Raptors are some of the most successful predators on the planet. From owls, eagles, and vultures to hawks, falcons, and other birds of prey, raptors are skilled hunters with incredible senses, like binocular vision, that help them detect prey at far distances. The secretary bird even carries mouthfuls of water back to the nest for her young — one of the few avian species to quench a chicks’ thirst.

If a raptor was a character in a book, they seem like the perfect villain on the surface. After all, they kill and consume adorable critters like chipmunks, squirrels, mice, monkeys, birds, fish, and old or injured animals. As readers, we’d fear the moment their shadow darkened the soil.

What we may not consider right away is how tender raptors are with their young, or that they only take what they need to feed their family and keep the landscape free of disease from rotting meat and sick animals, or what majestic fliers they are. Raptors have many awe-inspiring abilities.

Take, for example, the Andean condor, the largest flying land bird in the western hemisphere. In the highest peaks of the majestic Andes, the largest raptor in the world hovers high in the sky in search of its next meal — a carcass or old/injured animal to hunt. Andean condors have a wingspan of over ten feet. If one flew sideways through an average living room with eight-foot ceilings, the wings would drag on the floor!

How could we turn a massive predator like the Andean condor into a hero? It’s difficult to offset their hunting abilities and diet with the innocence of their prey, but not impossible.

A layered characterization holds the key. It doesn’t matter who your protagonist is or what they do. With proper characterization, a raptor or killer can play any role.

Go Deeper than the Three Dimensions of Character

1^st dimension: The face they show to the world; a public persona
2^nd dimension: The person they are at home and with close friends
3^rd dimension: Their true character. If a fire broke out in a cinema, would they help others get out safely or elbow their way through the crowd?

A raptor-type character needs layers, each one peeled little by little over time to reveal the full picture of who they are and what they stand for. We also need to justify their actions so readers can root for them.

A perfect example is Dexter Morgan, vigilante serial killer and forensic blood spatter analyst for Miami Dade Police. Why did the world fall in love with Dexter?

What makes Dexter so fascinatingly different is that he lives by a code when choosing his victims – they must, without a doubt, be murderers likely to strike again. But he didn’t always have this code. In the beginning, he killed to satisfy the sick impulses from his “dark passenger.” If it weren’t for Dexter’s adoptive father and police officer, Harry Morgan, who educated his son to control his need to kill and established tight guidelines for Dexter to follow (the code), he would have been the villain.

Readers accept his “dark passenger” because he’s ridding the world of other serial killers who could harm innocent people in the community. And that’s enough justification for us to root for him. We’re willing to overlook the fact that he revels in each kill and keeps trophies. We even join him in celebrating his murders — and never want him caught.

Jeffrey Deaver couldn’t have pulled this off if he showed all Dexter’s sides at the very beginning. It worked because he showed us each layer to the character of Dexter Morgan over time.

The Characterization for Vigilante Killers Cannot be Rushed

When I created this type of character, he started as the villain for two and half novels while I dropped hints and pieces of truth like breadcrumbs. It wasn’t until halfway through book four that the full picture of who he really was and what motivated him became evident.

So, go ahead and craft a raptor as the protagonist of your story (as an antihero). When characters are richly detailed psychologically, readers connect to them. Perhaps a part of us wishes we could enact justice like they do.

If crafted with forethought and understanding, your raptor may become your most memorable character to date. Just go slow and really think about how much of their mind to reveal and when. Who knows? You may create a protagonist readers will analyze for years to come!

*It’s unfair to draw a parallel between raptors and vigilante killers, but the idea came to me while watching a nature documentary. Make no mistake, I adore raptors.

SUE COLETTA - Resident Writing Coach

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs at the Kill Zone (Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers”). Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series (books 1-3), Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction. Now, she exclusively writes eco-thrillers, Mayhem Series (books 4-7 and continuing). Sue’s appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery. Find out more about our RWC team here and connect with Sue below or at www.suecoletta.com.

The post Could a Raptor Play the Protagonist Role? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

When we create a story world for readers, we are implanting images and sensory details. From which, the reader fills in the gaps. If we skew that world in any way, we pull the reader out of their base model. And ultimately, out of the story itself.

Examples of Oopsies:

• blue eyes turn brown
• a limp or lisp mysteriously vanishes
• the sun rises outside the west-facing window
• an ocean appears in the middle of the desert
• the MC’s house has hardwood floors, yet in the previous book they had wall-to-wall carpeting

Creating a fictional world requires creativity, consistency, and attention to detail.

10 Tips to Ensure a Smooth Transition from One Book to Another

Create an overarching series bible and a story bible for individual book(s). The story bible contains things like:

• Description of main characters, including the correct spelling of their names
• Description and names of secondary characters
• Description of villains, including epithets (if applicable)
• Victim profiles (if important)
• Characters’ professions
• Killer(s) MO and/or signature (if applicable)
• Pets, including deceased pets (if applicable)
• Tattoos or piercings
• Scars—emotional and physical
• Favorite jewelry
• Marital status/relationships
• Important dates (birthdays/anniversaries)
• Family ties
• Themes
• Setting
• Backstory
• Housing
• Favorite scent (cologne/perfume/shampoo/body spray/lotion)
• Accent (if any)
• Home décor and architecture
• Cherished treasures/family heirlooms
• Timelines
• Main plots
• Subplots
• Future scene ideas

In the story bible for each book, focus on minute details. Did you describe the MC’s home? Include the passage. Does the MC read a lot? Include book titles, if mentioned in the novel. Did you describe the town or the MC’s favorite breakfast joint? Include the passage.

The series bible should include details about the story world and generalized descriptions of the characters.

No need to repeat the descriptions of main and secondary characters unless they’ve changed in some way i.e., MC got a small ankle tattoo in the last book. Or she now has a scarred cheek from an automobile accident. Breast implants, liposuction, collagen lips, Botox, or other plastic surgery.

Do include theme, subplot, setting, ringtones, pets, updated backstory to include previous books, new characters, new fears, or old traumas resurfacing, new or perfected skills, favorite foods, favorite cocktail(s), food allergies, jobs, etc. etc. etc.

We forget. A lot. With multiple books in a series, our recall worsens. If we write in more than one series, it’s even easier to forget minute details.

Tips to Create Story Worlds

• Establish a Core Concept

What is the concept or theme? Is the book set in a post-apocalyptic world? Dystopian future? Historical time? When or where does the story take place? Even if you never include the month or year in the WIP, knowing the approximate date helps to establish weather patterns, sunrise/sunset times, etc.

• Geography

Develop physical landscapes, landmarks, cultures, and traditions. What are the residents like in this town? Stepford-esque? Back-country rural? A bustling city? Beach/island community?

• History

Even if you never use these details in the WIP, you should know the history of your world. Did a major event cause an upheaval? Are there lingering effects? What are the natural resources? What is the terrain and climate like? Any landmarks?

• Culture and Society

Who inhabits your world? What is the culture like? How is the diversity? Does the culture and/or society cause conflict? How so? What’s the transportation like—horses, vehicles, taxis, buses, bicycles, motorcycles, or do most people drive mopeds or golf carts on the streets?

• Languages

What is the predominate language of your world? Any secondary languages? Do language barriers cause conflict for the MC?

• Societal Norms and Taboos

What are societal norms for your world? Is there an Amish community? Is there a robust Indigenous community? Do their traditions and culture conflict or complement the MC’s background? Any taboos?

• Leave Room for Changes

Don’t describe your story world in so much detail that it doesn’t allow for deeper exploration in later books. You may love it today, but ten books later it could hamstring you.

We can either create a story bible during the writing process or after. I prefer to do it once the first draft is complete. If I stop to scrawl notes during the drafting stage, it slows me down. Do whatever works best for you. These are guidelines, not rules.

Did I miss anything? Please share.
Any other advice from your experience?

SUE COLETTA - Resident Writing Coach

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs at the Kill Zone (Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers”). Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series (books 1-3), Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction. Now, she exclusively writes eco-thrillers, Mayhem Series (books 4-7 and continuing). Sue’s appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery. Find out more about our RWC team here and connect with Sue below or at www.suecoletta.com.

