The Place For My Writers Notes

Original Posting 27 March 2012

And another moldy clipping from Writer's Digest!

Writer's Digest, April 1994, pages 31-33 had an article by Billie Sue Mosiman with the title, "Keep Your Readers in Suspense." It starts out with a little paragraph where Billie Sue said, "I'm going to tell you one of the secrets of selling your fiction..."

And right there, you have an example of one technique of suspense. Get the reader to form a mental question. Secrets, and the promise of revealing them, are a great way to get the reader involved and build suspense. Of course, when you make that promise, you need to live up to it.

A lot of people think of suspense as creaking doors or other hints of horror, but wow it's a common and simple way to build suspense, it's only one way.

"If a character in your book has information or a secret that your protagonist desperately needs to know, that creates suspense. Suspense is an expectation. The writer delays giving out the information the reader needs."

What happens when you show something about to happen to one character, and then switch to another viewpoint and character? Of course, the reader wants to find out what happened to the first character. That's suspense.

Anticipation, mystery, unexplained actions. Billie Sue suggests one way to think of suspense is like a wave. It starts with foreshadowing an event, like the wave building up out at sea. Then the stakes are raised and tension rises, just like a wave rolling closer to shore, growing larger. Next, in the moment before the climax, the wave hits a peak and almost seems to stand still. Then the climax hits, as the wave crashes on the shore. Then in the lull between the scenes of suspense, the wave slips back out to sea to build up again. Depending on what kind of a novel or story you're writing, you might change the pace of the waves, and the lulls in between crashes. But you're probably going to still have have some waves, even at low tide, with the sea low and quiet.

Be careful about misdirecting or distracting the reader without a good reason. You don't want your reader to feel manipulated.

How will the hero escape? Will the evil monster, boss, whatever destroy everything that the protagonist loves? Is romance enough? Most of the time the question you want your readers asking is how will this be resolved. What's going to happen next? That's suspense.

Make sure that you keep your promises, and give readers the information they want. Also, make the protagonist struggle -- the reader needs to worry about them.

"If the reader has nothing to find out, nothing to anticipate, be anxious over or expect, he won't read at all."

So make the reader asked questions, anticipate what's going to happen, and then answer the questions, provide information, show that hero dealing with dangers and threats. Just don't leave them...

Billie Sue ended her column with "There is just one more very important secret I think you should know..."

Cliffhangers. And in our next thrilling episode...

Write, and don't forget the suspense! Keep the reader waiting, just a little bit more?

Original posting 22 December 2008

I warned you! Now, it's time for a moldy article from Writers Digest, February 2005. Pages 20 and 21 are the column Fiction Essentials by James Scott Bell, and in this issue, he's highlighting the three secrets of suspense. Wouldn't you like to know what they are?

"What happens next? When you're writing a novel, that's the question you want in your readers' minds all the time. That's what keeps them flipping pages long into the night. That's suspense. And every novel needs it."

What do you think suspense is? Well, Bell starts out by telling us that "suspense in fiction is a feeling of pleasurable uncertainty." When we don't know what is going to happen -- although we may have suspicions -- and we really want to find out -- that's suspense!

Kind of like waiting for the three secrets of suspense :-) So without further ado, here they are!

1. The Death Threat

"The best suspense is about death." Physical death in various variations -- serial killer, villain, malevolent conspiracy -- death abounds. However, professional death -- loss of work or livelihood -- also works. Or psychological death, the inner death that results from not having a reason to go on living, not dealing with dark secrets from the past, not healing.

"Here is the key to creating a convincing threat to your character's life, whether it's physical, professional, or psychological: Include scenes early in your novel that explicitly show what the central problem means to your protagonist. Get your readers to feel what's at stake from the very beginning of the story."

When death in one guise or another awaits the character, we have to keep reading.

2. The Sympathetic Protagonist

"No matter what kind of danger is present, if readers don't care about your protagonist, they still won't worry much about what happens. To really care about your story, readers need to feel sympathy for its lead character." So what makes readers sympathize with -- feel emotionally bound with -- the hero?

First, a well-rounded character, with flaws and strengths. Neither perfection nor complete failures are terribly interesting. Second, guts -- make the hero active. Third, characters who care about someone else are more sympathetic than self-centered egotists.

3. Scene Tension

"Every scene in your novel should have tension, whether that comes from outright conflict or inner emotional turmoil." Outside tension comes from the character having a goal that matters to him or her and significant opposition to achieving it. Most scenes end with the character failing. Even success comes with a cost. I've seen it described recently as "yes, but..." Yes, we succeeded, but now there's a bigger problem! As for failure, that usually is "no, and furthermore..." Not only did we fail, but we're further away than before. Even relatively quiet scenes can have inner tension -- growing worried, concerned, irritability, anxiety.

