Building suspense the WRONG way

Then she said, “But I don’t want to tell the reader the guy’s an ex-con. I want her to figure it out.”

“Why?” I said.

“Because I want to build suspense.”

“But why do you want to hold back that specific piece of information? How does doing that move your story forward? How will the reader figure it out?”

“Well, I hint at it in later chapters. . . I don’t know. I just don’t want to tell the reader everything. I mean, I work hard to come up with these stories. Shouldn’t they work hard to read?”

And there it is.

Writing a book – writing anything – is hard, hard work. We bust our asses to come up with the words, turns of phrase, eloquent transitions and killer hooks. Why shouldn’t readers work hard too?

huhWell, because they won’t. It’s really that simple.

Instead, they’ll put your book down and grab something else that gives them the mental vacation they seek. Readers want to be swept away, lost in another world – entertained, goddammit.

If they read half of your book and don’t understand why Steve has to get to the top of the mountain . . .

Or why the doctor poisons his patient . . .

Or why Sally gave up her baby . . .

They aren’t going to stick around to figure it out.

You can argue the unfairness of it all day long. It won’t matter.

Writing that holds critical information back confuses the reader. Words that reveal more, paradoxically, also draw your reader in more.

Want to build suspense? Tell your reader and NOT your characters. Think about watching a scary movie. Are you yelling at the screen, “Don’t go in there!” when the actress is heading into the room with the psycho? Yeah. Because you already KNOW he’s in there.

So what’s the cure?

I often talk about writing as though you’re chatting with your best friend. When you do that, your words become more intimate and revealing, friendlier. You lose the stuffy bullshit and big words. You become more genuine – more you. You’re also more helpful.

We don’t use big words to impress our friends. We have casual conversations meant to communicate clearly. Your books should deliver their message the same way. Don’t make the reader guess.

Writing to a friend makes it about that friend, not about you as the author. The result is the reader is better able to follow your plot, understand your meaning and care about what you’re saying.

It’s our job as writers to show readers where we are going and why they should care. The easier your story is to understand, the more engaging and entertaining it becomes. And that is the point of telling the damn story.

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Want tolearn more about writing like YOU? I’m polishing a new product that will teach you exactly that. Join our subscriber list (upper right-hand corner) to hear more about it and get a discount when it’s released.

How We Kill The Internal Editor

Give me a month and I’ll give you a writer who knows her worth, writes shit she loves and takes time to consistently improve her craft.

It’s called Write Raw and I just dropped the price – as well as the number of clients I work with each month. And soon, it’ll be gone forever.

That means it’s cheaper, but it’s also limited to three clients a month until the spring – when I take it off the market completely.

Because an infinite number of writers evidently need this service (more than two dozen signed up since this program launched in May). Because I am one person and cannot give YOU 150 percent if I’m spread too thin. Because I’m working on a new self-study offering I hope to release before spring that will replace this program.

What do we do in Write Raw?

Shake shit up.

Brainstorm, re-work, get inspired and unblocked. Professional tips and tricks? Sure-fire methods to get and keep you on track? No problem. You learn how to laser-focus your work, believe in yourself and your words, and fully understand the concept of “No one can tell the story like you.” (Thank you, Michael Xavier.)

The Proof

“You gave me courage to believe that I really could do it.”

“Without you, I wouldn’t be where I am in my writing. I still don’t know where I’m headed, but I am following through with something I have wanted to do for a really long time. And I am forever grateful you are here to help me realize my dreams.”

“The level of honest, straightforward, technical and emotional support was huge.”

“I love Becky’s no-nonsense attitude, as well as the fact that she didn’t try to change my voice. She worked with me to tease out the best story I could write without making me feel bruised and abused, like other editors have.”

Remember last year, when you said you were going to find some time to write your novel? Well, 2014 is a few days away. Ninety-eight percent of the population will never pull this off.

I want you to be among the elite 2 percent.

So what’s your story? And how fucking amazing would it feel to put it on the page? To actually write that book?

You can do it. I’ll show you how.

“Your personal touch, honest feedback, the quality of the edits – it felt more like working with a concerned friend than a business.”

“It’s pretty incredible. You helped me get out of my way. I would not be as far with my current novel without the you.”

“My voice got stronger and my writing became clearer with your help.”

“You’re forthright but respectful of the writer’s choices and intentions. . . It felt like you had an interest in me as a writer and my success.”

This year, let’s give the naysayers the finger and impress the hell out of everyone – especially YOU. Click that big pink button to read more about Write Raw and what we can do for you and your words. Again, this is limited to three clients a month until spring, and then it’s gone for good.

Write. Now.

THISISMYYEAR

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Want to learn more about writing like YOU? I’m polishing a new product that will teach you exactly that. Join our subscriber list (upper right hand corner) to hear more about it and get a discount when it’s released.