The post Top Story World and Story Bible Tips appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Writers need to have a sadistic streak to inflict pain—emotional or physical—on our beloved characters repeatedly, but failure is important in fiction. Without it, the story drags.

Why to Include Failure

Without failure, we decrease the stakes, consequences, and slow the pace. And, most importantly, without failure there is no character arc. The story may seem messy and uncomfortable when we add failure, but it also adds authenticity. Mistakes and failure are part of life. If we don’t shy away from failure, the characters’ journey feels real.

Think about it this way. Who would you rather champion—a character who worked hard, persevered, failed a gazillion times, and still achieved massive success or someone who inherited a business?

How to Include Failure

It’s not difficult to make a character fail. The possibilities are endless. Failure might result from the character’s flaws, fears, insecurities, inabilities, or simple mistakes and oversights that have major consequences later in the story.

Here a few examples:

• Trusting the wrong person
• Refusal to accept help or advice
• Misheard information
• Tripping, slipping, falling
• Unable to follow simple directions
• Losing something that’s important to the storyline
• Rushing without forethought
• Misunderstanding a friend/parent/mentor
• Misunderstanding directions, plot clues, etc.
• Misreading a situation
• Overhearing something incorrectly
• Misplaced suspicion of an innocent person and/or act of kindness
• Physically failing
• Arriving too late
• Arriving too early
• Dropping an important object that shatters
• Losing something important
• Speaking without thinking things through first
• Unwilling to stay quiet
• Sneeze or cough at the wrong time
• Not speaking up when they should
• Forgetfulness
• Not trusting or second-guessing their own capabilities
• Not being willing to take a needed risk

Where to Include Failure

We don’t need major complex issues to fail. Speedbumps in every scene help with pacing. Our character doesn’t need to be a complete klutz, but they should make mistakes. Otherwise, the character won’t feel real.

We enjoy watching others fail. It’s human nature. How many of you have gotten frustrated with a cyclist who’s holding up traffic? Have you ever wished the car in front of him would open their door? Or the tires would blow, sending the cyclist over the handlebars?

Admit it. We’ve all experienced similar thoughts. Do we want the cyclist harmed? No. We just want him out of our way. And let’s face it, if he crashes it’d be a lot more interesting. Dark thoughts entering our headspace doesn’t mean we’re bad people. It means we’re human.

• Failure creates conflict.
• Conflict creates tension and raises the stakes.
• Tension is far more interesting than continual success, which gets boring fast.

To answer the “Where?” question, include failure when things are going a little too well. Now, it doesn’t need to be a major failure. The character arc shouldn’t change.

Four quartiles or Parts (each represent 25% of the book) of a character arc should look like this:

• Part I—The Setup: Introduce main character, hook the reader, and setup First Plot Point. In terms of character, they’re like a newborn experiencing the world for the first time. With an uncertain future ahead of them, they should fail. A lot.

• Part II—The Response: Main character reacts to their new reality, the goals, stakes, and obstacles revealed by the First Plot Point. They’re trying new things and failing a great deal.

• Part III—The Attack: Midpoint information or awareness causes the MC to change course in how to approach obstacles. The MC is now empowered with intel on how to proceed, rather than staying reactive. We still need failure, but they’re smaller mistakes.

• Part IV—The Resolution: The MC summons the courage and growth to find a solution, overcome inner obstacles, and conquer the villain(s). Failure is minimal here, if at all.

When to Include Failure

Let’s say your character is cruising along. They’ve met many of their scene-level goals and are making decent progress. Now would be the perfect time for failure. I’ll show you what I mean…

A scene is broken into two parts, Scene and Sequel.

Scene Structure

Goal: What does the character want to achieve? What’s their objective?

Conflict: Obstacles preventing the character from reaching that goal. *Here’s a great place to add failure.

Disaster: Things worsen. *Or here.

Sequel Structure

Reaction: How does the character react to the Disaster? *Another perfect spot for failure.

Dilemma: A no-win situation. If they do A, B might happen. But if they refuse to act, the fallout will be worse.

Decision (which leads to the Goal of the next scene): The act of choosing what to do. *We can even add failure here (i.e. short-sightedness).

On a micro-level, include failure in motivation-reaction units or MRUs.

• Motivation (external): Something elicits a response in our character.
• Reaction (internal): How the character responds to the outside stimuli.

Also known as cause and effect, failure can only occur in the reaction. Why? Because the MC has no control over external stimuli. Could their past actions or mistakes be responsible for the motivation/cause they’re facing now? Absolutely. Hence why failure is so effective in fiction. As mentioned above, failure leads to conflict. And conflict drives the story.

What types of failure have you included in a WIP?

SUE COLETTA - Resident Writing Coach

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs at the Kill Zone (Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers”). Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series (books 1-3), Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction. Now, she exclusively writes eco-thrillers, Mayhem Series (books 4-7 and continuing). Sue’s appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery. Find out more about our RWC team here and connect with Sue below or at www.suecoletta.com.

The post Failure in Fiction appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Boredom is a common reason why a reader DNFs a book. Genre is irrelevant. If the reader isn’t engaged with the storyline, they will set aside your book for another that will draw them in.

A but means a complication, an obstacle the main character(s) must overcome. If the main character achieves their goals too easily, you’ll rob the reader of anticipation. The journey dies before it begins. Anticipation holds the reader in suspense, forcing them to flip pages late into the night.

Complications and obstacles draw readers in and give them a reason to root for the hero. One way to accomplish this is with but. Real life is filled with obstacles. Let’s look at a few examples.

“Buts” in the Natural World

A giraffe’s long neck helps them reach leaves at the top of trees, but that same neck causes them to have the highest blood pressure of any animal.

A rhino’s horn is their greatest asset in a fight, but that same horn makes them targets for poachers.

Boreal Owls are usually monogamous, but when prey numbers peak, males cheat with up to three females and female boreal owls often have at least one boyfriend on the side. So much for monogamy, right?

Gray whales can submerge for fifteen minutes at a time, but a mother’s calf can only hold their breath for five minutes. When under attack by Orca, the mother flips on her back to create a platform for her baby, but Momma can’t breathe upside down.

The Rhythm of “Buts”

In the following example, I’ve tried not to infuse emotion, characterization, and visceral elements to keep the focus on but. Obviously, we need more than but to write a gripping scene. Okie doke. Here we go…

Sarah’s car peters out of gas on a lonely back road with little, if any, traffic. She does have AAA but forgot her phone at home. So, she begins the long trek to the gas station. About a half-mile away from her car, an approaching vehicle’s headlights spiral through her legs. Hope soars like eagle wings but is quickly dashed by the recent news reports of missing women.

Should she accept the ride? If she does, she risks her life, but if she doesn’t, she’ll need to hike another four miles in the dark.

Sarah plays it safe, but lightning cracks open the sky thirty seconds after the good Samaritan leaves. Her father taught her a shortcut, but the trail slices through the dark forest. If she chooses that path, she’ll be alone—isolated—with predators stalking the shadows.

Sarah weighs the pros and cons, but she’s tired and hungry. The shortcut shaves off two miles. Every minute matters. Long delays might tempt Bella to pee on her new rug. Wouldn’t be the first time, but the fibers could only absorb so much puppy urine and cleanser before the color fades.

In the woods, tree canopies umbrella the rain, but they also block the last few trickles of moonlight. Regardless, she continues, but hiking through rough terrain in sandals isn’t easy. Soon, a growl stops her cold, but the rain muffles soundwaves. Animal voices pinball through the trees, but she can’t pinpoint their origin. She quickens her pace, but the toe of her sandal catches on an exposed root, and she falls. She crawls back to her feet, but pain spreads through her ankle.

***

Now, if we leave all the but words, the narrative will become monotonous fast. It’s fine to keep them while learning the rhythm of cause and effect. Just be sure to rewrite during edits without sacrificing the complications and obstacles. By doing so, it’ll force you to vary sentence structure as well, which also improves the manuscript.