"So put a sympathetic character into a life-or-death situation and maintain tension in all your scenes. You'll create the pleasurable uncertainty that readers love to feel, page after page."

Check your story against this checklist:

1. Do you have a sympathetic protagonist?
2. Are they facing life-or-death problems?
3. Does every scene maintain the tension?

Your exercise -- take a character, imagine a situation that faces them with a life-or-death challenge, and make a list of at least three scenes where they try to solve the challenge, and fail. Go ahead and write those up -- if you add a beginning and ending, you'll have a whole short story.

No ideas? How about pick a number from one to six? And you have selected the
following situation:

1. A building on fire, with people calling for help
2. An automobile accident, with people pinned inside
3. A building collapsing, with people trapped inside
4. A train wreck, with people hurt
5. A snow storm, with the power out, and people needing help
6. A boat drifting, with engines out, and people looking for help

Go ahead -- walk your character into that situation, and let them try to help.

Original posting 21 July 2008

TECH: Make a Scene #13: Suspense Scenes

[continuing the series on Make a Scene by Jordan Rosenfeld]

What do you think will happen next? That's the real question behind suspense. Rosenfeld suggests that suspense is a state of uncertainty producing anxiety. And you know, it doesn't matter whether we're waiting for something good to happen or something bad to happen, the reader is still hanging on the edge of the precipice. And the longer you as writer delay the outcome of the scene, the more your readers will enjoy it. So which scenes are suspense scenes?

1. The protagonist starts out in trouble or quickly gets mired in danger
2. Emotional, physical, or spiritual stakes for the character get more complicated
3. Emotional intensity increases and does not let up
4. Events or characters exert pressure on the protagonist to change or to act in some way

Suspense scenes add emotional zip, raise the emotional ante, and complicate things. They're often used after descriptive, contemplative scenes or dialogue driven scenes that mostly give out plot information. They act as a counter, getting the reader and the protagonist excited and out of their comfort zone. They are also fast scenes that push your reader to keep reading, so they can sometimes be good lead-ins to revelations. Oddly enough, suspense scenes are usually relatively slow paced, focusing on details. The agony of waiting for resolution is what makes it seem fast. Don't rush it, you want to give the reader time to worry.

The opening of the suspense scene should make the reader worry about the protagonist. The protagonist doesn't have to be hanging over the edge yet, but he can certainly be glancing at it. Or you might want to simply have the protagonist picking up some details that aren't quite right -- who left their muddy shoes on the porch?

• introduce a catalyst or antagonist with intentions that the protagonist does not trust
• let a character or event threatened or pressure the protagonist who resists
• let your protagonist under pressure react or do something that causes unexpected conflict

Mood, setting, sensory details -- these are what really build the suspense scene. Don't overdo it (remember the pathetic fallacy, wherein the weather always reflects the protagonists feelings). But select details and words that show the reader that something is wrong.

• dramatic weather can threaten the characters, block their achievements, or simply complicate everything
• decay or other evidence of damage makes readers wonder if the protagonist will end up in the same shape
• color and light -- there is a reason that bad things happen in the dark -- it's scary!
• eerie touches can certainly add to the picture

Raising the stakes. When the character's fate changes or new complications come in, a suspense scene can dramatize the new directions.

Strange or surprising actions that challenge the normality and expectations of the protagonists and the reader can push suspense. The confusion of this unexpected action raises the pressure and anxiety.

Ending a suspense scene. You need to finish the action and give the reader a pause. This might be a reflection by the protagonists, or maybe some other kind of pause. You need to let the reader take a breath. Another way is to run the scene right out into a cliffhanger. If you do this, pick it up in the next scene.

Note that even thrillers usually don't have all suspense scenes. You need to give the reader a break.

Rosenfeld's key points about suspense scenes

1. Does the scene open in an uneasy or anxiety provoking way?
2. Does the protagonist quickly get into trouble?
3. Is there enough emotional intensity in the scene?
4. Do events or an antagonist put pressure on the protagonist through opposition?
5. Is gratification delayed? Are conclusions to scene events postponed, and are the intentions of characters blocked?
6. Does the scene's end break the suspense or are we left hanging?

So that is Chapter 13. Suspense, getting the hero in trouble and letting them stew.

