Writers in the Storm

Writers In The Storm is thrilled to welcome Stacy Green!

This is my first time posting at Writers In The Storm, and I am very excited to be here. Jenny and the gals wanted me to talk about writing suspense, so I’m going to give it my best shot.

My version of suspense goes something like this: bone-tingling, spine-chilling, heart stopping rollercoaster ride. It’s the anticipation of what might happen to the hero or heroine and the fear of what horrible thing might be on the next page. Good suspense means readers keep turning the pages, and that’s what writing is all about.

There are a lot of skills that go into writing great suspense, but I’m going to talk about three vital components you find in every great suspense novel.

Believable Red Herrings.

Everyone wants to know whodunit. And no one wants to figure that out with half a book to go. Which means that once you get your basic plot nailed down, you need to figure out who your red herrings are. Have at least two (if not three characters) who are viable bad guy candidates.

If you’re a plotter, create a new file for each character and jot down why he could have done the deed. I take notes on how he fits into the fabric of the book, and as I progress, I will go back to those files and add more details. Not a plotter? No worries. Try keeping a notebook for ideas of who the RH could be and why. When he or she does something suspicious, jot it down. And when it’s time to work on the second draft, you’ll be able to weave those guys in.

For example, in TIN GOD, I had a separate file for a character called Royce Newton (a murder victim’s husband and possible conspirator in an illegal adoption ring). In that file, I had several sections: connection to victim, connection to protagonist, motive, alibi, reasons for suspicion/dishonest actions, connection to antagonist.

You can create your files to your liking, but the key is to knowing WHY that character could have committed the crime and the connections he or she has to various characters and the plot.

Remember your red herrings need to fit seamlessly into the plot and be a natural suspect, but the character also needs to be well rounded. Very few people are all bad, so showing snippets of decency about your RH will really keep the reader guessing. Any time I read a book with a guy who is obviously all bad without any teeny tiny shred of decency, I know he DIDN’T do it. Because that would be way too easy.

It’s not easy juggling multiple red herrings. Organization is the key. Whatever system you use, make sure you have a separate file for each possible red herring.

Set the Scene.

Why is this important? Because your reader needs to feel immersed in the world you created, and because setting equals mood.

For instance, in one of the pivotal scenes in TIN GOD, the protagonist is in a very bad situation. I used the weather to add to the tension and played up the fear of the lightening, the pelting rain, and the low visibility. We’ve all driven in a thunderstorm, and we know how nerve wracking it is. So it set the perfect mood for the climax of the book.

You can also play up your book’s location. TIN GOD is set in Mississippi, so I used the heat and humidity to layer the conflicts. Nothing makes an argument worse than feeling like you’re being smothered. If you’ve got a winter setting, and your hero or heroine is putting himself or herself in harms way, play up that scenery. Is it so cold their breath is freezing? The sky glowing with the deep purple bruising of an oncoming snowstorm? Are they driving down a road covered with ice and passing vehicles that have slid into the ditch? All of this will help get your readers hearts beating just a little bit faster.

Here is an example from the climax of TIN GOD, where I used the storm to set the stage for the final showdown between the heroine and the antagonist.

Storm clouds chased their escape and swiftly passed the speeding vehicle. Soon they were engulfed in the deep purple and black tempest, driving head-on into its wrath. A coffin on wheels, Jaymee thought as the storm swept the minivan into its embrace. Lightning shattered the purple sky and thunder boomed hard enough to rattle the van windows. They were at nature’s mercy.

But you don’t have to rely on the weather. Use all of the senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, taste. Is the air foul? Are there birds making a lot of racket? Is your character so tense their mouth is dry, or feeling like its covered with cotton.

Here’s an example from my debut novel, INTO THE DARK, where my heroine Emilie makes a daring decision to find her stalker on her own.

She readied her keys, took one last nervous look around, then jumped out of the Acadia. It was only about twenty feet to the employee’s entrance.

Her Nike’s slapped against the concrete as she ran. Blood rushed to her ears. She envisioned a shadow creeping behind her, mirroring her steps until she came to a stop. She grabbed for the door, key at the ready. The lock turned, a loud click in the middle of the night. A whisper of hot night air grazed the back of her neck, a phantom touch. Emilie whirled around so fast her ponytail smacked against her cheek.

Every sensory detail in a scene can be used to up the suspense. You can talk about dry mouth, cracked lips, hot skin, bitter taste, churning stomach, etc. The trick is to SHOW the suspense with description.

Sentence Structure.

I know, not nearly as fun of a topic, but it really does matter, especially if you’re writing suspense. You never want to have several similar sentences close together anyway, and that mistake will definitely ruin an otherwise suspenseful scene.

