Day 4 – Book in a Week
Today was a good writing day. I awoke this morning refreshed, knowing what would happen next in my inspirational suspense story, Translucent Trust.
As usual, I spent a bit of time in research but only for 15 mins or so. The 2 or 3 other times I needed answers and could have surfed the web, I just placed an inch of dashes in the spot and highlighted them. I then copied the relevant sentence and pasted it in my ‘Research Needed’ document along with the page nbr. I’ll have no problem finding it later when I do have time to go surfing.
Storywise – The villain – who really doesn’t like Dyler and Hayley – takes a shot at them. I tried to set the scene where taking a shot was a possibility but not a certainty. Dyler and Hayley are away from the city crowds and she starts reminiscing. I tried to lull the reader into the peaceful scene she’s describing – sort of a false sense of security - and then, zing! The bullet just misses Hayley but only because she bent over to pick up her cola. Dyler doesn’t know if it actually was a shot or even if another one’s coming but chivalry isn’t dead. He does what a man’s supposed to do and pushes her facedown in the mud and lays on top of her. Hmm...
In the scene I wrote just before midnight, Dyler enters Hayley’s motel room to plan tomorrow’s strategy. Since men don’t usually run through an open door at night, by the time he closes the door, a moth is flitting around the ceiling. I’ve introduced a secondary character by this time and she’s in the room with Hayley. So while the 2 ladies are going over the days adventures, guess what tall, muscular Dyler’s doing? Yup, you guessed it – he’s got his running shoe in hand and he’s scooting all over the room and across the beds trying to smack the little moth. Isn’t that a picture.
Do you try to inject humor in your stories? Can humor be added to all genres? I’m adding small nuggets of entertainment to this suspense novel but, does humor even belong in a suspense novel?
Since this is my first attempt at Susense, I’d really like to know what you think. Come on, talk to me...
As usual, I spent a bit of time in research but only for 15 mins or so. The 2 or 3 other times I needed answers and could have surfed the web, I just placed an inch of dashes in the spot and highlighted them. I then copied the relevant sentence and pasted it in my ‘Research Needed’ document along with the page nbr. I’ll have no problem finding it later when I do have time to go surfing.
Storywise – The villain – who really doesn’t like Dyler and Hayley – takes a shot at them. I tried to set the scene where taking a shot was a possibility but not a certainty. Dyler and Hayley are away from the city crowds and she starts reminiscing. I tried to lull the reader into the peaceful scene she’s describing – sort of a false sense of security - and then, zing! The bullet just misses Hayley but only because she bent over to pick up her cola. Dyler doesn’t know if it actually was a shot or even if another one’s coming but chivalry isn’t dead. He does what a man’s supposed to do and pushes her facedown in the mud and lays on top of her. Hmm...
In the scene I wrote just before midnight, Dyler enters Hayley’s motel room to plan tomorrow’s strategy. Since men don’t usually run through an open door at night, by the time he closes the door, a moth is flitting around the ceiling. I’ve introduced a secondary character by this time and she’s in the room with Hayley. So while the 2 ladies are going over the days adventures, guess what tall, muscular Dyler’s doing? Yup, you guessed it – he’s got his running shoe in hand and he’s scooting all over the room and across the beds trying to smack the little moth. Isn’t that a picture.
Do you try to inject humor in your stories? Can humor be added to all genres? I’m adding small nuggets of entertainment to this suspense novel but, does humor even belong in a suspense novel?
Since this is my first attempt at Susense, I’d really like to know what you think. Come on, talk to me...
Geez, Anita! Here I am again, this is becoming quite a habit.
ReplyDeleteYes, humor belongs in all genres because doesn't humor happen every day - even on those days when you're bummed out or sad or angry. You know I write medieval romance (or try) and humor is dotted throughout the story. And that story has a murder/suicide Lady Bells must solve!
Your moth scene sounds fun. Good job, Anita.
Yes! Yes! Yes!!! It does. You have to be judicial about it so that the suspense doesn't drop tension, but you can certainly have it.
ReplyDeleteExample from For Murder by Owner (copyright 2009) this is the FIRST moment of introduction to the heroine, showing the living-on-top-of-each-other situation and the heroine's desire to live on her own. A show don't tell clip:
Cleo Hickerty snored. She knew this thanks to her older sister, Margo, who triumphantly held the mini recorder aloft as a grating rattle filled the cramped living room.
“All right, fine. I snore,” Cleo laughed.
Margo grinned at her. “We’re not at the best part.”
“You don’t have to prove your point,” Cleo said.
“Oh, but I do. Wait, it’s coming. Wait for it.” The words lingered in the air and Margo lifted a perfectly manicured finger. Her eyes, dancing with glee, belonged better on a pre-teen than her thirty-one year old sister.
The recorder erupted in three short bursts of snarls and whistles before it returned to the deep, rhythmic gargle.
“As soon as I can afford it, I’m moving out,” Cleo declared.
Yeah, I know it's my book, but I used it with permission. (lol)
PS. The face in the mud image cracked me up. Love it.
ReplyDeleteHey Janet, LOL - I'm really glad you stopped by again especially since I'm learning more about Lady Bells each time. By the time it's published, I'm going to be so eager to read it...
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, in our house, humor does happen everyday day and many times our eruptions of laughter at each other have avoided the dreaded spurting of words that can't be taken back.
Awh Kel, that was great! Thank you for using it as an example of humor in a Suspense novel.
ReplyDeleteBut on top of that, you've shown the protocol involved in the public display of your work after publication. I'm very glad you did that.
As for the face in the mud image, I was thinking about it on the way to an appt this morning and can't believe I wrote:
'He does what a man’s supposed to do and pushes her facedown in the mud and lays on top of her.
Yeah, I should have said, '...lies on top of her.' But that sounds...tame...as if he has all the time in the world.
I've just changed my copy to read:
'He does what a man’s supposed to do - pushes her facedown in the mud and throws himself on top of her.' ...or something like that.
Thanks Kel, I appreciate you stopping by.