How To Rewrite “But” Construction

Let’s use the same example.

On a lonely back road with little, if any, traffic, Sarah’s car peters out of gas. If she grabbed her phone off her kitchen table before she left, she could call AAA. The costly membership won’t benefit her now.

About a half-mile into the long trek to the gas station, an approaching vehicle’s headlights spiral through her legs. Hope soars like eagle wings, then crashes. The recent news reports of missing women squash the idea of climbing into a car with a stranger.

Should she accept the ride? If she does, she risks her life. If she doesn’t, she’ll need to hike another four miles in the dark.

Playing it safe, Sarah declines the offer. Not thirty seconds after the good Samaritan leaves, lightning cracks open the sky. Her father taught her a shortcut, but the trail slices through the dark forest. If she chooses that path, she’ll be alone—isolated—with predators stalking the shadows.

When she weighs the pros and cons, hunger and exhaustion win. Dad’s shortcut shaves off two miles. Every minute matters. Long delays might tempt Bella to pee on her new rug. Again. The fibers could only absorb so much puppy urine and cleanser before the color fades.

In the woods, tree canopies umbrella the rain, but they also block the last few trickles of moonlight. Regardless, she continues. Hiking through rough terrain in sandals isn’t easy. This shortcut better work.

Soon, a growl stops her cold. With the rain muffling soundwaves, could she trust her ears? Multiple animal voices pinball through the trees, but she can’t pinpoint their origin. She quickens her pace. Three hard-earned strides later, the toe of her sandal catches on an expose root, and she sails through the air, landing face-down in mud and muck.

When she crawls back to her feet, pain spreads through her ankle.

Uh-oh. Now what?

The first example has thirteen buts. The rewrite has three while still maintaining the cause-and-effect rhythm aka motivation-reaction units or MRUs. The power of but forces us to create complications and obstacles. So, the next time you struggle with a boring scene, add a few buts. You may be surprised by how much your scene improves.

Do you keep but in mind while writing?

SUE COLETTA - Resident Writing Coach

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs at the Kill Zone (Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers”). Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series (books 1-3), Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction. Now, she exclusively writes eco-thrillers, Mayhem Series (books 4-7 and continuing). Sue’s appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery. Find out more about our RWC team here and connect with Sue below or at www.suecoletta.com.

The post Why “But” is a Powerful Writing Tool appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Strategic timing of a book’s publication date can give it a boost and have a major impact on its long-term success. Commercial publishers and booksellers have known this forever.

Are certain days, months, or dates better than others?

Well, it depends on the book.

January – March

The first quarter of the year is the perfect time of year for business, self-improvement, health, and writing craft books, as people are eager to stick to their New Year’s resolutions.

Genre fiction also does well in the first quarter. For many of us, the first quarter means terrible weather (I’m in New England). We’re looking for new books to pass the time while stuck indoors. Also, many readers received new tablets, e-readers, or gift cards for gifts. Shiny, new books become irresistible.

Peak reading and buying season are very much tied to the weather. February and March are generally good times to release a novel because the weather’s not great. Snow and ice forces readers to browse the web for their next adventure.

The exception is children’s books. If you’re a children’s book author, wait for the second quarter of the year. Kids received books during the holidays and parents feel they’ve spent enough already. Also, they’re back in school, which leaves less time for pleasure reading.

April – June

The second quarter is another perfect time to release genre fiction, as people are going on vacation and finally getting to that book they’ve been dying to read all year. It makes sense to release a genre novel in the spring, so momentum can carry over into the summer.

What about children’s books? Easter is the second busiest time of year for kids and gifts. Parents are looking for various things to occupy their kids’ time. Books offer a great way to keep kids learning and occupied. Activity books for kids also do well during this time.

July – September

In the third quarter, business books and self-help books become popular again. Releasing virtually any book ahead of the holiday season is a smart idea. August isn’t ideal for two reasons. First, readers are often away, and things are quiet. Vacationers have already purchased their beach reads. Second, media outlets are slower to respond in August, if you’d hoped to advertise or score a review.

October – December

October is a terrific month for horror, thrillers, and mysteries—these genres dominate the marketplace, the darker the better. A cozy mystery or HEA romance may not do well in October. Historical fiction, depending on the subject matter, or dark romance might be all right. Really think about your genre and when you tend to buy books. It will help you understand the best time of year to release your book.

If you wait until the latter half of November, you might be too late unless you’re targeting a niche market.

December is the worst month of the year for new books. Even if you’re releasing a Christmas-related title, you’re better off planning for Christmas in July (and use the hashtag!).

If this logic doesn’t make sense to you, consider this: When do stores change their seasonal displays? They don’t wait till December, do they? Nor should we. Even if you write a series with eager fans, try to hold off till after the new year. Your readers are too busy with the bustling holiday season to read and review a new release.

Niche Markets

Whenever possible, try to find a niche for your new book baby. Consider the themes, locations, and plot of your book. Character flaws, race, worldviews, etc. can also fall into niche markets. Is there an element of your book that you can tie to a holiday or commonly known date? Think: Romance novels releasing near Valentine’s Day.

Dig deeper than the holidays. What if the protagonist is a 9/11 survivor? Or the heroine lost her life partner in the bombing? A September release makes sense, right? If your MC is a new bride, release during peak wedding season and show the connection in your marketing.

I found this calendar on Self-Publishing Review to help spark new ideas for you.

Does the Day of the Week Matter?

Big 5 publishers release on Tuesdays. Since major bestsellers are compiled on Tuesdays, some say a Tuesday release gives the title a full week to gain traction before the weekend. Readers and booksellers look forward to Tuesdays because of the hot-off-the-press releases. Why not take advantage of the buzz?

That’s up to you, of course, but let’s look at why the beginning of the week—Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday—tends to work better than the end.

In addition to the Big 5 releasing on Tuesdays, movies come out on DVD on that day as well. So, it’s a well-accepted day to release new material into the hands of eager readers. That said, many indie authors agree that Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday are all beneficial. While Tuesday may be more traditional, we don’t need to stick to tradition, do we? The beginning of the week works best because of the way Amazon records weekly sales. If you’re shooting for a bestseller category, you’ll want time to garner sales before the weekend.

The same holds true for monthly sales.

Releases in the first two weeks of the month gain better momentum than books released during the last two weeks because of how Amazon records sales. Also, readers are more willing to spend money at the beginning of a month. But again, if you’re releasing series novels and your readers are foaming at the mouth, you may want to publish as soon as they’re ready, regardless of the date.

Do you consider the date of book launches? What month/day/date worked well for your books, and why?

SUE COLETTA - Resident Writing Coach

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs at the Kill Zone (Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers”). Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series (books 1-3), Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction. Now, she exclusively writes eco-thrillers, Mayhem Series (books 4-7 and continuing). Sue’s appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery. Find out more about our RWC team here and connect with Sue below or at www.suecoletta.com.

The post When is the Best Time to Release a New Book? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

To understand why readers love anti-heroes, we first need to define what they are. An anti-hero is a flawed, complicated character who thrives in shades of gray. They play the hero of the story, but rarely, if ever, follow conventional expectations of heroism. 

Anti-heroes aren’t new. One of the first to emerge was the deeply flawed Huckleberry Finn. Marvel’s Wolverine and Hulk also are deeply flawed anti-heroes. Then came vigilante anti-heroes like Dexter Morgan, who lives by a code. Even though he’s a serial killer, he only murders other killers who’ve escaped justice.

Modern media has grown tired of idealized heroes. Pop culture fell in love with characters who have less-than-heroic traits since they are more relatable. We can’t see ourselves in a hero who stands on a pedestal of perfection. Beloved characters like Jack Sparrow constantly challenge the line between good and bad. Which makes him more relatable than, say, Superman.

Thus, our adoration of the anti-hero is rooted in self-identification with their characteristics and backstories. When characters reflect versions of ourselves, we connect on a deeper level. Our love for these characters stem from empathy. Empathizing with a character immerses us in the fictional world.