Changing up your sentence structure controls the pace, and when your goal is make the reader’s heart pound, short sentences are key.

Lisa Gardner is a master of this. One of my favorite books of hers, SAY GOODBYE, is loaded with tension and psychological suspense. This is just a snippet of how she controls the pace with sentence structure, as well as keeps suspense building for the reader.

Kimberley’s hands dropped in front of her rounded belly. Field kit, she thought again. Quick dash, unzip the bag, reach inside for her weapon…No dice. Kid could pull the trigger of his gun in a split second. And the spider…she didn’t want to think about it.

Another example, later in the scene:

Kimberley’s hand flew to her duffel bag, fingernails scrambling frantically against the nylon surface. Goddammit, why’d she have to zip the bag? She was never gonna make it. The gun leveling, pointing…

See how the different types of sentences ups the tension?

Practice makes perfect!

All of these things are tough to do, because most writers get into a pattern of specific sentences. It takes a lot of objectivity and good editing, but it can be done. Go to an important scene in your current WIP–a scene where you want the reader to have a strong visceral reaction. How is your sentence structure? Do you have a good mix? What about the five senses? Are you employing them? And think back over the story as a whole – do you have enough red herrings (or tricks) to keep the reader guessing and entertained?

TIN GOD
Kindle
Paperback

About Stacy

Born in Indiana and raised in Iowa, Stacy Green earned degrees in journalism and sociology from Drake University. After a successful advertising career, Stacy became a proud stay-at-home mom to her miracle child. Now a full-time author, Stacy juggles her time between her demanding characters and supportive family. She loves reading, cooking, and the occasional gardening excursion. Stacy lives in Marion, Iowa with her husband Rob, their daughter Grace, and the family’s three obnoxious but lovable canine children.

Website: www.stacygreen.net
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Susan Spann joins us again for the second in her series about protecting your writing and your author rights in your estate planning. Even though many of us don't like to think about that particular future, it's an important part of your writing business that no one talks about.

by Susan Spann

Big thanks to Writers in the Storm for inviting me back to continue our new series on estate planning for authors!

As we discussed in April, every author needs an estate plan, including a properly drafted will or trust, which addresses the ownership and management of copyrights and other intellectual property the author owns at the time of the author’s death.

All authors have an estate plan. Surprise! You have one, whether you know about it or not. If you haven’t written a will or a trust, then you’re operating with plan #3: intestacy, which essentially means the estate plan the state establishes by law for anyone who dies without a valid will or trust.

A hint for the wise: option #3 is bad.

Authors who have no written estate plan will find their estates (and copyrights) subjected to the laws of the state (or country) where the author resided at the time of death. In most U.S. jurisdictions, the law provides that spouses and biological or legally adopted children inherit the property and rights of a person who dies. However, state laws vary, and in some places property ends up escheating to the state – which means the government could end up with your copyrights.

Unless you leave a written will or trust, you’re gambling with your intellectual property. Don’t do that.

Take charge. Create your own estate plan.

In most states (and countries), the estate planning choices come down to wills and trusts. We’ll look at trusts in next month’s post. Today, let’s talk about wills.

A will (or a “testament”) is a writing which disposes of property belonging to the testator (the person who wrote the will) at the time of his or her death. The legal name for the property that belongs to a person at the time of his or her death is the “estate” – which is also the reason wills and trusts are called “estate plans.” These documents provide a road map for your heirs—and the state—to ensure that after your death, your property is distributed in the manner you desire.

In many places, if your estate equals or exceeds $100,000 in value, your will must be administered through a probate proceeding. (If you have a trust, there is no probate. More about that next month.)

In probate, the will is administered, and the decedent’s property distributed, by a court or by a court-appointed executor (with or without direct court supervision). You don’t have to have an attorney to probate an estate, but in most cases the executor (the person the will appoints, by name, to handle the estate and its distribution) does hire legal counsel. This is because probate courts have special rules and procedures which can be confusing, especially when the executor is also a grieving family member. Probate lawyers’ fees are generally set by statute (often on a sliding scale, measured as a percentage of the estate).

Authors with small estates (less than $100,000 cash value at the time of death) may find a will sufficient for their needs. This is particularly true where the copyrighted works included in the estate produce relatively little active income. You’ll want to consult an experienced attorney familiar with both publishing and estate planning issues to see what level of income will require your estate to go through probate – once your royalties hit that threshold, you may want to consider a trust instead of a simple will.

A will can contain specific language stating how copyrights and creative works should be distributed, and to whom, and how the author would like them managed after death. (We’ll talk about these options in coming months.)

At a minimum, every author needs a will (many states allow handwritten wills, also called “holographic” wills – check the requirements in your state to be certain). Authors should also prepare a list of copyrights, publishers, and contact information relating to every published and copyrighted work in the author’s estate. The author’s heirs will need that information to collect and manage the author’s creative works. Remember—you won’t be there to help them answer the questions after you’re gone.

