Are pets an asset or an albatross in our mystery, suspense, and thriller genre?
Pets have shown up in film since the time of silent movies and far earlier in the written word. Both film makers and authors draw out strong emotions through the use of animals.
Dogs seem to be a staple in cozy mysteries and romance stories, adding a feel-good dimension. Lassie and Rin Tin Tin, the iconic furry best friends of the shows of the 1950s and 60s, elicited a sense of stability as they sought justice alongside their human companions.
On the opposite, movies and books abound with examples of less than stellar animals––Cujo, the St. Bernard, from 1980s movie and Stephen King novel, The Shining, the zombie Malamute from the movie, Pet Sematary II, based on another Stephen King novel, and the wild Aussie dogs cross bred with wolves in the 2015 Australian film, The Pack.
One image connotes sloppy kisses and waggling tails, the other, bared teeth, drool, and mange.
Let’s consider three uses for employing a pet character:
Rachet up the tension and conflict
Describe a character
Create mood.
Tension and conflict
The reader feels unsettled when the family dog raises its hackles as it stares at a blank wall, or the cat unexpectedly claws a long-time friend. The dog jumping from the bed and barking in the middle of the night serves the same purpose. Our characters may respond with fear, curiosity, or amusement––pulling bedcovers up to their chin, running to the dog, grabbing the gun, yelling out in frustration, or simply chuckling—depending on the level of conflict the plot demands. The response raises or lowers the tension.
Character Description
When our character goes for a run with a Labrador in tow, we’re likely looking at a people-person who’s physically fit. Or when the character lives with fifteen cats at the end of the lane in a dilapidated house, we think recluse and a little creepy. Readers may connect Pit Bulls with villains.
If our character houses snakes or iguanas, we view the person differently than one who raises Springer Spaniels. If the dog is chained in the backyard, we think cruelty. If the pooch eats lobster and salmon, our character is either wealthy and indulgent, or self-sacrificing, putting the perceived needs of a pet above their own.
One can visualize each of these characters, as Jerry B. Jenkins says, “in the theater of your mind.”
Create a Mood
Marley and Me, the 2008 movie based on the autobiographical novel by John Grogan of the same name, drew us in as the author interacted with his yellow Labrador Retriever and the grief following his death. The story tugged at viewers’ and readers’ heartstrings, and no doubt, increased fans and book sales alike.
A cat curled in a slant of sunlight ushers in a sense of relaxation. The dog romps through the park, and we want to grab a Frisbee and a pair of running shoes. With the sight of a growling, seething junkyard dog in a dark alley, our backs slam against the wall and our hands reach for a weapon.
Never an afterthought
Like all characters, never throw in a pet without first considering how they enhance the plot. Pets need names, purpose, even backstory. The reader reacts differently to a rescue dog than a show dog, or to a rain-soaked kitten versus a twenty-pound Persian perched on a velvet cushion. But avoid overwhelming the main plot with pet subplots as a way to distract from poor story structure.
Statistics
According to spots.com, two out of every three American homes includes a pet, and 393.3 million pets live in the United States. A 2019/20 pet owners survey reveals over 63 million households in the United States owned at least one dog.
We’re in good company when we include a pet in our novels. They add another tool in our writer’s bag to bring our story to life. Consider casting one in your next mystery, suspense, or thriller and keep your reader turning the page.
Write well, my friends.
PJ Gover
PJ Gover encourages her readers to live the thrill one story at a time. She wrote her first thriller at age nine, all of six pages, but only returned to creating suspense/thrillers years later after unearthing her deceased father’s secret work designing missiles for the government. After thirteen writing awards, including five for first place, her high school English teacher must be shaking her head in disbelief. A ranch in Texas serves as home base. Offer her well-crafted chili rellenos or anything gluten-free and you’ll have a friend for life. Jim Hart of Hartline Literary represents PJ.
Writing during a global pandemic is probably not something you thought you’d be tackling. Writing is hard enough by itself!
But handling history well, whether you’re living it or researching it, is part of being a writer. Recently I saw an article that stressed how one publisher is not particularly focused on dystopian writing because of the current state of the world.
