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!

Friday Freebits with Ginger Simpson #frifreebits

Preface:  Remember, Cynthia thought she saw something suspicious going on at the dumpster?  She's read there's a serial killer loose in her neighborhood...could he be closer than she thinks?

He watched the couple disappear from sight, inched his door shut then leaned against it. He placed a cigarette in his mouth and struck a match. The smell of sulfur hung in the air. What a disgusting display he’d just witnessed. A chuckle, sounding evil even to him, escaped his puckered lips as he held the fire to the tobacco end and watched the Camel come to life. 

The way they'd laughed and carried on while he peeked through the door. She was a looker, that blonde from upstairs, but then she probably knew it. He could tell by the way she batted her eyes and flaunted her curves at her unsuspecting victim. Her actions made him sick to his stomach. 

The sun had climbed higher in the sky and left his room virtually dark. He moved to turn on the light and pondered saving the poor schmuck who'd been with the bitch. So many blondes and so little time. But, ridding the world of women like her was his responsibility and he'd take care of her soon, very soon. 

Buy Link:  My Amazon page

Friday Freebits with Ginger Simpson #frifreebits

Preface:  Cynthia has already become acquainted with her neighbor, a San Francisco Police Officer.  They've met on the way to the dumpster, and Alex is now helping her take out the trash.  As you can see...Cyn's mind is elsewhere at the moment:

Once in the alley, Cynthia flashed back to the building Superintendent and his suspicious behavior. She fought the urge to dig for the bundle he'd deposited, and almost laughed. Wouldn't dumpster diving make a great first impression on her handsome neighbor? 

Alex snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Can I have your other bag or have you become attached to it?" 

"I'm sorry," she said, handing it to him. "I guess I drifted off somewhere." 

Alex took hold of her elbow. "Garbage delivered, mission accomplished." 

She chuckled as they walked back into the building. "Next time I hope you take me some place that smells a little better." 

She noticed the slightly ajar first-floor apartment door as they ascended the stairs, but didn't mention it. For the first time since she'd arrived, she felt safe. 

You can pick up your copy via my Amazon page.

The Locket - Ginger Simpson

The Locket by Ginger Jones Simpson

Can you consider a necklace a gift if it makes you angry enough to kill? A simple trinket left in a confessional begins a path of destruction throughout the years. The golden locket, left behind by a woman who killed her boyfriend, is supposedly cursed; at least that's what she claimed before she raced out of the church. Anyone who dares fasten the pendant around her neck suffers severe and uncontrollable anger. Woe be it to anyone who gets in the path of the wearer. Is the piece cursed, or are the deaths totally unrelated? Detective Clarence O'Day is unwilling to make the connection-until forty years after the first case.

What inspired WHITE BERRY ON THE RED WILLOW? by Rita Karnopp

A little bit about me:  There aren’t enough hours in a day to pack in all I want to do.  I work full-time as the Administrative Assistant for Emergency Preparedness at the State of Montana.  When I get home I answer emails for an hour and the balance of the night is devoted to writing.  I refuse to write less than two hours a night and then I commit six hours or more to writing over weekends.

How do I deal with these challenges?  Complaining or procrastinating accomplishes nothing.  I remind myself to think about my goals and how am I going to get there.  Besides, I love to write, so it’s not exactly something I struggle to get at…like laundry, folding clothes, doing dishes or even cooking!!  J

I get ideas from everything!  I was doing research for one of my historical books and ran across the sentence; ‘the white berry on the red willow was bitter and the white man hated it, although the red man used it frequently in their diet.’  That sentence haunted me because I immediately thought … ‘Wow, the white berry would be like a white heroine and the red willow would reflect the red nation… And there you have it… I wrote an entire book, WHITE BERRY ON THE RED WILLOW off that sentence! 

White Berry on the Red Willow - As predicted in the Ghost Dance Vision, life has come full circle in 2054. The Blackfeet now control Yellowstone National Park, where the buffalo have multiplied, as have the people themselves.

Outside the Indian lands thousands are dying of Quake Fever every day. Doctor Alcina Hancock struggles to find a cure before her mother dies. Thrust into the world of the Indians, she not only discovers what it will take to save her people, but also herself.  

Ekuskini, son of the Blackfeet chief, revels in the demise of the non-Indian. Then he meets Alcina and finds himself searching the old ones for the answers. Together Alcina and Ekuskini realize they must learn from the past and use it to make things better for the future of all people.

"What an entertaining and thought provoking spin on the future. I think the imagination of the author is amazing. It is like Jules Verne met Sacagawea! Living in Montana makes the book even more fun since I am familiar with the setting and know that Yellowstone Park does have the risk of earthquake. 5 stars for Karnopp. I am anxious to read her next book." ~ Luv2Read, Amazon Verified Purchase

Books inspire me to write as do movies!  I often think…dang…why didn’t I write that?  When I read INTENSITY by Dean Koontz… I was so inspired by the page turner that I wrote my serial killer book, ATONEMENT. 

