it doesn't work or I won’t start on it … I guess it makes me a bit nervous. So, I don’t talk about it.

The same thing happens to me at times when I make an outline for a book. I place a lot of details into it, which you’d think would be a good thing, right? Have your trip agenda, your road map all set for you to hit the road. No worries. Who knew such a plan could give me claustrophobia? Yep. I feel constricted with limited creativity, like an artist who has his arms tied and told to go ahead, paint the darn picture!

So, change it, you say. Well, duh. I know that, too. But at the same time, I’m thinking, “what if I hadn’t written the stupid outline in the first place? Maybe my creative juices would have been awesome and I might have come up with a really, really great story, but now it’s just this oh-so great story.” Or something like that.

Just Spring it? That’s the great thing about Spring. It’s rebirth, it’s opportunity to start again and come up with new and wonderful things, like my story ideas. Yep, it’s time to clean out that file and start anew.

Happy Spring and enjoy reading and writing, all!

P.S. Happy Birthday, Mom! You would have been 106 today

Finding Inspiration and Characters in Odd or Obvious Places

This is Milo, aka Lou. He was a big part of my inspiration for writing Whips, Cuffs, and Little Brown Boxes, and I just had to include him in the story because of it. So, for me, it brings up the topic of where do you find your inspiration and how do you come up with the characters you write about in your stories?

In my experience, it's usually a subconscious process. But sometimes it is very obvious, such as Lilly's aunts -- Millie, Sadie, and Fran. I had exact relatives in mind when I created and developed those characters. All of them were aunts on Mom's side of the family, but of course for obvious reasons, I won't say which ones! Funny, entertaining, all of them with their own quirks, made them perfect candidates to include in Lilly's zany, kooky world. Her life wouldn't be the same without them. They are the ying and yang of her existance, and she wouldn't be the Lilly readers learn to know and love otherwise.

But now back to Lou, aka Milo. Do you ever just sit and watch your pet, if you have one, and think, if only I could put him, or her, on a television show as the star, wouldn't it just be so entertaining? Well, Milo made me think that, and more! Besides, Lilly needed an ally who would be totally supportive, totally loving, who wouldn't give her any of those critical moments she gets from others. And that's Lou. Of course on the other hand, Lou is (and so is Milo) just feisty enough to give Lilly trouble and near-heart attack moments! But enough about Lou.

What about your inspiration and/or characters? Do you find them in those odd moments or weird places? If you're not looking there, you probably should. For instance, stop and take a moment to watch those around you. You might be surprised what you'll find. I know I did :-)

Have a great day, and happy writing!

Whips, Cuffs, and Little Brown Boxes
A Date to Die For

Using the Past Perfect ... i.e. What Happened Before the Other Thing Happened

A few months ago, I received feedback from an editor on a manuscript I submitted. She asked if I would change at least half of the highlighted passive verbs and replace them with more active, descriptive verbs. To my overwhelming dismay, I found over 1,000 highlights and realized I really faced an eye-popping, finger-cramping task.

Now, the thing is that a good many of these involved the past perfect and wouldn't be necessarily labeled passive, but can make writing a bit cluttered when overdone. This is where I move on over into my teacher mode and say that if used wisely and sparingly, the past perfect is an effective tool.

It can introduce a flashback without using trite, boring phrases such as "It was several weeks ago" or "I remember the time when". For instance, "Mary had buried the shoebox under the oak tree. She died the next winter and we realized that her secret might never be told. But then, Max dug a hole to bury his bone and found the box, which he carried proudly in his mouth to the front door..."

Note, I only used the past perfect -- had buried -- once, and then the rest of the verbs remained in the past tense. It does the job and remains clear and tight.

Now, if you are using the verb "to have" -- I have, I have had, I had had; or "to be" -- I was, I had been, then you probably want to change all or most of them to more descriptive and concise verbs. For example, "he had the answer to her problem" could easily be replaced with "he discovered the answer to her problem." Or ... "the bird had a wingspan of at least five feet" could be changed to "the bird carried a wingspan of at least five feet."