Anti-heroes are cool and complex characters that millions of readers adore. Their morality, or lack thereof, makes readers gravitate toward them. It is in our human nature to empathize with people, and what makes anti-heroes so easy to understand is because they are relatable, and typically well-rounded, dynamic characters.

When characters are richly detailed psychologically, we connect to them. If a character is complex enough, it challenges readers’ capacity for understanding others’ beliefs and desires—known as theory of mind—and that challenge can be a pleasant one for fans who like to think deeply about the books they read. Characters who aren’t so black and white, but morally gray, fuel our fascination. Also, perhaps a small part of us wish we could do what they do. Plus, they’re fun characters with snarky, witty dialogue.

Anti-heroes act on impulses we all have but cannot act on, which allows readers to explore what that might feel like. We all have “shadow sides” that contain forbidden impulses, and we need to confront and understand those shadow sides to be our healthiest, most complete selves. Carrying out socially unacceptable things in real life would bring negative consequences and damage our self-concepts but reading safely from the sidelines as our beloved anti-heroes “walk the walk” is immensely satisfying.

Dark characters do what they want, unconstrained by social norms. These complex and nuanced characters fascinate and provide a safe way to get in touch with our own forbidden impulses. In short, we love anti-heroes because they reflect the duality of man. Both good and bad traits combine to create a relatable, more human character.

Three Types of Anti-Hero

• Self-Interested Anti-Hero
• Unwilling Anti-Hero
• Vigilante Anti-Hero

Self-Interested

These anti-heroes tend to have a biting wit, sharp tongue, and a complete disregard for polite society. Their biggest concern is protecting their own interests, even at the expense of others. Fortunately, they aren’t actively trying to harm anyone, and they all have a moral line they won’t cross. If getting what they want would betray their values, they’ll find another way.

Most stories featuring this type of anti-hero focuses on convincing them to fight for the world around them, rather than just themselves.

Unwilling Anti-Hero

These characters are forced to engage with their story’s conflict by the Inciting Incident or First Plot Point, much like the typical hero. However, what makes them an anti-hero is that they spend most of their journey trying to turn back the clock to get out of their new obligations and return to their old life.

By the time they’ve completed the quest, they’ll embrace their new situation and learn to fight for what’s right—even if they continue to complain about it.

Vigilante Anti-Hero

The vigilant anti-hero is by far my favorite to write.

Some, like Jack Reacher, align with the classic “lone wolf. Others have families and deep personal connections. The vigilante anti-hero rejects authority, doesn’t trust society’s version of justice, and has their own nonconventional sense of morality. When they see evil in their world, they set out to correct it, even if it involves violence, deception, and murder.

As you can imagine, this requires a careful balancing act.

This style of heroism is exciting, but it’s also easy for these anti-heroes to cross the line in villain territory. Because of that, the vigilante anti-hero requires a rock-solid moral compass that is intrinsically good, even if their methods are more complex.

Though some anti-heroes toe the line between good and evil, they’re ultimately more hero than villain.

Have you crafted an anti-hero? What type did you choose? Tell us about them!

If you’d like to see anti-heroes in action, you can find some examples in my latest release.

Amidst a rising tide of poachers, three unlikely eco-warriors take a stand to save endangered Eastern Gray Wolves—even if it means the slow slaughter of their captors.

SUE COLETTA - Resident Writing Coach

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs at the Kill Zone (Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers”). Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series (books 1-3), Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction. Now, she exclusively writes eco-thrillers, Mayhem Series (books 4-7 and continuing). Sue’s appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery. Find out more about our RWC team here and connect with Sue below or at www.suecoletta.com.

The post Why Readers Love Anti-Heroes appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

A novel’s opening chapter makes a promise, a secret vow that says, “This is what you can expect from me.”

The chapters that follow better fulfill that promise, or the author will suffer the consequences with low-ratings, bad reviews, or their name on the Don’t Not Read list.

Yes, the promise is that important. It’s how we build and maintain an audience. It’s how we climb the proverbial ladder of success. It’s how we keep readers hungering for more. 

This solemn vow can NEVER be broken.

None of my recent reads landed within my preferred genres of psychological thrillers, dark & gritty mysteries, and serial killer thrillers, but I feel it’s important for writers to venture outside their genres from time to time.

For my next read, I wavered between WIN by Harlen Coben or Book 2 of a serial killer thriller series from one of my auto-buy authors. I devoured Book 1 in a couple days, and I’d been dying to read Book 2 for a while now, so I bought the $9.99 ebook. Immediately, the author transported me to a serial killer’s lair with the protagonist bound and helpless. I was enthralled. As I said, I’d been looking forward to this novel for a while and the opener didn’t disappoint.

Without sharing the title, I’ll show you how the writer sucked me into the scene.

Darkness.

It swirled around him deep and thick, eating the light and leaving nothing behind but an inky void. A fog choked his thoughts—the words tried to come together, tried to form a cohesive sentence, to find meaning, but the moment they seemed close, they were swallowed up and gone, replaced by a growing sense of dread, a feeling of heaviness—his body sinking into the murky depths of a long-forgotten body of water.

Moist scent.

Mildew.

Damp.

[Protagonist] wanted to open his eyes.

Had to open his eyes.

They fought him though, held tight.

His head ached, throbbed.

A pulsing pain behind his right ear—at his temple too.

“Try not to move, [Protagonist’s name]. Wouldn’t want you to get sick.”

The voice was distant, muffled, familiar.

[Protagonist] was lying down.

Cold steel beneath the tips of his fingers.

He remembered the shot then. A needle at the base of his neck, a quick stab, cold liquid rushing under his skin into the muscle, then—

Gripping, tense, love the story rhythm, the way he pauses at just the right moment. I could not flip the pages fast enough. Lovin’ every second of it!

And then…

In the next chapter, I find out it was all a dream. Infuriated, I almost whipped my Kindle across the room. One of my auto-buy authors wrote this thriller, and I expected him to fulfill the promise he made to me. Instead, he cheated. I was so disappointed, I refused to keep reading. He’d broken my trust. He let me down.

Sounds harsh, doesn’t it? But that’s exactly how I felt.

The emptiness he inflicted left me hungering for a visceral, gritty, serial killer thriller, one that would fulfill its promise.

I downloaded thriller number two.

Without revealing the title or author, here’s a small sampling of that opener.

            I woke up from a gentle shake. My sister’s face hovered a few inches above mine, her eyes glistening wet. A grinding sound came from her jaw as it moved back and forth.

I shivered.

[Sister] put her fingers against my lips. “SSSH. Nod if you understand,” she whispered.

I nodded.

My room was freezing from the cold wind blowing in through my open window.

“The monsters are coming for us. Be very quiet. We’re escaping,” she whispered.

I nodded again, biting my lip hard to not cry.

Was there a monster in my closet? Behind my closed bedroom door?

My heart thrashed against my ribs like a bird trying to escape its cage. Why were the monsters after us?

We learn the protagonist is a child and her older sister is rescuing her from an imminent threat. Other than a few writing tics, like SSSH instead of Shh…, the author did a terrific job of showing the action. Finally, I could sink into a gripping read. Or so I thought.

The next chapter (Ch. 1) consisted of pages and pages of backstory. No plot, only backstory. The premise still intrigued me, so I kept reading. Then I hit a flashback that dragged on for several pages. The worst part? It added nothing to the main storyline.

Still, because the prologue was so good, I read on. The prologue had raised many, many story questions, and I wanted answers. But in Chapter 2, I read more pages of backstory andanother flashback. The next chapter was equally disappointing, with more pages of backstory and a third (fourth?) flashback. I lost count.

Whiplashed from being thrown forward, then backward, I couldn’t take it anymore and closed the book. 

A good premise will only take you so far. At some point, you need to deliver on the promise you made to the reader.

The third novel I bought—all in same day, I might add—began with a slow burn opener. A girl is emptying a bucket of oil into the dumpster behind Burger King. It doesn’t sound like much on the surface, but the co-authors held my interest. Which, after being burned twice in a matter of hours, wasn’t an easy task.