They stressed the importance of finding hope through historical events. Fantasy and Science-fiction can be used to build that hope, if done rightly. Here are a few ways to use the current global crisis for the benefit of your readers:
Enforce your writing with historical moments.
Countless moments have shaped history, and therefore storytelling, as a whole. This is one of them. Going back often helps us move forward.
As you plan, draft, or edit your current work-in-progress, focus on historical moments that looked bleak but ended in a brighter future. Draw inspiration from these moments and allow them to influence your writing. Readers need hope, and you’re one of the best people to give it to them.
Use history to teach.
The Civil War brought tension between family members and friends. The Great Depression was a drastic life change for many. COVID-19 is a different circumstance bringing similar emotional responses. Research those who lived during historical moments, look up their stories, and choose different aspects of these very real people to influence your characters.
For your protagonist, consider drawing different character traits from figures who experienced global moments in different centuries. Combine some of these characteristics into a fictional character, add your own twist, and use your character to bring hope to your story. This will show readers what characteristics still bring hope today.
Look to the future.
History shows us how to interact with the future, what to do, and what not to do. Science-fiction in particular points to the future. As you craft your story, pour yourself into world-building and research that will make readers want to escape into your world. Layer in supporting characters and scenes that will inspire your readers to return to their own world wiser, and with more hope, in how to handle their present circumstances.
Writing is a powerful tool. While writing for entertainment may not be our primary focus right now, it can be used to teach, inspire, and bring hope. Now more than ever it’s important to write powerful stories and strong characters. Let’s be the writers who encourage readers in a dark time. Write on!
Sarah Rexford is a Marketing Content Creator and writer. She helps authors build their platform through branding and copywriting. With a BA in Strategic Communications, Sarah equips writers to learn how to communicate their message through personal branding. She writes fiction and nonfiction and offers writers behind-the-scenes tips on the publishing industry through her blog itssarahrexford.com. She is represented by the C.Y.L.E Young Agency.
As we continue this editing series how we can develop a great story, I hope you’re able to see that the elements of storytelling hinges on more than concept and characters.
By having all the layers in place before actually writing, you can have a clearer idea of where your story is going. Or if you’ve already written your book, how to make sure all the layers are in place so that you give
your readers a delightful reading experience.
The fifth layer in developing a great story is developing the setting within your story, whether nonfiction or fiction.
The settings within your story link the moods and viewpoints of your characters and plot together like a colorful construction paper chain link that can be as short or as long as you want them to be.
How to Edit the Setting
What does the setting say about your character?
What is the most important dominant impression in this scene?
How does the setting enhance your story’s plot?
What does the setting say about your character?
As you know, in storytelling, it’s really all about what’s at stake for the main character. And the best way to show that is to show the character interacting with the scene.
We’re not going to talk about the character right now, but more how the elements in the scene help the character.
A well-written setting will describe your character’s mood without telling readers your character’s mood. A well-written setting will affect your character’s mood
without telling your readers. A well-written setting will also enhance the scene and the actions and reactions of the other characters interaction with each other. Or the overall effect and observation of the landscape.
We must ask ourselves the following potential questions (not exhaustive, by any means):
Does the setting describe the visual space, or does the setting describe the character’s motivations and actions, pulling the reader into the story?
Does the setting open with intrigue and action, or does it open slow and monotone?
What is the end result of the setting?
What does this setting tie back to?
What is the driving emotion and motivation for the character?
Are any of the five senses represented here, and how to incorporate them?
What setting details would enhance the character actions?
What is the takeaway or suspense for your readers?
If it seems that every aspect of storytelling is comprised of asking lots of questions, you’re right. It is. As writers, we must don our analytical hats and comb every journalist-style
question as we map out the story basics. For in asking those deeper questions, we will be able to craft a compelling scene that dazzles and engages readers.
Here’s a piece of my draft scene for the story I’m writing:
Footsteps echoed on the hardwood floor. The door swung open, and Dad retreated to his desk. A bulky L. C. Smith and Corona sat on the desk. Sunlight pushed through a filmy window from
behind and glared across the desktop.
Footsteps echoed on the hardwood floor. The door swung open, and Dad retreated to his desk. A bulky L. C. Smith and Corona sat on the desk. Sunlight pushed through a filmy window
from behind and glared across the desktop.
