DON’T BE SCARED - WRITE THAT THRILLER BY RITA KARNOPP

Have you ever wanted to write a thriller, but the thought scared you?  Where do you begin?  You want to surprise, even shock your reader . . . it’s all so daunting!

Ask yourself, “What is the driving force for my story?”  For example:  One-by-one members of a gold expedition are dying?  Is it something they ate or have they all been exposed to a deadly virus  . . . or is there a killer among them? 

Give your character license to be good and bad . . . and remember we aren’t perfect – and neither should your characters.  They must make mistakes – and learn from them. 

“You’re looking for a character who’s got the absolute most at stake, and that’s the person who you want your story to be about.” Move your story along by developing your character, chasing the plot, and showing change, challenge, and growth.

Think of plot as a volcanic pit crater – which you drop your character – along with many strangers and/or old friends.  Once they’re inside you can’t have them simply climb out—you should have the mountain shake and cover the entrance with boulders so your character has to figure out how to help everyone safely escape.

Then ask yourself, “Who can my character trust?  Who might he develop a relationship with or even fall in love with?  Who is getting in his way?  Is there something unearthly down there?” . . . it goes on and on. 

Before you know  . . . there are more frightening things going on than you could have imagined!  If it’s scary to write – it’s scary to read!

PLOT LIKE YOU MEAN IT ~ BY RITA KARNOPP

What should you know about plotting a book?  Ask any writer and I’ll bet you’ll find a majority of them will admit – plotting is their favorite part of writing.

Plot is the writer’s choice of incidents to use to unfold the story of the character’s development and growth toward their goal or desire.   Wow that was a mouth full!  Let’s make some sense outta that!

Create plots and characters that are believable and work together.

It takes a series of conflicts to create a good plot.

·         Every scene should have incident, change, and conflict.  If a scene has no conflict, either delete it or create some.

o   Even small conflict must contribute to the changes your character will undergo.

·         People are defined by the choices they make under stress.  Great information to remember if you’re writing a suspense or thriller.

·         Make sure you aren’t adding meaningless action for reaction sake.   Keep in mind that the reader has to care about what is happening to the people in your story. 

Unfortunately I can’t say I’m perfect . . . bet you can’t either.  So, why would we want to create perfect characters?  Well, we shouldn’t.  The protagonist should have strengths and weaknesses.  He should also fail, and maybe not just once but several times before succeeding.  Failure builds conflict and emotions.

When you’re plotting keep in mind that your story is only as interesting as the characters make it – both the protagonist and the antagonist.

When I say a book was great – it’s usually because it surprised me.  I’m actually disappointed when I figure the plot out.

Never fall into the coincidence trap.  It’s a cop-out – you know it and so does the reader.

And finally, while plotting make sure you enrich your book with layer upon layer of internal and external conflict.  Create the mental or emotional struggles that occur within a character.  Build the struggle that occurs between a character and outside forces, which could be another character or the environment.

My next blog – let’s discuss the difference between event and character driven plots.

CHARACTERS DRIVEN BY FRUSTRATION BY RITA KARNOPP #writingtips

There is nothing stronger than using emotion to create strong characters that drive your plot and create an exciting, strong book.

There’s a wide range of emotions we use to heighten our plots and create motivation.  If you can add frustration to the mix - you’ve discovered a tool like no other to thrust your story forward.

So how can you use frustration to propel your story?  The Wikipedia explains that in psychology, frustration is a common emotional response to opposition. Related to anger and disappointment, it arises from the perceived resistance to the fulfillment of individual will. (I had to read that three times to get it!)  In other words, when a person really wants something – and they don’t get it – anger and disappointment results.

The greater the obstruction, and the greater the will, the more the frustration is likely to be. Important to understand and develop in your plot.

Causes of frustration may be internal or external.  This can be used in so many good and evil ways in your story.

In people, internal frustration may arise from challenges in fulfilling personal goals and desires, instinctual drives and needs, or dealing with perceived deficiencies, such as a lack of confidence or fear of social situations.  Can you believe that is one sentence?  Okay… so internal frustration is driven by the belief we are inept or unable to fulfill our goals.  This creates fear or a lack of confidence.

Conflict can also be an internal source of frustration; when one has competing goals that interfere with one another, it can create cognitive dissonance.  Internal conflict is a source of frustration that has a character fighting the need to do wrong, when he knows what’s right.  Use this internal conflict to show his reasoning or thinking through conflict, discord, and even opposition.

External causes of frustration involve conditions outside an individual, such as a blocked road or a difficult task.  We create diverse external causes of frustration all the time.  This tool can create an unexpected event that sends your normally calm character over the edge and lose control.  Or it’s the external frustration that propels your already stressed character past control.  It’s the unexpected interruptions and the foil to the perfect plan.