I think that it takes practice to defeat the use of "lazy" passive verbs. Sometimes, like in my case, you might not even realize you are using them. Do a word search and tally them up, then toss a good deal of them out! Your writing and stories will thank you :-)

Happy writing!

Whips, Cuffs, and Little Brown Boxes
Oklahoma's Gold
Not So Snow White
Cinderella Geek

Stylish Blogger Award

It's the little things ... I received a blogsite award from a new-found friend and blogger -- Krista and The Jelly Beans of Writing So, I am honored and now will talk a bit about me :-) How hard can that be?! (sweating profusely now). Before I start, here are the rules of the game. And best of luck to those five I pass the award along to!

Ok, here are the rules for this award:
1. Thank and link to the person who nominated you.
2. Share seven random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 5 new-found blogging buddies.
4. Contact the winners to congratulate them

R.F #1: I used to be a closet Victorian Romance reader! You name it and I read it. From Victoria Holt to Barbara Cartland, I had no boundaries to my ravenous appetite. But then I got married, had romance of my own, and didn't find as much interest in that genre. I switched to Stephen King and Dean Koontz horror for a while. It took a heavy dose of gruesome to get me to change camps once again. And it's been mysteries and suspense ever since! (Although, I admit, once in awhile I will venture back into a syrupy sweet romance and feel joy!)

R.F.#2: I am like an only child, but am not an only child ... No, it's not a riddle. My youngest brother is 16 years my senior. I have a sister, the oldest, who is 23 years older than I. And I have 9 nieces and nephews who range anywhere from 3 years to 8 years younger than I. Those were and are like my brothers and sisters. It's crazy during family reunions. I recall when I was a kid, I used to tell them, "If you ever call me Aunt Kathy, I will deck you!" It must have had the impact I wanted because when one of them had a bridal shower years later she asked if it was okay now to introduce me as her aunt!

R.F. #3: I wrote my first song when I was 12. It was actually just lyrics which I put to the tune from a movie, "The Moon Spinners" (Haley Mills was my idol then. And Cary Grant. I loved his old movies.) Anyway, I remember going out into the backyard, swigging on the tree swing and singing my song. It doesn't get more cheesy than that, folks!

R.F. #4: I've been writing stories since I was 7, belonged to my high school writers' club, and even took a class or two on creative writing. But it was when I approached my 50th birthday that I remembered the promise I'd made to myself: If I didn't write a full novel by then, and try to get it published, then I would give up on writing. Rather harsh, don't you think? Anyway, I finished Oklahoma's Gold that year. It felt good :-) And I was encouraged to write even more.

R.F #5: I actually decided to dabble in the self-publishing arena, but I didn't want to publicly say it was me :-). So, I published a young adult novel under a pen name. It's actually a fusion of my children's names into one. It's here, somewhere. I will let you all do the detective work to figure it out!

R.F. #6: I love bodies of water ... oceans especially, but I can't swim! I often say that when I retire, I would like to live in a beach house and watch the ocean waves move, smell the salt air, and just relax on my deck. To me that is Utopia!

R.F. #7: I talk to myself. Not that it's so unusual. I know lots of people who admit to that. But I do it to act out scenes I'm writing about in whatever WIP I'm working on. It helps ... I think ... yeah, it does. Or at least that's what I tell myself ... out loud ... when I'm carrying on a conversation with no one else in the room. Oh, boy ...

That actually wasn't too hard. I guess like most of us, I enjoy writing about myself. It's almost cathartic. Okay, so here below are my five "victims". Enjoy!

Allison Simon

Sue Maynard

Elena Solodow

Katherine Crawford

Danielle Raver 

Believable Characters

Characters -- not just a compilation of physical and personal traits. The difficulty a writer faces when developing the characters for his/her project is complex. I've heard comments from those who say it took pages and pages into writing the story before really feeling like "knowing" the people in it. Can you imagine if the reader felt that way? If I had that much difficulty figuring out what the character in a book is about, why she is doing the things she's doing, I don't think I'd have the patience or the concern to keep on reading. I just wouldn't care.