Incidentally, I think such scenes are a kind of staple for every writer. Thriller, adventure, mystery, romance, science fiction -- maybe if you're writing nonfiction you don't need to write suspense scenes, but I'm not sure about that. So we really need to practice these, setting up the structure and doing it. Can you think of any kind of fiction that doesn't need at least some suspense scenes?

An exercise? Well, these are staples for TV, so how about taking a look at a TV show and picking out a suspense scene? Perhaps the car chase or race somewhere (don't all TV shows have one of those?). Or some other scene that makes you bite your fingernails? How did it start, and what about it makes you worry and fret? Now think about how you might produce similar effects in a written scene. You don't have the background muzak to help, but you have plenty of other tools. So . . .

Write!

The writer's job is to help readers see the invisible -- or at least worry that it's coming.

Original posting 7 March 2008

Before we go to far, you might want to think about how you, as a writer, like to set up your mysteries. Or suspense.

How do you get a reader interested, how do you keep them reading, how do you convince them that somewhere down the way, you are going to reveal something interesting?

'saright? Something to contemplate on a weekend in March, eh?

Over at http://nancyfulda.livejournal.com/195030.html Nancy raises the question, and talks a bit about what doesn't quite make it (leaving out stuff? Just skipping right over important info? Nah, that's not a mystery, that's just a mistake, isn't it?).

My first response was that as writers, we need to raise questions - and then answer them. Part of what we do in the first part of the writing is to show that we can be trusted, that we will not leave the reader dangling on the edge of the precipice without sooner or later throwing them a rope, bringing in the helicopter with a skyhook, or somehow getting them out of that predicament. And having built up their trust, we can take them on a deeper dip over the edge of the cliff - and then raise them up again. Kind of like a roller coaster ride, give them a glimpse of what's coming, and then chug up the incline for a while, and . . . zoom down the incline . . . then around the curve! And then do it again.

Hum. Let's see. Mystery by expectation? Suspense in the interruptions?

How do you create that air of mystery, anyway?

When we write, we learn about ourselves.

original posting: Fri, 8 Jul 1994 18:35:01 JST

or: How Can A Story Convey Internal Struggles

Hi, all. Michael raised an interesting point which I have been pondering. It wasn't really central to his discussion, but noting his concern with portraying psychological depth and techniques of writing, I started to think about just what part the old theme of "man against himself" has in writing, and how the "standard techniques" present that struggle.

Grant me a thousand words or so (a picture and a half?) to pound that point into the dust?

[since I suspect many of you are still recovering from an extended weekend, you may postpone reactions for a while. I hope you enjoyed the 4th--and brought back memories of fireworks and hot buttered corn and all that jazz!]

I suppose I should start by noting that many discussions of literature attempt to loosely divide the set of possible conflicts into three major groups--man against himself, man against man, and man against nature (the book where I learned these wasn't up to modern standards--please feel free to change man into homo sap or whatever nonsexist term you prefer, and correct other sexual references as needed).

So I start with the recognition that psychological struggles--man against himself--are a very common playground for writers. In most cases, they use a variety of techniques to play out their plots.

Perhaps one of the most common is "projecting" the internal struggle onto external life, sometimes even converting the whole internal conflict into an "external" one. For example, Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde (sp?), most or all of Shakespeare's plays, Dracula, and many, many other "oldies" and even some "newies" clearly use the tired-and-true techniques as backdrops for this oldest play of old--man struggling with himself (check out the Bible and other ancient historical sources--cripes, even the mythologies are very little more than "external" projections of man's struggle with himself).

[or perhaps our best analogies and metaphors for what's going on inside are built from those outside ourselves? which one is the mirror, which the image?]

On considering the matter carefully, I'm not at all sure that there is any kind of story that does not involve the struggle of an individual to understand and deal with him or herself. Even the purest adventure-action story usually involves at least some minor (and often rather major!) internal struggle by one or more of the characters trying to deal with personality flaws, fear, hatred, etc.

There are a number of "plotting systems" that focus on identifying a "critical flaw" (or similar personality trait or problem), developing the conflict and rising tension to aggravate and display that internal problem, and then using a shift, reversal, or other method of resolving the external and internal conflict that has been constructed. Since these systems focus on the purely internal as the driving force underlying the entire plot construction and selection, it seems obvious that these are quite focused on internal struggles--even when the result is a hard-bitten detective madly chasing cares and dodging Freudian slips as they close in on the suspects...