Here’s the opening of DEAD END GIRL by L.T. Vargus & Tim McBain (affiliate link):

Corduroy pants swished between Teresa’s thighs as she crossed the parking lot. She had a headache. That drive-thru headset gave her a headache every damn time. The band squeezed her skull like an old man trying to find a ripe cantaloupe in the produce department. Pressing and pressing until her temples throbbed. When the headaches were really bad, she got the aura. And it was gonna be a bad one tonight. She could already tell.

By the time she got home, she’d be nauseous from the skull throb along with the stink of fryer grease clinging to her clothes and hair and skin. Sometimes she swore she could feel it permeating her pores.

She placed a hand under the lid of the dumpster and lifted. The overhead lights in the parking lot glinted on the surface below. It looked like water, but it wasn’t. It was oil. Every night they emptied the fryers, dumping the used oil into this dumpster. It was a disgusting task. Worse than taking out the trash on a 90-degree summer day, when the flies got real thick, and the meat went rancid almost as soon as they put it in the bin.

It was dead out. No traffic. No noise at all but her fiddling with the dumpster and the bucket.

Her skin crawled a little whenever she was out here this late. In the dark. In the quiet. A feeling settled into the flesh on her back and shoulders, a cold feeling, a feeling like after watching one of those scary movies when she was a teenager. It might have been a thrill while she was watching, but later on that night she’d always get spooked. She’d tremble in bed, too terrified to walk down the hall to pee. The house never seemed so ominously still as it did on those nights. Anyhow, she couldn’t stand to watch horror movies anymore. Her weak stomach couldn’t handle the gore.

Bending over the metal cart she’d wheeled along with her, Teresa scooped one of the buckets of used fryer oil and balanced it on the edge of the dumpster. She tipped the bucket and watched as the gallons of brown grease oozed into the dumpster, disrupting the smoothness.

Settled at the bottom of the bucket, there were clumps and chunks. Burned bits of fries and chicken tender crumbs. They splatted and splashed into the pool of liquid that looked black in the night.

That’s when Teresa saw it. Something rising out of the oil, disturbing the otherwise unblemished surface.

Intriguing, right? Most importantly, the authors kept their promise. Elated, I could not flip pages fast enough, savoring favorite passages, the story rhythm, and pitch-perfect pacing.

Come morning, I felt bad about dissin’ my auto-buy author. Maybe he had a reason to break the don’t-open-with-a-dream rule. 

Could the last line of the first paragraph indicate a dream?

…his body sinking into the murky depths of a long-forgotten body of water.

In hindsight, maybe. Probably. But it’s too subtle. Nonetheless, I grabbed my Kindle and kept reading. Sure enough, he used the dream sequence to show how it affected the protagonist, who’s been suffering nightmares after a serial killer slipped through his grasp. The dream relates to the plot because that serial killer is back.

Do I agree with the dream opening? No, but I kept reading because I knew this author delivers each and every time and his writing speaks to me. But what if I wasn’t a fan? What if I’d chosen the book at random? He would’ve lost me. See what I’m sayin’? It’s a risky move.

We spend a lot of time perfecting our opening pages, polishing them till they shine, but our job doesn’t end there. We must follow through in subsequent chapters by setting up scenes, paying them off, setting up more, paying off more.

Other than that crucial promise, your solemn vow to the reader, a few other takeaways are…

• Don’t start with a dream sequence unless the reader knows it’s a dream AND you’ve got a damn good reason to do it.
• Go easy with backstory. Sprinkle it in over time.
• Avoid flashbacks unless they’re absolutely necessary. Most times, they’re not.
• Don’t tell the reader what happened in the past. Trust us to figure it out on our own.
• A great premise only works if you deliver on that promise.
• If a slow burn opener works for your story, use it. Every novel doesn’t need a lightning-fast opener to draw and hold interest.

How far do you read before DNFing a book?

SUE COLETTA - Resident Writing Coach

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs at the Kill Zone (Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers”). Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series (books 1-3), Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction. Now, she exclusively writes eco-thrillers, Mayhem Series (books 4-7 and continuing). Sue’s appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery. Find out more about our RWC team here and connect with Sue below or at www.suecoletta.com.

The post An Unbreakable Promise to Readers appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Think of Milestones (aka story beats) as a human skeleton. The skull, spine, sternum (breastbone), scapula, ribs, and pelvis are vital for life. Without these large bones in place, we’d become a mushy blob of skin, muscle, and meat. Also important is the humerus (upper arm), radius and ulna (forearm), femur (thigh), patella (knee), tibia and fibula (shin). Though we could survive without arms and/or legs, we’d have to adjust to a new way of life. Same is true for the metatarsals and phalanges of our hands and feet.

A complete skeleton has the strongest foundation. Don’t we want the same for our novels?

Drilling down into the Three Act Structure, the dramatic arc is split into four quartiles. Milestones appear on the microlevel of those quartiles, called Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV. Each Part takes up about 25% of the novel. For clarity, I’ve colored Acts in red, Parts in blue, Milestones in black.

Ready to get high on craft? Cool. Let’s do this…

ACT 1

Part I: The Set Up: 

The first quartile (25%) of the story has but a single mission: to set-up everything that follows. We need to accomplish a handful of things (as you’ll see in the Milestones), but they all fall under the umbrella of that singular mission. If we choose to show the antagonist, we only want to include jigsaw pieces of the puzzle.

Most importantly, Part 1 needs to establish stakes for what happens to the hero after Part 1. Here in Part 1 is where the reader is made to care. The more we empathize with what the hero has at stake—what they need and want in their life and/or what obstacles they need to conquer before the arrival of the primary conflict—the more we care when it all changes. 

In Part 1 the hero is like an orphan, unsure of what will happen in their life. And like orphans, we feel for them. We empathize. We care.

Opening Scene

Often the Opening Scene doubles as the Hook, but not always. If you choose to include a prologue, for example, the Opening Scene must also hook the reader.

Hook

In an 85K word novel, the Hook should arrive between p. 1-15. This scene should introduce the hero, hook the reader, and entice them enough to keep reading. You need to ensure the reader either relates to, or empathizes with, the main character. Contrary to what some believe a reader does not have to like a main character. There have been plenty of unlikable heroes that have hooked us for an entire novel. Why? Because we empathized with their situation. Likeable or unlikeable, the reader must have a reason to root for them. That’s key.

Inciting Incident *Optional*

Not every story has to have an Inciting Incident in the way I use the term. Some call the Inciting Incident the First Plot Point. I refer to it as a separate Milestone, a foreshadowing of the First Plot Point but without affecting the protagonist. And that’s the main difference. It can even be an entirely different event, one that relates to the main plot, but it’s a false start. A tease. If we choose to include a separate Inciting Incident, this Milestone should land between p. 10-60 in the same 85K word novel. But an Inciting Incident does not mean we can skip the First Plot Point.

First Plot Point

Here’s where the true quest begins. The First Plot Point should land at 20-25% into the story, or between p. 60-75 in the 85K word novel. The First Plot Point is the single most important scene of all the Milestones because it kicks off the action and propels the hero on a quest, which is your story. Even if it’s been foreshadowed or hinted at, the First Plot Point shows the reader how it affects or changes the protagonist.

ACT 2 

Part II: The Response:

This quartile shows the protagonist’s reaction to the new goal/stakes/obstacles revealed by the First Plot Point. They don’t need to be heroic yet. Instead, they retreat, regroup, and/or have doomed attempts at a resolution.

First Pinch Point

The First Pinch Point arrives at about 37.5% into the story (roughly the 3/8th mark or p. 114 in the 85K word novel). This Milestone reveals a peek at the antagonist force, preventing the hero from reaching their goal. If you showed the antagonist earlier, this is a reminder, not filtered through narrative or the protagonist’s description but directly visible to the reader.

For a more in-depth look at Pinch Points, see this post. 