While coping with frustration, some individuals may engage in passive–aggressive behavior, making it difficult to identify the original cause(s) of their frustration, as the responses are indirect. Passive-aggressive behavior is the indirect expression of hostility, such as stalling, sarcasm, unpleasant jokes, inflexibility, resentment, hostility, or repetitive failure to accomplish requested tasks for which he is responsible.

Tomorrow we’ll discuss the propensity toward aggression. 

DRAW CHARACTERS FROM AROUND YOU BY RITA KARNOP

I’ve been asked, “Where do your characters come from?”  Easy, I draw from three sources; people I know, people I’ve read or heard about, and people I imagine or create.

Whether we admit it or not, our character’s emotions come from within us.  I’ve never been attacked and almost killed, but when my heroine is in this position – I draw from memories of my most extreme fear.  Like when I was ten and a man of around twenty-eight asked me to play mommy and daddy with him.  I remember my skin turned clammy, my heart pounded because it felt ‘wrong,’ and my throat became dry. I wanted to run but my feet refused to move.  We were in the back of an old, smelly, iced delivery truck – and I couldn’t remember how we got there.  Fear gripped me. (Yes – that truly happened.  I remember saying, “Let me come inside and be happy to find you here.”  He agreed, so once I stepped outside, I ran like hell!  I told on him, and never saw him again.  Thank God!  Okay – there was more to it than that, but I escaped – unhurt - that’s all that matters.  But, you see my point.  We pull on our experiences to create the scene.

If my heroine is in an extremely embarrassing position – I draw on the time I was crossing the street in a wind storm and my dress was lifted up over my head like a closing tulip.  Even though the scenes are different, the instinct, the feeling, the ‘emotions’ can be drawn from your own inner experiences, and from those we are close to.

It would be difficult to create a protagonist based on yourself, because it would be so hard to be objective.  Don’t get too close to the characters you create.  Create your villains from people you dislike and wish you could change, but you know you can’t.  Your objectivity will be honest if you pull from your life situations or altercations, but make it happen to someone other than yourself.

Also remember it’s those around us… their personalities - good and bad traits - that we draw on to create characters, but mix them up.  If your character is grumpy, self-centered, and antisocial like Aunt Lottie, you don’t want to hurt her feelings by making her recognizable – do you?  Take Aunt Lottie’s self-centered persona and mix her with Grandma Anna’s unforgiving, grudge-holding attitude, and cousin Camille’s sense of humor.  Blending family traits guarantees your family and friends are less likely to recognize themselves and become upset.

Your task is to look hard at each character and decide if he/she is strong enough to sustain a story.

INTO vs IN TO by RITA KARNOPP

The other day a writer emailed me and asked, “What is the difference between writing ‘into’ or ‘in to?’

You have to know the grammar police will notice this grandiose error every time.  That’s not to say it’s not a common grammar faux pas, because it definitely is.  So what is the difference and proper way to use each?

First thing we must realize is these prepositions are not interchangeable. "Into" has motion. "In" is a location or position.  Once you get the hang of which one to use, you’ll see how easy it is.

You should use ‘into’ when it's a question of location, for lack of a better word. "I went into the elevator," "I went into the field of nursing," "We practiced our song well into the morning," etc.
‘In to’ just happens sometimes. "I went in to buy some milk." In that sentence the ‘to’ is part of the infinitive ‘to buy.’
If you aren't sure which one to use, change the ‘in’ to ‘in order’ and see if it still works. "I went in order to the store" is wrong, but "I went in order to buy some milk" is right.

Note also that ‘into’ is unacceptable by English experts as slang.  It’s weak, careless and vague.  In proper English, it’s best not to use ‘into’ as someone being into something.  An example: She's into herbalism.  Instead, say, "She's a naturalist" or "She is interested in the health benefits of natural herbs."

LET YOUR CHARACTERS LIVE THROUGH YOU BY RITA KARNOPP

To create exciting strong scenes – make sure they vary from quiet to loud.  Lackluster to exciting.  Emotional to in-control.  Highs to lows.  Happy to sad.  Yet, they all must fit together like pieces of a puzzle.  Everything should snap into place and fit – nothing should stick out at odd angles.  Every part of the story should contribute and move the story forward, making it complete.

I don’t know about you, but I like to put myself in my character’s body, living the scene with his/her baggage, experience, flaws, and attributes.  Do the situations or challenges feel ‘real’?  What doesn’t feel believable?  You will know what needs changing by running your scenes through your mind like a movie – you are the character – living, breathing, and experiencing each scene you’ve created. 