So, with that said, it should seem to you very important to find out everything you can about your characters before you cut them loose on their journey through the plot of your story. The question is how? What should you do, what steps should you take to get to that point? First of all, you need to remember that story characters are people like you and me. Only they are in your book. To make them human means there are several points to consider. The character's motive, habits, interests, talents, past history, reputation are all important to development. Identifying these will turn your story people into real people who readers can identify with and sympathize with. They will become so invested in the characters that reading on until the very end becomes a must.

The tiny details are important. You can keep molding and adding those aspects to your characters, fleshing them out until the decisions and actions they perform in the story seem logical and believable. For instance, let's consider habits. Perhaps you could give a character the habit of chewing his nails to show a nervous personality, or someone who always doodles on her napkin after a meal, and then later a napkin is found at a crime scene. It has scribbles all over it, thus providing a clue. The character's interest in judo and the fact that the murder victim taught a judo class at a gym your napkin scribbler frequented makes the reader point a finger in her direction. These are just a few examples of how intricate the process of developing believable characters can be.

Where you get your ideas may vary. Strangers you observe, yourself. And sometimes characters are inspired by people you know. This works if you use them only as a starting point. From there, you should develop them according to what you'll need for your story. Flesh them out with those tiny details of habits, talent, motive, interests, etc. Then ask questions based on your story events. For instance, you want to write an opening scene where the character is home alone. There's a pounding on the door, someone shouting, demanding to be let in. Now, start the causal question process: what does the character do? Remember this depends on all those aspects you've created about the character. If it's the nail biter, maybe he'll hide in the closet, pretend he's not home. Next question: The guy breaks down the door and finds the nail biter. What does he do? He has a brave moment and uses the baseball bat stored in the closet and hits the intruder. You could insert a plot twist here: turns out it's nail biter's brother who has come to tell him his wife has been in a serious car accident. And the question process takes a turn and goes on from there. The point is, the better you know your characters, the easier it is to decide what to make them do, how to act. And the more believable they become to the reader.

For more about character development, a great source is Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Card.

Overused and Underdone

What makes a cliche? Is there a point in time, a certain mile marker when a word or phrase can wear the label "cliche"? And who decides? Obviously, those who write have learned that they must avoid them, that editors cringe at the sight of them, and it's a quick trip to the trash can or reject pile if you don't toss them out of your final draft.

It's difficult though. They are like a particular song that gets stuck in your head. You want to clear your mind of it, but it just keeps playing and playing and playing. You think of nothing else. Cliches are there in our minds, concrete walls that block our creative construction. And it probably doesn't matter when we write our first draft. That, after all, is when we keep the story moving; it's our main purpose. But then when it's time to get rid of them, replacing them with some original lines of our own ... not so easy. Do it anyway! It's worth the hard work and effort.

A couple of tips:

Deciding if a cliche is really a cliche - try checking out websites like, Cliche Site or West Egg . They might help you make a decision. Another way is to have someone else hear you say the first half of the phrase, and then see if he can finish it. Cliches usually pop up in a person's mind immediately.

To anti-cliche - take a cliche and try replacing words to work it into something original. For instance, "when all's said and done" could become "when nothing is left to do or say", or something like that. The point is to leave them out, even if the language you replace them with isn't clever and witty. Cliches are just that much worse.

Not everyone will agree on what is cliche. And some will be unavoidable - by choice or not. However, original writing is what to strive for. Who knows? One day your unique weave of words may even become a cliche!

Rose By Any Other Name ....

What's color? When we think or imagine color, we often recall red, blue, yellow, green, etc. Yet, when we write, how boring it becomes to use only those names. The shades in between are too numerous to mention them all. Or to even use them when we compose our descriptive passages. I posted about this in an earlier post, the idea of using our senses to vividly describe scenes in our writing. One of those items I listed was color. It seemed to generate comments all by itself.

It's always nice to have word banks to choose from, much like we do when using the thesaurus. So, I decided to search and find anything online that would give a list of colors. Well, I hit the mother lode in an unlikely place: wikapedia. I know, I know, this is usually NOT a source I rely on, or at least I tell my students to beware of the acuracy and to check other more reliable sources. But this is about colors, right? No harm in reading it. I must admit it's good, even great, complete with color graphs on which to feast your eyes.