Let's see--some of those old tired-and-true techniques:

Mystery--the presentation of parts and clues in an order which "teases" the reader into reading, then reveals the "hidden secret"--while it has obvious uses in almost any kind of writing, its appeal to the reader and challenge to the intellect seem peculiarly appropriate as a component of writing that deals with psychological conflicts and truths. After all, the depths of the mind (and especially those quirks of the unconscious, right and left brain, and other intrigues of the psychological world) are perhaps the most resistant of mysteries even to those of us who live with one all of our lives. We may be the foremost experts on that mind--and how mysterious it is!

[which is one of the delightful dilemmas of life--I must chose, yet I know precisely how little I know! and I thrash onward, struggling with that limited self I know too well...]

Suspense--the deliberate delaying of closure to maintain interest--also seems quite well-suited to writing that deals with internal thoughts, desires, and drives. After all, the tool is rooted in those desires and needs, and--when used to direct and heighten interest, or even in twisted ways to frustrate and mislead the reader--is one of the most psychological of writers' tricks.

Pandora, Love, Dilemma, Revenge...most of the old "tricks of the trade" seem rooted rather solidly in psychological caprice. The proper study of man is man--and seemingly that's what the writers have been up to for a long, long time.

Resolutions--lord, that's an on-going discussion. Join the confusion. For the nonce, let me just note that Randy's point about the basic need being the reader's psychological closure (versus resolving the conflict) is extraordinarily good (if I can ever pin it down enough to use it). Randy also made the excellent point that the end of the story and the resolution of the story are not at all identical, and can occur in various combinations (e.g. resolution before end, coincident, and resolution well after end). [points freely translated by me--if there are errors, they are mine]

[I have several files from Randy and Chris which I am still mulling over dealing with "endings" and "resolutions" and such fine points.]

I think Michael's point that most resolutions are not truly final may also provide some enlightenment for our continuing discussion.

Let me see - a quick checklist:

1. scenes - character, dialogue, action, setting
2. avoid narrative summaries - the narrator speaks
3. show, don't tell
4. let character emerge through action, reaction, and dialogue
5. limit flashbacks, analysis, and history
6. don't use dialogue or interior monologues to feed info to your reader
7. introduce us to the character through how they act and talk
8. 3rd person, past tense - except when 1st or omniscient or others do a better job
9. make dialogue show emotion, don't tell us
10. kill -ly adverbs -- use the right verb!
11. not "He wondered..." -- use "Why did he..." (more natural)
12. use beats -- little actions between dialogue lines
13. short paragraphs, scenes, and speeches
14. avoid repetition
15. watch proportion and balance
16. avoid cliches

hum--seems as though these old techniques are focused on bringing out character--that hidden psychological beast, with all its claws and varied furs, that hides beneath the external details and reveals itself in such maddeningly incomplete and fragmentary glimpses. Admittedly, it is not as simple and easy as sliding into the brain of the person might be--but most of us aren't telepaths anyway, and find even "stream-of-consciousness" writing to be relatively unfamiliar, not at all similar to the babbling brook that runs inside our cranium in the instants when we are not occupied with various disturbances outside and inside our skin.

Even when I look at attempts like Georges Polti's to categorize the various fragments out of which we "build" plots (or stories), the focus is on internal drives--sometimes being played out in the outside world--and the psychological thrashing of those conflicts. Polti makes a point of stating that one of the key ways to vary the basic building blocks of his 32 plot elements is to "collapse" two or more of his "essential characters" into a single person who embodies the inherent conflict and characteristics of those multiple "actors." I'd argue that one of the ways we can most easily display an internal struggle is to separate out the actors and give them at least fictional independence to "show off" their dispositions...

Perhaps this whole discussion really belongs with our recent notation that the writer's and readers' emotions are involved and "touched" by truly great writing. While not overtly identical, in the same way it might be said that part of the basic plot in great writing is always a human struggle with him/herself--coming face-to-face with the fact of our individual humanity in one guise or another, accepting it, and learning to deal with it in some way (note that being defeated by it is one way to deal with it--not perhaps the currently accepted mode, but quite common in older tragedies).

I did want to thank Michael for his quote:

- "Once upon a time, a man complained that the shoes he was trying on were
- much too tight. To which the seller replied: `You have no right to
- complain unless you yourself can make a better shoe.' So the man went
- out and found himself a better shoemaker..." --Pierre Elliott Trudeau--
- Canadian Prime Minister (1968-1979, 1980-1984)

Interesting quote. As I read it, it is talking to the craftsperson about making sure the product fits the customer--or in our terms, that the writing suits the audience.