To be honest . . . I have more ideas for books – than I have time to write them.  I hope you enjoy reading my books – as much as I love writing them.

Atonement - Murder and revenge collide as a vicious serial killer stalks and escalates in the preparation of one sinner at a time for atonement. His routine takes an unexpected turn when he falls in love with the last woman on his list.

When a string of women turn up dead, all incriminating evidence points to Carter Thompson, a pathologist with a reputation for solving crimes, that is until his wife is brutally murdered. For years his life revolves around making sense of the serial killer’s deranged plan. Carter is determined to uncover who and why he has become linked to this killer’s gruesome handiwork. He teams up with the one woman he hurt and still loves. Through it all he manages to uncover a convoluted plot of jealousy and delusion.

Native American Studies Professor, Angelene Jensen's orderly life is shattered when her sister is brutally murdered. Determined to make the killer pay, she makes decisions that propel her closer to the man who left her standing at the altar, and a chilling killer. Are they the same person? Had her sister uncovered evidence revealing this killer? Did it get her killed? 

"I love a jolting suspense and Atonement is a nail-biting, air-gasping page-turner. An avid reader of thrilling suspense, I found Rita Karnopp's ability to take me into the mind of the serial killer totally suspended my disbelief. I struggled to put the book down. She's turned it up a notch with this one and it's my favorite of her books – so far." ~ Diane Davis ~ Davis Creative Media

THE THRILLER By Rita Karnopp

When it came time to write, I believe the best advice I ever received was given to me my international best-selling author Kat Martin.  She said, “Write what you love to read.”  That has been the most solid, singular, best writing advice I’ve ever received.  I love reading Indian historicals and suspense/thrillers.

Think about it, we are passionate about what we enjoy. Right?  So, if you absolutely get carried away with a thriller . . . you will most likely write with drive, excitement, eagerness, anticipation, and enthusiasm.

It all boils down to - a good thriller is the result of good characters, a super plot with a few twisting sub-plots, and a chill down your back.  The key to a gripping thriller is when the characters that take you with them, each terrifying step, into a life-threatening situation with fear as your companion.  The reader doesn’t want to go – but can’t stop.

Conviction in your abilities is crucial. Know what drives you – and take the reader along with you.  Don’t make it easy for the reader, they’ll see right through you.  You want them to keep guessing – right down to the last sentence.  If they figure it out, why finish reading?

But with thrillers, the process is more like a puzzle, and you need to make sure you have the entire picture before you cut it into pieces – waiting for your reader to put it all together.  Never start a thriller thinking you’ll figure it out when you get there.  A good thriller has foreshadowing, vision, forewarning, and even revelation.

Be careful of trends, they come and go like dress styles.  So what do you write?  Back to the ‘write what you love to read . . . and what you know.’  Write what you’re passionate about.

One final bit of advice – don’t quit.  Keep at it and when you’ve finished your book, you will get the thrill 

The Inciting Incident - by Rita Karnopp

     The first time I was exposed to ‘the inciting incident’ was a movie by that title.  I’ve been fascinated by it ever since.  So what exactly is this ‘inciting incident’ and how does it affect a story?

     Inciting comes from the Latin word incitare which means “to put into rapid motion, urge, encourage, and stimulate.” And that’s exactly what your inciting incident is; it’s an event that triggers your hero to “go into motion” and take action.

     Here are other ways to conceptualize the inciting incident:

• it jolts your hero out of his everyday routine
• it is the event which sparks the fuse of your plot
• it’s something that MUST happen in order for your hook–your book’s special premise–to kick in

     So if the inciting incident is the crucial event—the trouble—that sets the whole story in motion - when should it happen? Usually, your inciting incident occurs within the first ten pages of your book, after you’ve introduced the reader to your hero, shared what his everyday life is like, and a few important things in his life that need fixing.

     Then the inciting incident occurs and it starts to change the dynamics of your hero’s life. He (or she) will react to the inciting incident, maybe even resist it. Your hook kicks in and your hero commits to taking the journey (either physical, emotional, psychological or a combination of these) sparked by the inciting incident.

     With some genres, the inciting incident is almost always the same. For example, in a romantic comedy, the inciting incident is the “cute meet” where the two romantic leads meet each other for the first time. In a mystery, the inciting incident is when the first dead body is found.

     Also keep in mind that each of the protagonist’s attempts to resolve the initial and subsequent inciting incidents must end in failure. There can be partial victories, but once an action ends in success, the story is effectively over. Success, in this case, means that all the problems are resolved. That cannot happen until the final scene of the story.

