Suspense is key!
At least, that's what Elizabeth Sims tells us in her article, How to Make Your Novel a Page Turner. Ever heard of the Heart-Clutching Moments Plotting Method? Hop on over and Ms. Sims will enlighten you with the finer points of how to build a fabulous and suspenseful plot. I don't know about you, but I want my novel to be a page turner. As a matter of fact, I'd like it to be the kind that readers stay up into the wee hours of the night to finish!
Not only does Sims share this interesting method, she highlights ways to supercharge your characters. She's a great proponent of ending chapters with a bang, too. In addition, she encourages us to "Use mood like a scalpel." In her opinion, action is the artillery we use to accomplish the novel writing task. I'm thinking that she's right. I may not endorse each and every method that she mentions, but I love her thoughts on this topic.
What helpful novel or other writing tips do you have to share? Please share them with us!
Don't forget, tonight at midnight is the deadline for entering my Blogoversary Giveaway. Click here to enter.
Happy suspenseful writing!
Those tips sound great! I would love to make my story a page turner. I love to ramping up the mood too!
ReplyDeleteI don't have any tips right now, but I'm soaking up yours. :-)
I have no room to give tips, right now I'm just enjoying writing my first draft, and though I recently found myself stuck at an area of having to rewrite I know that I want it to be a page turner so I need to work on making sure that it continues that way! I can feel the mood ramping up in here! Great post!
ReplyDeleteJessica,
ReplyDeleteI'm all for the page turner thing! We can learn these things together:)
Thanks for coming by:)
Jen,
I am sure that your WIP will be great with the changes you're making. Thanks for dropping in! :)
Blessings to you both,
Karen
Thanks for the tip, I do pass them on to Madeline, my daughter, you know, you are great at finding them. Take care. Bless you. xxx
ReplyDeleteRaymonde,
ReplyDeleteGlad they may be helpful! Always nice to see you here:)
Hugs and blessings,
Karen
Hi Karen -
ReplyDeleteNot all my chapters have them, but I like cliffhangers at the end. The one place I don't like them is at the end of a book.
I'll have to check out this article later.
Blessings,
Susan :)
Susan R.,
ReplyDeleteI agree. I don't like cliffhangers at the end either. Hope that you find some helpful tips.
Blessings,
Karen
Sounds like some info I need to read! Thanks for the link!!!
ReplyDeleteAlisa,
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome:) Hope that you find it helpful.
Blessings,
Karen
Mood like a scalpel? I never thought about that. Cool.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI know! I thought it a clever way to express things. Thanks for coming by.
Happy weekend,
Karen
I love/hate when I can't put a book down at the end of a chapter. :O)
ReplyDeleteSigh. I need help with this. Now.
ReplyDeleteSee, I just LOVE certain voices and writing style and THAT makes me turn those pages. Not so most folks.
Off to the blog I go.
Oh, a page-turner? DEFINITELY
"My Sister's Keeper," Jodi Picoult
Diane,
ReplyDeleteI know, me too! Funny how it works that way. Love a good book, hate to see it end:)
Patti,
Will pray that you get the inspiration that you need! Thanks for the tip on Jody's book.
Blessings to you both!
Happy weekend,
Karen
Karen:
ReplyDeleteI have bookmarked the article. I read part of it. I need to study it. Thanks for directing us to it.
Hi Cecelia,
ReplyDeleteSo nice to see you again:) Glad that this may be helpful.
Blessings and happy weekend,
Karen
Hi Karen
ReplyDeleteIm always afraid my cliffhangers are too corny. But I do love reading them, so there you go. Thanks for the article link.
Blessings
Jan
Hi Jan,
ReplyDeleteI bet they aren't as corny as you think. You should try a few on us! We'd love to check them out. Thanks for coming by.
Happy weekend,
Karen
Thanks for the link, Karen! A book doesn't have to be a suspense or a thriller to be a page turner. I love finding a book I can't put down. Of course then the dishes pile up... *g*
ReplyDeleteLindsey,
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a good point! I've had some dishes pile up over books like these:) Thanks for coming by!
Karen