Here is a comprised list of the more, shall we say, uncommon shades. For a more detailed description, check out the link posted below.

Red: carnelian, coquelicot, rose madder, sinopia, vermilion

Orange: carrot orange, gamboge, persimmon, tangelo, tenne (tawny)

Brown: burnt sienna, desert sand, ecru, raw umber, russet, sepia, taupe

Yellow: aureolin, citrine, jonquil, mikado yellow, saffron, sunglow, Vegas gold

Gray: cinereous, seal brown, Xanadu

Green: chartreuse, gray-asparagus, myrtle, olive drab, spring bud, viridian

Blue: bondi blue, cerulean, glaucous, iceberg, Maya blue, Tiffany blue, ultramarine

Violet: cerise, fandango, periwinkle, wisteria

Here's the link, if you want to know more: LIST OF COLORS


And of course you could always check your 64 count box of Crayola crayons! They make a great resource :-) Happy coloring with your words!

Ponder to Write... Here's a Question.

To thesaurus or not: is it always a valuable tool? I've often wondered how well it works when I'm looking for more descriptive words, something more creative, something to tintilate the senses...you get the picture ;-). The point at which I begin to worry is when maybe the word I find is too much. After all, there has to be a natural sound to your writing style. Not contrived, not over the top.

Perhaps it's a matter of choice. You do it very carefully, wisely, and judiciously. Chew on it awhile to see if it sounds right. Then, if it doesn't work, pitch it out and start over. Boy, writing is hard, isn't it? At least it is if you want it done well.

So, what do you think? Is the thesaurus your friend? Do you use it often? And how would you advise people to use or not use it?

I Have an Idea, But ....

An idea pops into my head, maybe a great idea--we all get them, right?--and I think, "what a story that would make!" And then it fizzles, it deflates, it floats away until it's soon forgotten. Why? Probably because I don't think beyond the idea. I don't imagine what would happen, how it would happen, who it would happen to, etc. So, what does a writer do?

Thinking It Through: I was reading the other day about human trafficking in Ohio, how the laws aren't really protecting children and women from it. Again, I thought how this would make a great story. But how? This is the point where you have to begin a journey. Develop a plot where you can imagine all the possible scenarios. What could happen to a young girl who is abducted and placed into sex trade? Would she manage to escape? Is there someone who searches for her? Will the bad guys end up being exposed? Planning it out, all the possible scenarios. You are the creator :-)

Who: At this point, you are thinking about the characters. It's logical to begin with the main character, (but who's to say you can't start with the antagonist?) In any case, you are putting the details into the faceless beings of your plot, filling them in and out until they come alive. You can see them, hear them, watch them acting out your little scenarios. The images are coming to you, right? Perhaps, the young girl is from a mid size town in Ohio, say Zenia. Or maybe she's Amish, from Walnut Creek. Sweet, innocent, trusting, the picture of purity. Can you see her? And then there is the crusader, maybe a detective, maybe a rogue vigilante who will search until he either dies in the process or manages to rescue her. He is strong, opinionated, crudely honest, maybe a father himself. He has a scar across his cheek that he won't talk about. The Amish girl's parents don't trust his demeanor, but he's all they have to help find their daughter. Is he moving and talking in your mind, now? Create your characters in 3D. Get to know them.

Research: Stumped for details? Need to know more, find more to create a believable story? There are experiences in your own life, in others you may know, in those whom you read about. Always keep your eyes open and listen to what's out there. Everyday, something is said, something happens, and you never know when a tiny detail might be a perfect fit in your story. The Amish girl's experiences during her seedy captivity might need some added credibility. Research to find it. Or maybe the "crusader" is a war Vet, and you happen to have a friend or relative who served and has lots of experiences to share. These details are from such great primary sources, how can you ignore them? Believable details entice your readers and generate admiration for your work.

Have a great idea? Before it has a chance to go up in smoke, or become some other writer's great idea and best seller, grab onto it and develop the heck out of it. Thinking it through, creating the characters, and researching--a great way to get started. Good luck!

You Might Be an Overwriter When ....