Even if your state allows handwritten wills, once your works are published you should consider paying for a professionally drafted will (or trust) to ensure that your estate plan manages and transfers your creative works in the manner and to the people you intend.

Authors whose estates exceed the statutory minimum to require probate should also consider establishing a revocable trust, which offers more flexibility than a will and, in many jurisdictions, allows your estate to avoid probate proceedings altogether.

But that’s the topic of next month’s post.

Have questions about authors’ wills? Feel free to ask them in the comments!

Susan Spann is a publishing attorney and author from Sacramento, California. Her debut mystery novel, CLAWS OF THE CAT (Thomas Dunne Books, July 2013), is the first in a series featuring ninja detective Hiro Hattori. Susan blogs about writing, publishing law and seahorses at http://www.SusanSpann.com. Find her on Twitter @SusanSpann or on Facebook.

Laura Drake and Fae Rowen were incredibly lucky to get to sit with James Scott Bell during the April OCC/RWA meeting and at lunch. He's a down-to-earth guy with no pretense. Best of all, he agreed to share a personal look at his writing process–through quotes of well-known authors–to give us a mid-week shot of inspiration.

by James Scott Bell

I collect quotes from writers on all aspects of the writing life. They open up little windows in my mind and help me see things I might miss on my own. I like to review these quotes from time to time. It makes me feel I'm in on a big conversation about my profession, with a bunch of very cool and experienced people. The only thing missing is the Starbucks.

Actually not, as I'm typing this right now at my favorite table at my favorite Starbucks. I'll just pretend it was Ray Bradbury who bought me that first cup, as he sits down with me and says,

"I do a first draft as passionately and as quickly as I can. I believe a story is only valid when it is immediate and passionate, when it dances out of your subconscious. If you interfere in any way, you destroy it.... Let your characters have their way. Let your secret life be lived. Then at your leisure, in the succeeding weeks, months or years, you let the story cool off and then, instead of rewriting, you RELIVE IT. If you try to rewrite, which is a cold exercise, you'll wind up with all kinds of Band-Aids on your story, which people can see."

Thanks, Ray. When I read your work that's exactly the impression I get, that your incredible imagination has been frolicking around in the fields and having fun. And by the way, thank you for The Illustrated Man, which was one of those life changing books for me. When I read it in junior high, I thought, Man, to be able to write that way someday…

Ah, I see that Henry David Thoreau, looking awfully good for a dead guy, has joined us. First thing out of his mouth is,

"How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live."

Right on, Hank. If there's nothing of value inside the writer, how can there be anything of value for the reader? And you can't buy value, like vowels on Wheel of Fortune. You have to earn it by living. Reminds me of something I heard once, that a writer really doesn't have much to write about until he's 40. That may be a bit high, but there's something to it, I think. Live first, write second.

Here's Barnaby Conrad, the man who started the famous Santa Barbara Writers Conference, and a terrific writer himself. As he drags a chair over, he says,

"Remember, almost no writer had it easy when starting out. If they did, everyone would be a bestselling author. The ones who make it are the stubborn, persistent people who develop a thick skin, defy the rejection, and keep the material out there, trolling."

Boy, is that ever true, Barnaby. When I wrote my first screenplay, I thought it was a work of pure, natural genius. The first industry friend who read it said, "You don't have it." I first thought she meant I didn't have any talent (as some of my former criminal clients have averred). But she explained I didn't have it ON THE PAGE. I realized I had a big learning curve ahead of me.

I wrote six full length screenplays over the next two years or so, before I landed with a Hollywood agent and began getting anywhere. Before that, I almost broke a knuckle knocking on doors and getting them slammed in my puss.

Which is why Andre Dubus, who has brought his latte to our table, interjects,

"Don't quit. It's very easy to quit during the first ten years."

That catches the ear of the ghost hanging out with Thoreau, George Bernau, who wrote Promises to Keep and other novels. He was a practicing attorney when he got into a car accident and almost died. In the hospital he took stock of his life, and, as he reminds us,

"I decided that I would continue to write as long as I lived, even if I never sold one thing, because that was what I wanted out of my life."

If you have the desire to write, then make the decision now that you'll write – strongly, passionately, with a commitment to your craft – no matter what.

How have you overcome the circumstances in your life that make it difficult to write? What keeps you going in those solitary, stolen hours at your computer?
James Scott Bell is the bestselling author, most recently of the thriller Don't Leave Me. He's also the author of numerous books on the craft of writing, including the popular Plot & Structure from Writer's Digest Books. Visit his website at  http://www.jamesscottbell.com.