Midpoint Shift

The Midpoint Shift lands smack dab in the middle of the story at 50% or on p. 152 in the 85K word novel. This is a transformative scene, a catalyst for new decisions and actions. With new information, awareness, or contextual understanding, the protagonist changes from wanderer to warrior, attacking the problem head on, which lays the foundation for Part III.

Part III: The Attack: 

Midpoint information, awareness, or contextual understanding causes the protagonist to change course—to shift—in how to approach the obstacles. The hero is now empowered, not merely reacting as they did in Part II. They have a plan on how to proceed.

Second Pinch Point

Unlike the First Pinch Point, we must devote an entire scene to this Milestone. The Second Pinch should land around the 5/8th mark or 62.5% into the story (around p.190 in the 85K word novel). This time, the antagonist is more frightening than ever because, like the hero, he’s upped his game. Or, if the antagonist force is Mother Nature, the Second Pinch Point shows the eye of the hurricane or lava erupting from a dormant volcano.

Dark Night of the Soul

A slower paced, all-hope-is-lost moment before the Second Plot Point, also known as the second plot point lull. At its heart, the Dark Night of the Soul is the main character grappling with a death of some kind—a mentor, profession, a relationship, his reputation, her sense of who she is, etc. Here’s where the hero is at their lowest point, believing they’ve failed.

As a clichéd example, the Dark Night of the Soul shows the cop with his gun in his mouth, ready to commit suicide. But then something happens to change his mind, and that something sets up our next Milestone.

Second Plot Point

The Second Plot Point arrives at 75% of the way into the story, or around p. 228 in the 85K word novel. This Milestone launches the final push toward the story’s conclusion. It’s the last place to add new information, characters, or clues. Everything the hero needs to know, to work with or to work alongside, must be in play by the end of the Second Plot Point. Otherwise, deus ex machina. But the protagonist—and reader—may not fully understand yet.

ACT 3

Part IV: The Resolution: 

The protagonist summons the courage and growth to come up with a solution, overcome inner obstacles, and conquer the antagonist. They’re empowered, determined. Heroic.

Climax

The hero conquers the antagonist or dies a martyr. Most will say the hero should never die at the end, but it is an option. And here’s when it’ll happen. In most novels the hero survives. It’s important to note the protagonist should be the one to thwart the antagonist, or at least lead the charge if it’s a group effort. They cannot be an innocent bystander.

Denouement

Denouement means unknotting in French, and that’s exactly what this Milestone accomplishes.After enduring the quest, stronger for the effort, the protagonist unravels the complexities of the plot, and begins their new life.

Quick note to ease the minds of pantsers 

I would never ask you to change your writing process or suggest planning trumps pantsing. There’s no right or wrong way to write a first draft. Whatever works best for you is the right way…for you. But once you have that first draft, read through from beginning to end and take note of the Acts, Parts, and Milestones. Your story sensibilities might be spot on and nothing needs to change. Great! But if your story feels “off” and you can’t figure out why, it’s most often because the Milestones aren’t in the correct order, or they arrive too late, or not at all. Add, subtract, or shuffle your scenes. Rebuild the skeleton of your story bone by bone. 

SUE COLETTA - Resident Writing Coach

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs at the Kill Zone (Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers”). Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series (books 1-3), Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction. Now, she exclusively writes eco-thrillers, Mayhem Series (books 4-7 and continuing). Sue’s appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery. Find out more about our RWC team here and connect with Sue below or at www.suecoletta.com.

The post The Skeleton of Your Story appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

A while back, I sat through yet another webinar on the topic, and a formula emerged, a formula that finally resonated with me. So, I figured I’d share my discovery with you in the hopes that it’ll work for you, as well.

A 3-Step Formula

Back cover copy follows a simple three-step formula, but we do have wiggle room to experiment. With readers’ short attention spans these days, the advice is to keep the entire description to roughly 150-200 words. If your description runs 25 words longer than the desired range, I wouldn’t sweat it too much.

Step 1: Headline/Hook

To find our hook we need to look at the main conflict of our story. We want readers to identify with said conflict, so don’t shy away from the emotional impact it causes the hero. Don’t dwell on it, either. Every word counts.

The following books sat on Amazon’s Top 10 Bestsellers List in Psychological Thrillers for weeks after the release, and each description employs this exact formula. These authors worked hard on their hooks, and it shows.

What would it take to make you intervene? — I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll 

It begins with a phone call. It ends with a missing child. — Guilty by Laura Elliot

When family secrets are unearthed, a woman’s past can become a dangerous place to hide… — Twist of Faith by Ellen J. Green

Every time Gwen closed her eyes, she saw him in her nightmares. Now her eyes are open, and he’s not going away. — Killman Creek by Rachel Caine

They were all there the day your sister went missing. Who is lying? Who is next? — The Reunion by Samantha Hayes

She’s a daughter he didn’t know he had. Until she calls him… from death row. — 30 Days of Justis by John Ellsworth

What if you discovered your husband was a serial killer? — Tell Me I’m Wrong by Adam Croft

Side note: Adam Croft is a master at hooking readers. This next book he wrote after he created the hook. What a doozy, too!

Could you murder your wife to save your daughter? — Her Last Tomorrow by Adam Croft

Wow. Right? If that hook doesn’t grab fans of the genre, nothing will.

Step 2: Short Synopsis

The synopsis also follows a micro-formula…

1. Introduce the protagonist by showing what defines their role in the story.
2. What is that character up against?
3. What’s standing in their way?
4. Transition paragraph or as PJ Parrish calls it, “The Big But.”
5. End with a cliffhanger.

Let’s go back to our examples to see if this micro-formula has merit. The red-bracketed numbers correspond to steps 1-5.

Her Last Tomorrow by Adam Croft

Nick and Tasha are a couple held together by their five-year-old daughter [1]. Until one ordinary morning, when Ellie vanishes amid the chaos of the school run [2].

Nick knows she can’t have gone far on her own, which can mean only one thing: she’s not on her own. Who would take his daughter, and why? With no motive and no leads, Nick is thrown into a tailspin of suspicion and guilt. Like Tasha, he doesn’t know what to think, or whom to trust… [3]

But then someone starts doing the thinking for him. Confronted with an impossible choice, Nick will have to make a decision, and both options will leave him with blood on his hands. But perhaps that’s to be expected. [4]

After all, Nick’s not quite as blameless as he seems. [5]

I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll

When Ella Longfield overhears two attractive young men flirting with teenage girls on a train, she thinks nothing of it—until she realises they are fresh out of prison and her maternal instinct is put on high alert.[1] But just as she’s decided to call for help, something stops her. The next day, she wakes up to the news that one of the girls—beautiful, green-eyed Anna Ballard—has disappeared. [2]

A year later, Anna is still missing. Ella is wracked with guilt over what she failed to do, and she’s not the only one who can’t forget. Someone is sending her threatening letters—letters that make her fear for her life. [3]

Then an anniversary appeal reveals that Anna’s friends and family might have something to hide. Anna’s best friend, Sarah, hasn’t been telling the whole truth about what really happened that night—and her parents have been keeping secrets of their own. [4]

Someone knows where Anna is—and they’re not telling. But they are watching Ella. [5]

Guilty by Laura Elliot

On a warm summer’s morning, thirteen-year-old schoolgirl Constance Lawson is reported missing. [2]

A few days later, Constance’s uncle, Karl Lawson, suddenly finds himself swept up in a media frenzy created by journalist Amanda Bowe implying that he is the prime suspect. [1]

Six years later … [4]

Karl’s life is in ruins. His marriage is over, his family destroyed. But the woman who took everything away from him is thriving. With a successful career, husband and a gorgeous baby boy, Amanda’s world is complete. Until the day she receives a phone call and in a heartbeat, she is plunged into every mother’s worst nightmare. [3]

* * *

Even though Guilty played with the order, the description works. The formula still holds. Hence why I mentioned the wiggle room at the beginning of this post. *grin* Also note: some authors put their characters’ names and/or important details in bold, and the words catch the reader’s eye.

