Start with a hook, end with a cliffhanger
I'm at the halfway point on Bewitched & Betrayed, and I thought I'd pass on something that seems to be working for me -- I start each chapter with a hook and end with a cliffhanger. For me, this involves keeing my characters up to their eyeballs in trouble, especially Raine. If she's not in trouble, she's about to be in trouble, or has just gotten out of trouble (for the moment). I'm not a completely heartless author -- I do try to let her catch her breath. ; )
I constantly ask myself the question: "How much worse can I make it for Raine?" I learned this in Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass. If you don't already have this book, treat yourself and buy it. Or it would make a fabulous holiday gift for the writer in your life. This is the book that made the lightbulbs go off in my head about such things as how to keep raising the stakes for my characters. It's a treasure trove of information. With my characters, I've found that if I don't need a yardstick to measure the crap, then they aren't in it deep enough.
Of course, I know that I have to find a way out for everyone, and that the way out can't be easy for them either. I've got a rule for Raine getting herself out of any sticky situation -- if she uses magic, it can get her out of that particular situation, but it gets her into more trouble down the road. I prefer for Raine to rely on her brain, not her magical brawn. And in each book, she's getting more magical mojo courtesy of the Saghred. There's the temptation (and need) to use it, but there's the greater need to not use it, and of course to get rid of it. And when she goes up against those who have more magical power/experience than she does, it's a challenge to say the least, to figure out a way for her to use brains and street smarts to defeat them.
So in every book/chapter/page, I'm going for the same thing with Raine (and my other main characters as well):
1. Get them in trouble.
2. Having them try to get out of trouble, find a solution to the problem, solve the crime, etc. propels the story forward. Each page must propel the story forward. I try to start each chapter with a hook, and end it with a cliffhanger.
3. The characters grow and change as a result of all of the above.
Lisa
I constantly ask myself the question: "How much worse can I make it for Raine?" I learned this in Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass. If you don't already have this book, treat yourself and buy it. Or it would make a fabulous holiday gift for the writer in your life. This is the book that made the lightbulbs go off in my head about such things as how to keep raising the stakes for my characters. It's a treasure trove of information. With my characters, I've found that if I don't need a yardstick to measure the crap, then they aren't in it deep enough.
Of course, I know that I have to find a way out for everyone, and that the way out can't be easy for them either. I've got a rule for Raine getting herself out of any sticky situation -- if she uses magic, it can get her out of that particular situation, but it gets her into more trouble down the road. I prefer for Raine to rely on her brain, not her magical brawn. And in each book, she's getting more magical mojo courtesy of the Saghred. There's the temptation (and need) to use it, but there's the greater need to not use it, and of course to get rid of it. And when she goes up against those who have more magical power/experience than she does, it's a challenge to say the least, to figure out a way for her to use brains and street smarts to defeat them.
So in every book/chapter/page, I'm going for the same thing with Raine (and my other main characters as well):
1. Get them in trouble.
2. Having them try to get out of trouble, find a solution to the problem, solve the crime, etc. propels the story forward. Each page must propel the story forward. I try to start each chapter with a hook, and end it with a cliffhanger.
3. The characters grow and change as a result of all of the above.
Some of what's coming up:
- How to keep a story believable
- Let every scene advance the plot
- Never stop learning
Lisa
posted by Lisa Shearin at
7:59 AM
10 Comments:
This is exactly the advice I needed. Its what I'm trying to do at the moment with my wips. It's not necessarily easy, but its fun making life worse for my characters! Thank you for this.
Glad it helped!
Great post! I have Donald Maass's book as well. I also like to have my characters do things that the reader won't expect. It's fun.
Okay. That's the fourth time I've seen reference made to Maass's book in the last few weeks.
Looks like I'll have to add it to my writing tech bookshelf, right next to Block, Bradbury, and King.
Love the list of 4. I'll be tacking that up on my wall.
Hi Ace,
Don's book is a worthwhile addition.
It was the writing book that had the most effect on me.
Lisa
Great advice. It's just what I needed at the moment with one of my stories.
Other than Maass's book, do you have any other reading suggestions?
(Either fiction that you think is exceptional or books on writing?)
Cherity,
Two of my other favs: On Writing by Stephen King, and Sometimes the Magic Works by Terry Brooks. Stephen King's is considered a classic, and Terry Brooks' is good for fantasy writers.
Start with a hook, end with a cliffhanger,
OR
Start hook, fall STRAIGHT off the cliff and into writers block ;)
Rachel,
LOL! I've done that one too. ; )
Will look out for Terry Brooks. Read On Writing heaps of times! (so much so I gave it away....)
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