Who is your audience? What do they expect? Nasty questions that cut to the core of writing...

thoughtfully,
tink

TECH: Make a Scene #13: Suspense Scenes

[continuing the series on Make a Scene by Jordan Rosenfeld]

What do you think will happen next? That's the real question behind suspense. Rosenfeld suggests that suspense is a state of uncertainty producing anxiety. And you know, it doesn't matter whether we're waiting for something good to happen or something bad to happen, the reader is still hanging on the edge of the precipice. And the longer you as writer delay the outcome of the scene, the more your readers will enjoy it. So which scenes are suspense scenes?


Suspense scenes add emotional zip, raise the emotional ante, and complicate things. They're often used after descriptive, contemplative scenes or dialogue driven scenes that mostly give out plot information. They act as a counter, getting the reader and the protagonist excited and out of their comfort zone. They are also fast scenes that push your reader to keep reading, so they can sometimes be good lead-ins to revelations. Oddly enough, suspense scenes are usually relatively slow paced, focusing on details. The agony of waiting for resolution is what makes it seem fast. Don't rush it, you want to give the reader time to worry.

The opening of the suspense scene should make the reader worry about the protagonist. The protagonist doesn't have to be hanging over the edge yet, but he can certainly be glancing at it. Or you might want to simply have the protagonist picking up some details that aren't quite right -- who left their muddy shoes on the porch?

• introduce a catalyst or antagonist with intentions that the protagonist does not trust
• let a character or event threatened or pressure the protagonist who resists
• let your protagonist under pressure react or do something that causes unexpected conflict

Mood, setting, sensory details -- these are what really build the suspense scene. Don't overdo it (remember the pathetic fallacy, wherein the weather always reflects the protagonists feelings). But select details and words that show the reader that something is wrong.

• dramatic weather can threaten the characters, block their achievements, or simply complicate everything
• decay or other evidence of damage makes readers wonder if the protagonist will end up in the same shape
• color and light -- there is a reason that bad things happen in the dark -- it's scary!
• eerie touches can certainly add to the picture

Raising the stakes. When the character's fate changes or new complications come in, a suspense scene can dramatize the new directions.

Strange or surprising actions that challenge the normality and expectations of the protagonists and the reader can push suspense. The confusion of this unexpected action raises the pressure and anxiety.

Ending a suspense scene. You need to finish the action and give the reader a pause. This might be a reflection by the protagonists, or maybe some other kind of pause. You need to let the reader take a breath. Another way is to run the scene right out into a cliffhanger. If you do this, pick it up in the next scene.

Note that even thrillers usually don't have all suspense scenes. You need to give the reader a break.

Rosenfeld's key points about suspense scenes

So that is Chapter 13. Suspense, getting the hero in trouble and letting them stew.

Incidentally, I think such scenes are a kind of staple for every writer. Thriller, adventure, mystery, romance, science fiction -- maybe if you're writing nonfiction you don't need to write suspense scenes, but I'm not sure about that. So we really need to practice these, setting up the structure and doing it. Can you think of any kind of fiction that doesn't need at least some suspense scenes?

An exercise? Well, these are staples for TV, so how about taking a look at a TV show and picking out a suspense scene? Perhaps the car chase or race somewhere (don't all TV shows have one of those?). Or some other scene that makes you bite your fingernails? How did it start, and what about it makes you worry and fret? Now think about how you might produce similar effects in a written scene. You don't have the background muzak to help, but you have plenty of other tools. So . . .

Write!

The writer's job is to help readers see the invisible -- or at least worry that it's coming.

original posting: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 00:22:56 -0400

This last weekend, I took a walk with visitors.  Their little child was terribly excited as we walked along, dashing ahead to look, then running back to tell us what was around the next corner.

I was thinking about that childhood enthusiasm for the little mysteries of "what's around the next corner?"

Perhaps that's the wonder of writing -- you get to decide what's there, hiding around that corner.  And you get to tease us (your reader) into peaking around with you.

What do you think?  What corner is your writing about to peak around?  And how are you going to get me (the reader) to peak with you?

Tell us about the street you're walking down, the corners that hide things, and what lurks around those corners...

write!

original posting: Sun, 8 May 1994 18:35:02 JST

[GET READY TO...]

Not the big mystery, just the little everyday mysteries that keep a reader turning pages, wondering...

1. Pick an object - book, revolver, letter, knife, bottle of pills, etc., etc.

2. Pick a container - paper bag, drawer, pocket, briefcase, trashcan, etc., etc.

3. Take a character.

4. Two approaches


Very simple - hook, pause, revelation. and if you overlap them so that the reader always has at least one and often more than one unfinished mystery to look forward to - they'll keep turning page after page, pulling themselves right up and into the ending.

[...WRITE!]