Step 3: Selling Paragraph

The selling paragraph answers two variations of the same question that readers ask themselves:

It sounds good, but how do I know it’s for me?
Sounds good, but will I like it?

There’s two ways we can go here, by showing similar books — if you enjoyed X, you will love Y — or by simply mentioning the genre.

A psychological thriller that keeps you guessing till the last chilling page.

If you like heart-hammering suspense, this book is for you!

A third option is to use clips of reader reviews or blurbs from authors in your genre.

Do you enjoy writing back cover copy?
Do you follow a similar formula?

SUE COLETTA - Resident Writing Coach

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs at the Kill Zone (Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers”). Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series (books 1-3), Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction. Now, she exclusively writes eco-thrillers, Mayhem Series (books 4-7 and continuing). Sue’s appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery. Find out more about our RWC team here and connect with Sue below or at www.suecoletta.com.

The post Back Cover Copy Formula appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Life Itself Has a Rhythm

Whether it’s our heartbeat or the motion of the sun, moon, and planets, we’re embedded within a rhythmic world. Hence why rhythm has such enormous power. It’s built into who we are.

Have you ever lounged on a blanket outside at night, stargazing? Nature is never silent. Even a quiet evening has a melodic undercurrent — a pulse, if you will.

The same holds true in writing.

Rhythm Defines a Mood

Rhythm forces the reader to either rush through the pages, flipping one after another, or nestle in the comfy chair to quietly enjoy the story. Words dance. The writer who pays attention to story rhythm creates sentences that waltz, jerk, tango, stutter, tap dance, float, and sing.

Good writing ebbs and flows by varying sentences, paragraphs, and chapter length and structure.

Notice the atmosphere Hemingway creates in Farewell to Arms.

In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains. In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels. Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees. The trunks of the trees too were dusty and the leaves fell early that year and we saw the troops marching along the road and the dust rising and leaves, stirred by the breeze, falling and the soldiers marching and afterward the road bare and white except for the leaves.

Rhythm Defines Pace

In music, tone length and dramatic pauses define rhythm. When long notes blend without pauses, the music flows like a swan across still water. On the flipside, short notes with clear pauses draw your attention. The music amps you up.

The same principles apply to writing. Rhythmic writing is defined by punctuation and the stress patterns of words. As a general rule, long sentences are more relaxing, while staccato sentences startle the reader. They draw attention. They force the reader to pay attention.

Run. Now.

Tension builds and releases. When a movie reaches its climax, the rhythm increases in pace only to subside as the story resolves. Within the larger rhythmic structure of a story, micro-structures also generate rhythm. Scenes change and plots twist. An interruption in the rhythmic flow transports the reader in a new direction. It knocks them off balance — a gentle slap to ensure they’ll keep flipping pages.  

Sentence Structure

If each sentence follows the same structure and rhythm, the writing becomes boring and predictable. Writers who play with rhythm can create tension in many ways, depending on punctuation and word choice.

In the following example, notice how the intentional repetition of hard -ed verbs create tension in The Killing Song by PJ Parrish

He watched her for the next hour. Watched her playing with the plastic snow globe she had picked up in the souvenir shop. Watched her finish her peach tart, tuck her Fodor’s in her purse and wind the red scarf around her slender white neck.

In the next sentence, the authors slow the pace by varying the sentence structure, adding gerunds, and visceral detail, yet maintain the creepy atmosphere.

In the crowded elevator traveling down from the restaurant in the Eiffel Tower, he stood behind her, closing his eyes as he breathed in the grassy scent of her hair.

In White Fang by Jack London, note where he forces the reader to pause.

A vast silence reigned over the land. The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness.

London also uses repetition but not with a hard -ed verb.

There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness — a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of the Sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility. It was the masterful and incommunicable wisdom of eternity laughing at the futility of life and the effort of life. It was the Wild, the savage, frozen-hearted Northland Wild.

Does Point-of-View Matter?

Not at all. Using rhythm as a literary device isn’t limited to 1^st or 3^rd POV, or even past or present tense. Check out the melodic rhythm in Try Darkness by James Scott Bell. The novel is written in 1^st POV, but the following excerpt is in 2^nd POV to show the protagonist talking to himself.

And then you wonder what makes you go on, what makes you care, because it’s in there somewhere, the caring, even if you don’t know why, even if you don’t know any reason for it. It’s just there and that’s why you don’t sleep.

You look out at the dark, you walk around in it, you think maybe there’ll be a big insight, a sudden realization. And then everything will add up. That’s the hope part, the part the absurdists call a fool’s game.

Are you just a fool like everybody else?

You think of the girl and you think of her being scared and you can’t stand it, and caring becomes torture.

If God was in the room right now you’d scream at him.

That’s what you think about when you can’t sleep.

Next time you read a novel, pay attention to its story rhythm. Where does the author let you pause? How does the author vary long and short sentences? How does the writing ebb and flow? Do you notice a similar rhythm in the writing of your favorite authors?

Do you pay attention to rhythm in your writing?

SUE COLETTA - Resident Writing Coach

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs at the Kill Zone (Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers”). Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series (books 1-3), Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction. Now, she exclusively writes eco-thrillers, Mayhem Series (books 4-7 and continuing). Sue’s appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery. Find out more about our RWC team here and connect with Sue below or at www.suecoletta.com.

The post What is Rhythmic Writing? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

What is a Darling?

Darlings are words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, and even whole scenes that we’re often most proud of and attached to. We love them to the point that we almost don’t care if they muddy the storyline. We worked hard and want to keep our darlings right where they are, thank you. We should be able to keep whatever we want, right?

Wrong.

A writer needs to consider the reader. When we disregard the reader’s needs for the sake of our own, we fail. If that sounds harsh, consider a world without readers.

How To Identify a Darling

If you’re desperately in love with a word/sentence/paragraph/page/scene, but you keep fighting with it to make it work, it’s a darling.

If your beta readers are confused by it, but the thought of losing it shreds your soul, it’s a darling.

If you have a scene that’s your best writing ever but it feels out-of-place, like it belongs in a different book, it’s a darling.

If you can cut the word/sentence/paragraph/page/scene without disrupting the story, it’s a darling.

One of the first places to look is at filler words.

Darling Filler Words

Just

This darling should almost always be murdered.

Original: I just couldn’t say goodbye.
Rewrite: I couldn’t bear to say goodbye.

That

This darling litters many first drafts, but it can often be killed without any harm to the sentence.

Original: I believe that all writers kill their darlings.
Rewrite: I believe all writers kill their darlings.

The original and rewrite have a second darling. Did you catch it?

Final Rewrite: All writers kill their darlings.

“Believe” in this context is a telling word. Any time we tell the reader things like “I thought” or “He knew” or “She felt” or “I believe” we slip out of deep POV. Thus, the little darling must die.

So

Original: So, this huge guy glared at me in the coffee line.
Rewrite: An enormous dude with linebacker shoulders glared at me in the coffee line.

Confession? I use “so” all the time online, but that doesn’t mean I leave the filler in my work. The only exception is if it’s used with purpose, like as a character cue word.

Really

Original: She broke up with him. He still really loved her.

Sometimes killing your darlings means combining/rewording sentences rather than merely removing filler.

Rewrite: When she severed their relationship, his heart stalled.

Very

Here’s another meaningless word. Be ruthless with this darling.

Original: He made me very happy.
Rewrite: When he neared, my skin tingled.

Of

The way to determine if “of” is needed is by reading the sentence with and without it. Does the sentence still make sense?

Original: She bolted out of the door.
Rewrite: She bolted out the door.

Up (with certain actions)

Original: He rose up from the table.
Rewrite: He rose from the table.

Down (with certain actions)

Original: He sat down on the couch.
Rewrite: He sat on the couch.

And/But (to start a sentence)

I’m not saying we should never use “and” or “but” to start a sentence, though editors might disagree. Depends on context.

Original: He died. And I’m heartbroken.
Rewrite: When he died, my soul shattered.

