E is for Enormous Trouble

Remember watching cartoons when you were younger and they showed a pebble rolling down a snowy mountain? The pebble picked up speed and snow and by the time it got to the village below it was an enormous. That’s kind of what needs to happen in a suspense novel. The heroine needs to get into "E" is for Enormous trouble, try to solve it…leading to more and more trouble. Hot water is the order of the day.

This technique keeps the reader’s interest, because a high level of emotion is compelling. The problem with so much of conflict is that after while; your character starts to look like a crap-magnet. It’s unlikely that a meteor, a devastating misunderstanding, and an evil villain would all befall your main character at once…if at all. So how to remedy?

Conflict has to build, like a slow pressure pushing upwards. I try not to have my heroine’s home fire-bombed by savage gang member right away. I save it for the middle of the book. Hitchcock was a master at building suspense. Strange comments, near misses, and internal struggle all kept me on the edge of my seat. I learned some great lessons from him. For one, keeping the reigns on the drama, letting it building it gradually, leaves room for suspense.

Men with Pens, has a great article on escalating conflict within interpersonal relationships, if you’re interested. I’ve recently gone back over my book, Ruby Dawn, in revisions to take a second look at my pace and romantic subplot. I’ll let you know how it goes.

I wonder what gives you the most trouble when building tension in your work.  Do you have any tricks or tips you'd like to share?

Until next time…Go Write!

Photograph by kamshots, Uploaded on february 9, 2007. Photograph by Roberto Verzo, Uploaded on August 1, 2009.

D is for Duh!

Today's A-Z Blogging Challenge letter is "D" as in Duh!...or maybe, Drama.  There are certain elements to estblishing Drama in fiction.  I wrote about one of the elements earlier when in my post about conflict, last month.

What I want to explore today is the element of Drama that makes you bite your nails and yell at the book. I'm talking about the collosally stupid decisions that characters make in the flustered moments of a dramatic scene.  My husband is reading a suspense novel by a popular author and I peroidically see he cringe or suck in his breath through his teeth.  He even threw the book down once, disgusted...only to pick it back up  a few seconds later.  That's a good read. What he's reacting to is the Duh! decisions the character is making...hiding the body, accidentlly leaving his GPS device behind in the woods, using something that can be tied to his work to weigh down the body...dumb decicions, sure...but understandable given the circumstances.

An important element of Drama is the emotion, the gut twisting ride the reader takes with the main character. From surging emotions to disproportionate reactions, the Drama created by the consequences of bad decisions on the part of the main character hightens the reader's suspense. If you're interested, Christian Fiction Online Magazine has a great article on drama and the reader, pulling them back from the brink of disaster.

I write Romance/Suspense, so a large part of my Drama is based on emotional conflict. Misunderstanding, failure to communicate, insecurity...these all come straight from Duh! moments, but they're relatable because we've been there. My question to you is this: What is your favorite Dramatic scene ever...from young Skywalker learning about his father while dangling over the abyss to Mr. Darcy's proposal at Rosling Park, movie or book. What set you're heart in motion?

Until next time, Go Write!

 Photograph by epSos.de, Uploaded on February 21, 2010.  Photograph by Lin Pernille, Uploaded on March 31, 2007.