You’ll find yourself rewriting - adding spontaneity from the character you’ve become.  You’ll make changes that transition the story better.  Step-by-step, you’ll feel, hear, touch, taste, and see yourself in the scenes of your character.  Do you believe them?  Did you miss any of the senses?  Add them in and you’ll be surprised how this will improve your story. 

If a scene feels confusing or uncomfortable – fix them.  Never leave them in hopes the reader won’t notice – believe me, they will.  Add deep internal emotion and allow your characters to have flaws that hinder their goals . . . making them realize they must change to have what they need or want by the end of the book.

You should laugh, cry, and get angry if that’s what the character experiences.  If the words don’t evoke this . . . rewrite . . . rewrite . . . and rewrite until you find yourself crying . . . laughing . . . and ticked with the world if need be.  If you don’t feel it when you write it – the reader won’t feel it when they read it.  It’s as simple as that.

Grab your reader right from the beginning . . . and don’t let go until you type ‘the end.’ 

IT'S HOW YOU SAY BY RITA KARNOPP

Think about it - when you’re having a heated discussion with someone – you stop at a point and say something like, “I realize you didn’t say I have two left feet when I dance and I even look ridiculous, but your voice – the way you said and your expression implied it.”

How your characters speaks, his/her diction, shares a lot with your reader.  You inflict voice when your characters speak.  It’s not only diction, attitude, POV, and dialog but it’s also speech, thoughts, and descriptions.  This is what we call our character’s voice. 

Accents whether national or regional give a character a distinct voice.  Consider the timeframe you’re writing and realize you can add flavor to your story with your character’s voice.  Be careful not to add too much dialect or accent.  A reader shouldn’t stumble over dialog. This is a situation where less is more. 

“I’m beholden to ya, mister.  She’s a mighty fine lookin’ filly.”

That works to some degree, just make sure every line isn’t loaded with heavy dialect or accent.

One last thing is be sure to know your dialect or accents.  Readers are extremely critical when it’s incorrect or difficult to translate.  If done with a fine hand, dialog enriches your character’s voice and brings your story alive - making your characters believable.

GET TO KNOW YOUR HERO AND HEROINE BY RITA KARNOPP

Okay, I rather doubt that you’ve never heard about making character checklists that ask what your hero and heroine are like.  I mean – come on- in order to write about them, we need to portray and understand them, right?

Everyone has their own tailored list, I know I do.  And I’m adding to it all the time.  Why?  Because, if we don’t understand our characters, we won’t know how they’ll react in any given situation.  Face it, we respond, react, and feel about a situation, because of what we’ve learned along our path in life.  The same applies to our characters.

When getting ready to start a book, I ask myself the following questions and jot down notes (in my 5”x5” notebook – which I create for every book I write).

While going through this process of getting to know your characters, keep in mind questions your hero and heroine agree and disagree on.  For instance, her mother left her and she hates anything connected with mothers.  He on the other hand has a devoted, loving mother who would so anything for him.

So what types of questions should you ask?

·        Character name (soooo important) Does it have a meaning?

·        Age

·        Physical appearance

o   Any particular tags – lisp, limp, stutter,

o   Manerisms?

o   Accents

o   Heritage

§  Baggage on this?

§  Parental baggage?

§  Siblings? (do they get along?)

§  Birth information – state – live there whole life?  Where is he/she now?  Why?

·        Where does story take place?

·        Been married before?  Divorced/widowed?  Bad relationship? Good relationship – why did it end?

o   Is she/he bitter about opposite sex?

o   Any love interests now?

·        Children?  Sex/ages

·        Friends/male-female/ if pertinent to story?

·        Enemies?

·        Live in house, apartment, in country, city? 

o   Style?

o   Live alone/sharing?

o   Personal style

·        Hobbies?

·        Education

·        Job?  Career?

·        Goals?  Aspirations?

·        Secrets?

·        Personal issues?

·        What makes her/him far from perfect? 

o   I include this one – because when I started writing – my characters didn’t have enough ‘flaws’ … it’s important not to create perfect characters – no one is perfect (much to my chagrin!)

·        At the beginning of story – what is her/his main problem?

·        What does she/he do to make the situation worse?

·        What does the hero hate/love about heroine?

·        What does the heroine hate/love about hero?

·        What about hero do you want reader to love/hate?

·        What about heroine do you want reader to love/hate?

·        Why should the reader care about the hero?

·        Why should the reader care about the heroine?

Once you finish running through the questions above (1800s Native American story – not all apply) – jot down what surprised you.   You’ll know your characters better after answering these questions.  Are you ready to start writing now?

