One of the first tenets of successful novel writing is that without conflict, you’ve got no story. Conflict is what keeps the reader turning pages. Without it, your story comes to a halt while you clear your throat, meander around aimlessly, and stare at the wall. In his craft book Conflict and Suspense, author James…
Tag: tension
A Slice of Tension and a Dash of Danger
Q: What contributes conflict to your story and characters? A #1: TENSION with a slice of underlying tension The Breakout Novelist by Donald #Maass is full of hints and writing exercises that can strip down a conversation to its basics in order to produce great tension. Maass teaches, “…it is not information itself that nails…
Keep the Pages Turning with Mini Cliffhangers
What do you think of when you hear the word cliffhanger? Bombs dropping? Car chases? A character literally dangling from a cliff while hungry sharks circle the water below? Not all cliffhangers are so dramatic. They can be big or small, external or internal, over-the-top or subtle. They can apply to thrillers, literary fiction, and…
Trespass
I knew I was in trouble the second I saw him take a picture. He wasn’t coming up the hill to greet me. He wasn’t coming up the hill to say “Howdy, partner” or “You must be my new neighbor.” No. His climbing posture said it all. He was coming up the hill with a sense of…
Conference 411: Part 2
SAVE $50 AND REGISTER NOW! Registration is open for the 2019 Colorado Gold Conference. If you haven’t yet registered, get to it—you’ll be so glad you did! One reason: the conference price goes up by $50 on June 30. Beat that date and save. If you have already registered, welcome! This year’s conference has a powerful…