Suspense: storytelling’s big tease – guest post at Writers Helping Writers

Roz Morris @Roz_Morris's avatarNail Your Novel

I’m at Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi’s blog today with a post about how to use suspense. I think I first mentioned it on this blog a few weeks ago, but actually I got the date wrong, so you might have been waiting a while for this.

Which is exactly how suspense works, of course. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

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Now, hie yourself over to the suspense department to read the post. I see you shiver with antici…

…pation.

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How to add wonder to your writing

Jean M. Cogdell's avatarJean's Writing

I wonder what will happen next.

The dream of every writer is to make the reader question and wonder about everything happening to your characters.

But how to give readers that sense of awe, curiosity, or admiration?

And more than that why do we want to achieve this lofty goal?

Because…

A sense of wonder will keep readers turning pages.

I loved this post by Janice Hardy.

Janice put a different twist on the usual questions writers ask. And a different twist for me means a new twist for my readers.

Remember:

  • don’t be predictable
    • delicious or poison
    • dead-end or right destination
  • make the reader worry
    • success and failure,
    • secrets and truths
    • a clean the kitchen or a bloody mess
  • a hook in the beginning and triggers throughout
    • good fisherman plays with the fish, so does a good writer

When the reader needs to catch their breath is the time…

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Want to use a fancy custom language for something, but don’t know how to make one?Use Vulgar!

thoughtsfromthewritersdesk: voidbat: erebones: fuckingconversations: tw-evan: Vulgar is a conlang (constructed/fictional language) generator created to help literally generate a language for you. No, really. No tricks, and it’s super simple to use. It’s my favourite tool right now for writing fantasy, even as someone who loves creating his own languages, it’s an amazing starting point. Want... Continue Reading →

thejovianmute: rage-quitter: I was getting pretty fed up with links and generators with very…

thejovianmute: rage-quitter: I was getting pretty fed up with links and generators with very general and overused weapons and superpowers and what have you for characters so: Here is a page for premodern weapons, broken down into a ton of subcategories, with the weapon’s region of origin.  Here is a page of medieval weapons. Here... Continue Reading →

harrysbumjr: me as im writing something:……… harrysbumjr: me as…

harrysbumjr: me as im writing something:……… harrysbumjr: me as im writing something:…… harrysbumjr:… harrysbumjr: me as im writing something:…… harrysbumjr: me as… harrysbumjr: me as im writing something:…… harrysbumjr: me as im writing something:… harrysbumjr: me… harrysbumjr: me as im writing something:… harrysbumjr: me as im… harrysbumjr: me as im writing something:… harrysbumjr: me as im writing something:... Continue Reading →

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