Also search for places where “but” is used to connect two sentences. Can you combine them into one sentence without losing the meaning?

Original: He moved out of state, but I miss him. He was the most caring man I’d ever met.
Rewrite: The most caring man I’d ever met moved out of state. I miss him—miss us.

Want(ed)

Want/wanted is another telling word. It must die to preserve deep POV.

Original: I really wanted the chocolate cake.
Rewrite: I drooled over the chocolate cake. One bite. What could it hurt?

Came/Went

The reason came/went is filler is because it’s not specific enough.

Original: I went to the store to buy my favorite ice cream.
Rewrite: I raced to Marco’s General Store to buy salted caramel ice cream, my tastebuds cheering me on.

Had

Too many “had” words give the reader the impression the action took place prior to the main storyline. As a guide, used once in a sentence puts the action in past tense. Twice is repetitive and clutters the writing. Also, if it’s clear the action is in the past, it can often be omitted.

Original: I had gazed at the painting for hours and the eyes didn’t move.
Rewrite: For hours I gazed at the painting and the eyes never wavered.

Looking for more words that are often overused? Download this Editing Help: Crutch Words Checklist.

Paragraph/Page/Scene Darlings

It’s not easy to delete a full page or an entire scene or chapter. I understand. Still, we must kill our darlings, no matter how much it stings. To lessen the pain, save the deleted passages in a separate file marked “Darling Graveyard” or equivalent. Pick a title you’ll remember. You might be able to breathe new life into that dead darling for another book. Plus, it’ll lessen the sting. You may never use the deleted paragraph/page/scene, but at least it’s available.

How To Identify a Scene Darling

Does the scene have a purpose? If no, kill that darling.

Does the scene play well with others — does it interact with the scenes before and after it? If no, kill that darling.

Does the scene drive the plot forward or benefit the storyline? If no, kill that darling.

What happens if you delete the scene? Did the story change? If no, kill that pesky darling.

Redundancy Darlings

One of the most common reasons to kill your darlings is if we’ve overemphasized in some way. Trust the reader. Don’t beat them over the head with this or that. Resist the urge to over-explain.

Avoid purple prose. Good writing is concise and to the point. Overly cute or witty turns of phrase must die. You may love a phrase or sentence that sounds beautiful to your ear, but it has no purpose. Sorry but that pretty darling weakens your writing. Be ruthless and kill it.

Darling Characters

Do you need forty-five characters? Of course not. Try combining two or three characters into one. Are they more fleshed out and real now? Yes? Great! Killing the darling characters benefited the storyline.

Darling Subplots/Twists

If we have too many subplots and/or crazy twists, we risk overwhelming and/or distracting the reader. Chances are one or two can go without changing the main plot. Save the cut scenes in the Darling Graveyard. They may be perfect for a different story.

Think of killing your darlings as a good thing. It means you’re tightening your prose, laser-focused on the plot and characters. In short, you’re giving your work the best possible chance of success.

SUE COLETTA - Resident Writing Coach

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs at the Kill Zone (Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers”). Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series (books 1-3), Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction. Now, she exclusively writes eco-thrillers, Mayhem Series (books 4-7 and continuing). Sue’s appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery. Find out more about our RWC team here and connect with Sue below or at www.suecoletta.com.

The post Writers, Grab a Knife: How To Kill Your Darlings appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Some say, planning a novel in advance destroys creativity. I believe the opposite is true. Regardless, it’s important to hit certain milestones for the novel to work. Two of those milestones are called Pinch Points. 

New writers often concentrate on the Hook, Midpoint, and the big twist at the end. But without well-placed Pinch Points, the story will lose its sense of rising action, conflict, and tension. The quest cannot exist without an opponent, and the Pinch Points show the reader what that opposition is all about. 

Pinch Points show how high the stakes are. They also set up the emotional change within the hero as they react to the new situation.

The First Pinch Point

The First Pinch Point comes midway between the First Plot Point and the Midpoint. Since the First Plot Point comes in at 20%-25% into the book and the Midpoint arrives at 50%, then the First Pinch Point would be at the 3/8th mark or about 37.5%.

With the First Pinch Point, readers need to see the antagonist and not merely hear it referenced or discussed. They need to experience it, either through the hero’s eyes or through the antagonist. In thrillers, the scene could involve a murderer stalking his next victim. Or a kidnapper playing recorded screams over the phone for the hero. In a romance novel, the First Pinch Point could be the hero’s husband being seduced by another woman (acting as the antagonist).

The simpler and more direct the pinch point the better. The important thing to remember is that the reader must feel it. Even if we choose to use a cutaway scene to show the antagonist, we’ve fulfilled the need of the First Pinch Point.

Anyone who’s ever read an Alex Cross thriller has seen these many times. The Pinch Points stick right out because Patterson uses short chapters that show what the antagonist is doing — planning, scheming, killing. Make no mistake, he knows exactly where to place those Pinch Points to keep the reader flipping pages.

That doesn’t mean we need to use a cutaway scene. Think about most detective fiction. The story begins with the detective being assigned a new case or called to a crime scene. The detective (and team) spends several scenes working the case — collecting evidence, searching for clues, canvassing the neighborhood — but getting nowhere. And then, another body is discovered. The arrival of victim number two reminds the reader of the evil lurking nearby — if the hero doesn’t catch the killer, more will die — which fulfills the duty of the First Pinch Point.

In Silence of the Lambs the First Pinch Point arrives when Hannibal Lecter gives Clarice the location of a storage facility, where she finds a jarred head of an early victim of Buffalo Bill. 

The Second Pinch Point

The Second Pinch Point should land between the Midpoint (50%) and the Second Plot Point (75%) at around the 5/8th mark or 62.5%. This time, we need an entire scene devoted to the Second Pinch Point, whereas with the First Pinch Point, we don’t. 

A Pinch Point is a demonstration of the nature, power, and essence of the antagonist force. And now, it’s more frightening than ever because he’s upped his game, just as the hero changed at the Midpoint from a wanderer (who is trying and failing) to a real hero attacking the problem head on. The Second Pinch Point is the time to show this evil in its purest form.

Suppose the hero meets a victim’s family member. This character shares details of how she lost her sister, how evil the antagonist really is, and warns the hero about what’s at stake should they fail. 

If we think back to Silence of the Lambs again, the Second Pinch Point arrives when Hannibal shows Clarice the map of Buffalo Bill’s murders, which ultimately helps her break the case and find the killer.

But what if the antagonist force is within your hero? Then the Second Pinch Point could be a discussion between two characters that reminds the reader what the protagonist is up against.

None of this means we can’t show the antagonist earlier in the story. We can add as many pinch points as we like, but we must have at least two, perfectly placed. 

Pantsers, Don’t Panic! 

Write by the seat of your pants. Then, when you finish the first draft, add your two Pinch Points. We place them at 37.5% and 62.5% for a reason, but don’t drive yourself crazy trying to land on the exact page.

I’ll leave you with a quote from Story Engineering to help you remember the proper placement of each Pinch Point.

“The First Plot Point, Midpoint, and Second Plot Point are your big meals. Don’t skip them if your goal is to add dramatic tension and jack the pace to your story. The Pinch Points are like nutritious snacks between those meals — mid-morning and mid-afternoon. They’re good things. They give you energy, they nurture you. You wouldn’t eat them too soon after a big meal, nor would you eat them right before a major meal. No, they’re right smack in the middle of the gaps between those meals.

 As for any other snacks (moments in which your bad guy does his thing), well, remember that in this analogy you’re trying to gain weight… so go for it. The more calories you stuff down the reader’s throat the better.” Larry Brooks, Story Engineering

SUE COLETTA - Resident Writing Coach

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs at the Kill Zone (Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers”). Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series (books 1-3), Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction. Now, she exclusively writes eco-thrillers, Mayhem Series (books 4-7 and continuing). Sue’s appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery. Find out more about our RWC team here and connect with Sue below or at www.suecoletta.com.

The post What Are Pinch Points and Where Do They Go? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.