Darlene Turner – Almost An Author

Setting the Hook

Without a perfect bait a fisherman loses their chance in catching a fish. They must take their time and ease that wiggly worm onto the hook before lowering their line into the water. It’s just as important for a writer to do the same with a novel. Forget the worms and the book will fall flat. How can we do this? Here are some important areas we should reel in on in order for our mystery/suspense/thrillers to be noticed and not cast back into the lake.

Great first lines – Most readers will shop for a book by reading that very first line. It doesn’t matter if the next chapter is amazing. If the opening doesn’t hook, the reader will go fishing elsewhere. This is especially true for works of suspense. We want to set up the mystery right from the first sentence. Every word needs to be carefully chosen. We must edit and re-read the beginning over and over until we get it right. Think about these openings. “Once upon a time…” or “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”—Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities. These are first lines we’ve remembered over the years. They stood the test of time and caught the reader’s attention. Let’s do the same.

Inciting incident – What exactly is this? It’s the event that the character is thrust into that shatters their world and changes it forever. Doesn’t necessarily have to be action-packed, but it has to be trouble for the main character. Loss of spouse, fired from their job, news of a health condition. Of course, for suspense writers it could be the character is kidnapped, witnessed a murder, found out their identity was stolen. The problem must not just scratch the surface but be a story that is sustainable as well as develop the character’s arc. It has to be resolved by the end of the book. Create an inciting incident that will sink your reader into wanting more.

Introducing characters – Just like in an interview, first impressions are extremely important. We need to give the reader reasons to like them. What should we consider to set the hook? Descriptions are important. We don’t want them to appear mousey or brazen. Give small snippets of personality and appearance. The mystery will leave the reader turning the pages to find out more. How does the character talk? What sets their dialogue apart from secondary characters? These are areas we need to think about so the hero and heroine will stand out on the page and make them believable.

Backstory – This is the character’s past. How did they grow up? What traumatic event happened that affects the way they deal with the inciting incident? Backstory is important, but we need to know the right timing of when it should appear. Not too much in the first fifty pages—just snippets to lure the reader. Then as the story progresses more backstory is given. However, do it carefully. We don’t want to take the reader out of the story. Weave it in and it will create a powerful tale.

Foreshadowing – This can be done effectively or totally fizzle in the beginning chapter. We need to be careful how we foreshadow upcoming events. Giving away too much robs the reader of the joy of figuring out the clues of the thriller. They like to be surprised. However, if we don’t give at least a hint of something to come, the reader may be disappointed and stop reading. Reel them in with the mystery!

These are just some areas to consider in writing the first chapter. Ending chapter one with an unanswered question will intrigue the reader to turn that page to find out the answer.

Baiting the reader at the beginning will ensure a great catch! Let’s get our lures right the first time by setting the hook with a powerful suspenseful opening.

How do you set the hook? Share your thoughts on what works for you.

Darlene L. Turner writes romantic suspense and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. She won the 2019 and 2016 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense contest. She was a finalist in the 2019 ACFW Genesis contest and won in 2017. She lives with her husband in the Forest City of London, Ontario. Darlene’s debut novel, Border Breach, will release in April, 2020 and is now available to pre-order. Click here to order.

Visit Darlene at her website, where she believes there’s suspense beyond borders

Social Media links:

Facebook: darlene.turner.902

Twitter: darlenelturner

Voice and Style

Voice and style can make or break an author’s novel, so how can we make it stand out from all the rest? Style is the technical aspect of the story while voice relies on character, point of view, and attitude (can be referred to as tone). How can we give the reader a voice they’ll remember or a style that will keep them reading?

The following are aspects of voice and style I’ve been learning about from other authors. Every writer should think about these before they start to plot their novel.

Voice

The challenge can be to write in a voice that comes across as unique and authentic. Let’s think about the following.

Character and attitude – The tone of your story will set your novel apart if done correctly. Your characters need an attitude as it can add emotional stake and give the reader what they want—a cleverly woven story. If they don’t have attitude the tale will fall flat. The author needs to show how the character is going to deal with the issues that plague them. How will their attitude show? It will become their distinctive voice.

POV – Most thrillers are written in first-person past tense or third-person past tense POV. Why? Some feel first-person reads well and is a friendlier voice. Normally first-person is the voice of the hero. Think Patrick Bowers in Steven James’ series. He puts the reader right into Patrick’s life.

Is there a downside to using first-person? The author must stay in that person’s POV for the entire novel, so it’s hard to show scenes with other characters. Also, the reader may get tired of all the “I’s” throughout the chapters.

What about third-person? Seeing the events through the eyes of a character is like a movie camera rolling while reading. It puts the reader directly into the story. They feel what the character feels, sees what they see, etc. Usually in a mystery, the sleuth narrates most of the story.

Which POV is right for the author? Why not try both out on some beta readers? Give them a snippet in both POVs and have them decide which they like better. Once decided, the author can better plot their novel as it will come naturally.

Style

How can style work hand-in-hand with voice? These are technical choices authors make to weave their tale. Here are some examples of how style can enhance your story.

Flashbacks/Background – They can add suspense for the reader. However, use these sparingly. Too many flashbacks or background information can pull the reader from the story, but placed in the right spot can have them turning the pages. We’ve been told not to include background info in the first fifty pages. If it’s necessary to add them early, just give hints to entice them.

Setting – Every suspense/mystery/thriller needs a powerful setting. Perhaps it’s a sleepy town now plagued with intrigue or a supposed haunted mansion. The setting is a character of its own. To see more on this subject, see my previous post here.

Dialogue – This can make or break a novel. Dialogue needs to be authentic, but we also don’t want to include hum-drum snippets of a conversation—for example: “Hi. How are you?” “I’m fine, thank-you. You?” We know these types of questions are in our everyday conversations, but they will bore the reader. Keep dialogue snappy and moving the plot forward.

Rhythm — The use of short and long sentences can enhance the pace of a novel. Need suspense? Use short, choppy sentences to thrust them right into the action. Need to give the reader a break? Use longer sentences and paragraphs to slow the pace, giving them a chance to think through all the clues. However, don’t add too much detail. You know what they say—less is more.

These are just some areas to consider when writing a novel. Practicing in different POVs and using the above information can make the author’s style and voice authentic. Why not try this today?

What are your thoughts on voice and style?

Darlene L. Turner writes romantic suspense and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. She won the 2019 and 2016 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence contest. She was a finalist in the 2019 ACFW Genesis contest and won in 2017. She lives with her husband in the Forest City of London, Ontario. Darlene’s debut novel, Border Breach, will release in April, 2020 and is now available to pre-order. Click here to order.

Visit Darlene at:

Website: www.darlenelturner.com where she believes there’s suspense beyond borders

Social Media links:

Facebook: darlene.turner.902

Twitter: darlenelturner