Bear in mind – even though you know so much about your characters – don’t put all the information in your story just because you have it.  You may never have to share she hates her old boyfriend from high school . . . if it has no impact on the story.

Getting to know your characters ahead of time will make him/her ‘real’ in your mind – and therefore, they become real on paper.

FICTION – REAL CHARACTERS BY RITA KARNOPP

Fiction is sometimes given a bad wrap.  Face it, when someone tells you they write and read only ‘nonfiction’ their IQ shoots up … 25%.  Yep, many people have this idea that nonfiction is for those ‘smart’ folks.

Sorry people – not me.  I’m happy for nonfiction writers/readers, it’s their choice and if that’s their preference, good for them.  But in many ways I think, boy they have it easy.  They write only with the facts and that’s it.

Fiction writers on the other hand – we have our job cut out for us.  We have to create characters and make the reader ‘believe they are real.’  Through action, dialogue, span or range of your story, you make your people ‘come alive’ in your reader’s head.  They are believable ‘real’ people facing ‘real’ chalenges, ‘real’ dangers, and showing ‘real’ consequences, taking the reader with them.

Don’t forget our characters have real pasts, family history, and they feel ‘real’ emotions, prejudices, and experiences.

We bring our characters to life from a particular point-of-view (POV).  We take our reader to a particular time and place and draw them into the world of our character.  If you walk, talk, and even breath along with your character, that will flow onto the page and your reader will walk, talk, and breath with your characters, too.

I’m certain that there are nonfiction writers out there who are able to take a reader away from it all, bringing their real-life character to life in the mind’s eye of their reader.  But I’m also convinced our fiction writers are doing the same thing, with more imagination, flare, excitement, and let’s face it – their journey is the one the reader wants to be on.

If you’ve done your job right, your reader will be looking for your next book, because it did what it was suppose to do.  Suspend the disbelief and take them away from it all . . . on a journey of emotion . . . that satisfied them at the end.

PESKY DETAILS OF WRITING BY RITA KARNOPP

Come on . . . admit it . . . you’re a people watcher – aren’t you?  Well if you write you should be.  I’ve created some of my most interesting characters by observing those around me. 

Tags - are a great way to set one character off from another.  The book I just finished, Thunder, I use the ‘verbal’ tagging, “No can do.”  Now every time the reader hears this – they know he’s the killer – or they’re pretty sure he is.  It’s like when Scarlet O’Hara said, Fiddle DeDe.  There are other ways to bring the focus or recognition to a particular character; jaw clicks, nervous eyebrow raising, maybe they click a pen when they’re nervous, some people pop their knuckles, and so on and so on.

There are the obvious tags such as a tattoo, a lisp, or perhaps a metal clicking on the brace when the person walks.  We want the reader to recognize who is speaking or moving without always saying, “he said,” or “she said.”  That’s okay every now and then, but after every few sentences it reeks of amateurism.

Be descriptive in colorful ways.  Red is red… but crimson is another color. A tree doesn’t say much but describe a thirty-foot towering pine or a sad, drooping willow, you’ve got an image.  Never just say flower, but do say, a field of fiery red and orange Indian paintbrush twitching in the breeze.  Adding color does just that – it brightens a scene.

Watch for the lovely ‘ly’ words.  Too many adverbs point to a beginning writer.  I’ve heard it said so many times – because it’s a real problem.  When reviewing your work cut 85% of all ‘ly’ words; lovely, callously, interestingly, lovingly, terribly, etc.  A sentence can always be reworked to eliminate the ‘ly’ problem. 

Adjectives are just as bad.  We read on the fast side these days.  I never want to read; “The sun set behind an orange, yellow, pink, purple, hued river of colors….”  Egads!  How about; “Everyone appeared uncomfortable and the hot, sticky, humid, downright miserable night was one of the worst on record.” 

Why not say, “The record humidity added to how uncomfortable everyone appeared.”  It’s not the best example, but you get my point.  Be direct and dramatic – in most cases ‘less is more.’

Turn a simile into a powerful adjective – By doing this you vary the pattern of descriptions. 

”She jumped with the grace and agility of a cat to the platform below, silent as a mouse.”  How about:

“A quick feline leap landed her on the platform below, silent as a mouse.”  Take it further.

“In a quick feline leap, she silently landed on the platform below.”  Okay…we can improve this and remove the ‘ly’ and make it even better.

“In a quick feline leap, she landed unnoticed on the platform below.”  It says all you wanted to say – but it’s crisp, action-packed, and we removed the lazy ‘ly’ word.

Tomorrow… let’s talk about piling on the details.