Write it down in your notebook, filling at least one page with a description of the setting and the people in it. Now change the story, and imagine that everything you’ve just described is not what it seems, but that a whole secret underworld exists within the scene. The characters ...
Depending on the length of the story and the complications of the plot, it could take me anywhere from 3 months to 5 years to complete a story. There’s been a story or two where I have taken years away from writing it, and then come back and finish it. Do you believe in writer’...
A suspense story opens with the equivalent of a killer planning a murder that has not yet occurred. The story is a race to prevent the killer from carrying out her plan. The protagonist is not limited to a "detective." The appeal is more visceral and the interest is in resolving the te...
authenticity to your story. That authenticity will carry your readers right along with you as you unfold the story for them, whether it be a mystery/suspense novel, romance, fantasy, or whatever, because, for inspiration for your story ideas or settings, very often, “There’s no place ...
reading the same type of story for many months in a row, and then I get burned out on it. As a writer, I start to see what they mean about avoiding common tropes.COMMON TROPES, Makes me want to scream when I figure out the ending when I'm only one-third into the story. It's...
This forces the audience to become anxious, worried, excited, and even terrified to see what happens next in the story. This sense of eagerness draws the reader deeper into the narrative, invoking an emotional response until closure occurs. Suspense is a literary device used to create tension ...
and reviewers around the world. Rev. Peter E. Bauer writes, “James Asparro masterfully tells a story regarding how progressive faith and reason can make a positive difference. He weaves this theme in a unique setting of the performing arts. Turnaround is a great book, with several constantl...
Ultimately, one could say this is an exploitation film in terms of theme and story. However, it feels different than the many B-movie serial killer films I have seen. I felt like I was in the hands of a filmmaker who was determined to explore the nature of sadistic relationships in a ...
All are part of my process at some point, and the book won’t happen without them. I cannot just think about the story for three months, figure the whole thing out and then have it spill from my fingertips into a typewriter like Dick Francis. (But if I could, the three months of ...
If someone has told you that you need to raise the stakes in your story, you probably looked for research on how to intensify your plot. Maybe you found strategies and ideas for raising the stakes, but the advice was more theoretical than practical (or maybe the advice simply said to incr...