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Creating Suspense to Strengthen the Narrative Arc Great novels grab your attention and never let it go until the reader looks up from reading, “The End.” That’s a given. But it’s not always easy to grab that reader’s attention. What you need is suspense. Suspense is created by an uncertainty about what happens next in [...]
Scene Quiz: From a Harvard Bar to Your Scenes Yesterday, we talked about what you’d find if you dissected a good scene. Today, we’ll apply this information by studying a scene from the classic movie, Good Will Hunting. (Warning: Adult language) Then, you can apply it to your own scenes.
It’s well know that I don’t want an honest critique on my novels or picture books! But for some reason, people keep giving me exactly what I don’t want. Conflicting Emotions of Receiving a Critique Yesterday, when my local critique group talked about my latest picture book manuscript, three emotions held sway. Embarrassment. I am [...]
Take Your Character’s Pulse The emotional arc of a story is just as important as the narrative arc; it’s just harder to see sometimes. One way to check this emotional or inner conflict arc is to consider scenes one at a time. First mark off one scene in your manuscript. Then, identify the emotional pulse [...]
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