YOUR THRILLER - CAN YOUR CHARACTER SURVIVE THE PLOT?

I've always loved reading thrillers . . . so it was only natural that I wanted to write thrillers.  I've often heard its the beginning that is the hardest - lets face it ... a thriller should start out with a chill!  

Step 1. Choose the idea that defines your book.  It isn't your plot, character or your hook.  It's the main 'idea' or 'theme' ... such as the earthquake, the pattern of the serial killer, or maybe it's the deadly virus.

Step 2. Ask the What-If question.  I've often heard this described essentially as your elevator pitch—that sharp, well-put, snappy description of your book you should have at the ready should you be stuck in an elevator with an agent or editor. the rule - two sentences and not more than 25 words. Make it as tight as possible, and don't include characters or plot twists. It's worth spending days creating those two sentences.

One What-If example from my work: What if every murder she writes about in her novel is now happening for real?

Step 3. Answer the What-If question. The answer to this pivotal question is the reason people think they’re reading the book. The fact is —people read to the end of a book for the characters. But you still need something to keep them flipping pages. Your plot or theme is simply that tool that makes the reader stay with the characters.

     Once you have the answer to your What-If, you should focus solely on the characters of your book, or it will be plot-heavy and bog down.  You'll risk losing your reader.

Step 4. Who are you going to write about?  Look for the character who’s got the most at stake - the most to lose in other words.  This is your main character - the most interesting and one you can weave your story around.  

Step 5. Write it. Let's fact it ... once you're at this point - that story isn't going to stop bothering you until you sit down and write it!   Your character haunts you nights and days .., taking you in directions you never thought of going. Make your character work hard - keep throwing him/her under the bus, locked in a basement, lost in the forest . . . so your character has to figure out how to survive the plot.

Atonement now available in print

I'm so excited to share with you that Atonement is now available in print.  If you look closely you'll see the image reflection of a man's face.  Books We Love had done it again - I love my cover!  :)  It touches my heart to have my sister's review for this book . . . she is now gone three years . . . it seems like yesterday and forever ago. I miss her every day.

Atonement   Click here to order your copy now.

Murder and revenge collide as a vicious serial killer stalks and escalates in the preparation of one sinner at a time for atonement. His routine takes an unexpected turn when he falls in love with the last woman on his list.

When a string of women turn up dead, all incriminating evidence points to Carter Thompson, a pathologist with a reputation for solving crimes, that is until his wife is brutally murdered. For years his life revolves around making sense of the serial killer’s deranged plan. Carter is determined to uncover who and why he has become linked to this killer’s gruesome handiwork. He teams up with the one woman he hurt and still loves. Through it all he manages to uncover a convoluted plot of jealousy and delusion.
Native American Studies Professor, Angelene Jensen's orderly life is shattered when her sister is brutally murdered. Determined to make the killer pay, she makes decisions that propel her closer to the man who left her standing at the altar, and a chilling killer. Are they the same person? Had her sister uncovered evidence revealing this killer? Did it get her killed?
"I love a jolting suspense and Atonement is a nail-biting, air-gasping page-turner. An avid reader of thrilling suspense, I found Rita Karnopp's ability to take me into the mind of the serial killer totally suspended my disbelief. I struggled to put the book down. She's turned it up a notch with this one and it's my favorite of her books – so far." ~ Diane Davis ~ Davis Creative Media

RITA ASKS, WHAT ARE YOU READING?

     I'm a sucker for a great suspense and I love to be surprised. Earlier this year I finished reading Blood Game by Iris Johansen.

     What did I think of Blood Game? Johansen delivers and exhilarating thrilled filled with her trademark paranormal elements, truly heinous villains, and intriguing, multidimensional heroes.
     It will keep the author’s fans on the edge of their seat. - Booklist on Pandora’s Daughter. This review says it best . . . and that's why I've shared it with you.
     I really loved this thriller, the high tension of a ruthless killer. Eve is a very believable character that you pull for from page one until the end. I recommend this book . . . if you love an emotional suspense.

     Eve Duncan returns in a thriller that pits her against the most evil mind she has ever encountered: a ruthless killer who taunts her with his every move...and who has a special affinity for blood.

     When a Georgia senator's daughter is found murdered, and her body drained of blood, Eve Duncan is drawn into the web of Kevin Jelak - a serial murderer who is on Eve's short list of killers who might know something about her missing daughter Bonnie.

     When a goblet of blood is found in Eve's refrigerator, she knows the taunting is over...and the games have begun. As Eve and Jelak engage in a dance of death, Eve must call upon those she loves and trusts the most...even if it means bringing them into the game as well.