The person who tries too hard ... You know the type. Often prompted by insecurity, wanting to be liked or admired. You can picture him, or her, right? And you want to say, "Be yourself. You don't need to work so hard to impress me." Well, writing can be like that, too. New authors, often trying to make certain that they are getting their point across, will explain their story in such detail that there is nothing left to the reader's imagination. And that's not wise to do. The reader needs to be an active participant. Letting him or her experience the story along with the characters is the right way to go.

So, leave in the sensory details to tease your readers' senses. But let them use their own experiences to recall what a ringing phone sounds like, the roar of a crowded room, the crackling of wood in the fireplace. In other words, leave some of the details to their imaginations. You don't have to spell out every emotion, every thought, every expression.

If you are still not certain what to leave in, what to take out, here are a few guidelines:

1) If your descriptive passages seem to outweigh your action, then you might be an overwriter.

2) If the flowery, melodramatic language seems to strike you as akin to a scene from a Cecil B. DeMille film like Gone With the Wind, then you might be an overwriter.

3) If your flowery language seems to distract from the story, as if it's hiding the action behind a big purple cloud or maybe the descriptions are too unnatural, then you might be an overwriter.

4) When you have an I-know-more-than-you-do attitude and your writing goes on and on and on, making your story seem more like a lecture, then you might be an overwriter.

5) If your writing looks like a Woodstock Festival for the gathering of prepositions, then you might be an overwriter.

Bottom line, remember that your writing should sound natural -- dialog, action, description -- all of it should reflect some aspect of life. If it's forced, the reader will know. And like that person you know who tries too hard to be liked? Well, as the story goes ...

To read more on the topic, try Thanks, But This Isn't For Us by Jessica Morrell.

Constructing Scenes

Scenes build your story. They usually include action and should have three parts: a goal, conflict, and an outcome. So, you have a character who wants something (goal) and must do something to get it, but has problems (conflict) and will either win or--since fiction mirrors life--lose (outcome). Let's take a look at the three parts of a scene in more detail.

Goal: needs to be specific and clear. This way your character can be proactive and move toward achieving what he wants.

Conflict: should build excitement, interest, and show the desire and courage of your character when he is confronted with challenges, but continues to "battle" his way through.

Outcome: will have your character win or lose. The idea is to let it be okay for him to sometimes lose and be confronted with a new challenge to conquer. This will build suspense and keep your reader interested. Also, your character becomes stronger. He shows determination to achieve his goal when those obstacles stand in the way, and yet he manages to pull through and live on. Remember, failure makes us human. But of course you will want him to win some, too.

In writing scenes, there are some guidelines to follow, which will help make you more successful. The following are some of those pitfalls to avoid or features to include:

--vary the length and complexity of your scenes
--wind up the tension as your scenes move the plot forward and keep your character challenged
--remove scenes that aren't useful ( to decide -- if you can remove it, and it doesn't affect the outcome or clarity of the story, you probably can do without it)
--your scenes should either include character interaction or experiences that will affect other characters
--include realistic emotions
--maximize your opening and closing scenes
--keep a few secrets along the way in some of the scenes, leaving them to be revealed later on
--to achieve a very active scene, make your paragraphs, sentences, and dialogue shorter to gain that intensity

Hopefully, this helps in your scene writing. Remember, a story is told through scenes, like building blocks put together, they construct your story from beginning to end. It's more than just a compilation of words, sentences, and paragraphs.

For more information, read: Thanks, But This Isn't For Us by Jessica Page Morrell

Timelines and Mapping: Timesavers in Writing

If there is one thing I'm reminded of when writing, it's how I must learn to keep notes along the way. My recent WIP, which I've finally finished, gave me reason to think about this organization thing a little more carefully. When including the ages of my older characters and the mention of past events in which they were included, I realized there was a discrepancy. I had to go back and search for each point in the story where information had to be changed so that all would make sense. A timeline would have helped to prevent that mistake and spending valuable time undoing the errors.

I feel there is definitely the need for a timeline. If you are going to include a story setting that expands several days, several weeks, or several years, it doesn't matter. Create a timeline to fill out along the way as you write. Dates, ages, duration of time, all can be thrown out of kilter if you don't keep track. If you are a computer guru who enjoys software with all its colors and gizmo devices to create your timeline, check out TIMEGLIDER . The software is free and it will give you choices for how you would like your timeline to look and then store it for you.

Another point in story writing which can be a challenge and thus cause for error involves character interactions --- who said what to whom and where they were, where they've been, how to get there from here---well, you get the picture. Or maybe you don't. One of the teaching strategies I've learned is mind mapping. It truly works. I've seen this used with various mediums, including one lady's suggestion to create a map or miniature model of the town in which your story takes place. Mapping can be a great tool and will visualize any information you like. Another free site/software that uses mapping tools is MINDMEISTER . Once you've signed up, you can create a map webbing for your characters, locations of places in which they live or visit, events, etc.

Of course, if you are more of the paper and pencil type, you can always jot your timeline down on paper. However, I can't emphasize enough how important it is to add to it as you write. Perhaps at the end of each writing session, or after each chapter you've written would work. I know how difficult this may be when you're in the writing zone, that mad frenzy of passion where your fingers are burning up the keyboard as the words pour out. And you're supposed to stop and take a moment to jot down notes? Not easy, but find a point where you can do so. As for mapping without computer software, you might try note cards. Plaster them on the wall of your writing space or spread out on the floor, or wherever you can.

I think these tools work. Try out different methods and find the one that fits you. Then use it. That way when you get to that point in the story where you think, "Did I say Martha was five when that happened?" or "Did Martha tell Tim she was in love with him before or after she dumped Tom?", you can look at your timeline or map for the answers within seconds, rather than spending extra time going back through your novel to find out.

Writing should be fun, but the organization helps in the editing process. And at the very least it will save you time for, well, for all the other important things in your life that you've neglected while--what else?--WRITING!

Enjoy!

Creating Suspense: Keep the Plot Moving

Creating suspense seems like a reasonable task when writing a story. After all, you just keep stuff happening to the characters, right? Well, yes, incidents that put your characters in some sort of challenging predicament is what keeps the story interesting. But is there a certain technique that a writer can consciously focus on to make it all happen in an effective way? Margaret Lucke in her book, Writing Great Short Stories, sums it up into four techniques: 1) raise the stakes; 2)eliminate the options; 3)isolate your characters; and 4)ignite a ticking bomb.

Raise the Stakes: This goes along with the idea that what happens to your main character, all that conflict, should keep the interest of your readers. In order to do this, you must raise the stakes, i.e. keep the challenges and obstacles coming with each one a bit more risky than the one before. It's as if she or he must bring more to the table to overcome the obstacles and has that much more to lose or gain, depending on whether he or she fails or succeeds.

Eliminate the Options: This reminds me of playing chess. The further you are into the game, the more pieces you may lose, leaving you with fewer options to overcome your opponent and win. Keep reducing the options your character has to get out of the fixes you put him/her in. Tease your readers. Let them think a solution is about to work, and then snap! The solution has disappeared and your character must scramble to find another way out of the problem.

Isolate Your Character: Everybody wants friends in a time of need. Like I mentioned in a previous posting, if your character has some allies to help out, that makes the situation workable. But what about at one of those climatic moments? A suspenseful juncture when you want to put your readers on the edge of their seats? In those points of your story when you think it needs a little oomph, why not isolate your character? Cut him/her off from the rest of the world? I mean physically put the character in a place where there is no outside help. The character must figure it out all by him or herself. Or maybe it's a place where the character is emotionally isolated. An abusive home that he or she can't escape, perhaps. There are lots of choices.

Ignite a Ticking Bomb: Several movies pop into my head right now: Speed, Die Hard, Air Force One, John Q just to name a few. You know, those movies where the clock is ticking and each minute that passes raises the stress and tension level. And to add just an extra element of suspense, you might create a situation where the character doesn't know how much time he/she has left. It could be five hours from then or five days. No one knows. How's that for excitement?

Those are just a few ideas on how to create suspense. Hopefully, some of them work for you. If you have techniques of your own, stop and drop a line! Happy Writing, all :-)