“What are you doing?” She settled on the wingback chair catty-corner the desk.
Dad pulled a clean sheet through the feeder. “Taking care of business.”
She scanned the desk for bills or business letters but only found heavily edited typed sheets of paper. “Oh. What kind of business?”
The return key dinged, and his fingers arched above the keys. “Not quite finished with it yet.”
She sighed, resigned to live in her father’s abrupt world, but wishing she didn’t have to be affected by it.
He hit a few keys and squinted at what he’d typed. “Oh, Paul and Kate said they’d help you get registered for school.”
He didn’t want to help her register for school? Fighting tears, she slammed her hands into her lap where he couldn’t see them. “You’re okay with that?”
“Why not?” A steady slap of keys followed.
Two crumpled sheets rested against a bookshelf across from her and the desk. Rejects. Why did she feel like joining them? She cleared her throat. “I don’t know, but maybe
I’m not ready to walk all around school.”
“Rie, Paul says you’re doing well. Susan too.” He looked up, smiling. “That’s good enough for me.”
She rubbed the chair’s fraying arm. If this was his way of approving, then she’d take it, but she didn’t have to like it. “I’m glad you think so. I’m
going to sit on Cherish today.”
He thumbed through half of the stack and set a portion aside. “Honey, I need to keep working. Do you mind if we talk later?” He picked up his pen and circled some words
on a sheet from the middle of the stack.
Staring at the pile, she made out the word draft across the top of one page. What was he writing, and why was it more important than her? He’d hardly talked with her since she’d come back from the hospital. She grabbed her crutches and locked her knees.
Why did she think he would ever change now?
Like it? It’s not perfect, and will change, but it’s a start. Can you picture the setting as if you were right there? Do you notice words that invoke reactions like impatience,
dismissiveness, striving, sad patience? Do you feel the rush of disappointment as Rie tries to talk with her father? Do you feel the anticipation, the hope, then the dejection settling in the pit of your stomach?
Think about your own story, and what your character wants. Got it? Now what kind of things would need to be in your setting that would set up the mood that describes your character’s
feelings without saying what your character is feeling?
“She felt tired.” No! Rather, “The chair sagged in the corner, and she sank into it” shows you the character is tired. Exhausted. Beat. Done in.
What is the most important dominant impression in this scene?
The dominant impression is what stands out most in the setting that gives credence to the character’s mood and the scene’s mood.
In my draft scene example, the dominant impression was two things: the typewriter and scattered paper, and I used words and descriptions and motivations that described the office
and the father’s actions, while bringing focus to what my character was feeling—and what she wanted. These dominant impressions also describe the mood of everything and everyone else in the room, and how the main
character is affected.
In short, the dominant impression centers around the setting and helps bring focus and emotion to the scene and whatever happens in it. And often, the dominant impression affects
your character’s emotions greatly.
How does the setting propel the plot forward?
Propelling the plot forward is tough. Not gonna lie. It’s that delicate balance between stop, listen to the birdsong, and go, race through the sun-splashed woods.
In making the scene move forward, whether slower paced or break-neck speed, it’s crucial to set certain actions, thoughts, motivations, descriptions in such a way that the setting
builds to a crescendo. If you’ve ever listened to Handle’s Messiah, you know the rush of emotion you get when that last stanza is played. And you know the feelings that overwhelm you. Same for your writing because
readers will be able to experience all those emotions with your characters at those levels, and then when you raise the stakes, then that emotion only grows.
For example, in my scene, the various propellers are in different places throughout that scene:
#1 “Why not?” A steady slap of keys followed.
#2 She rubbed the chair’s fraying arm. If this was his way of approving, then she’d take it, but she didn’t have to like it. “I’m glad you think so. I’m going to sit on Cherish today.”
He thumbed through half of the stack and set a portion aside. “Honey, I need to keep working. Do you mind if we talk later?”
As if Laurie’s been jerked out of that office, right?
Secret Sauce to the Best Setting. Ever.
“Places are never just places in a piece of writing. If they are, the author has failed. Setting is not inert. It is activated by point of view.”
And let that be true of your manuscript, however you choose to set up the setting in your story, whether you choose to ease in, ramp up, create waves, let it ebb and flow, or go off
the deep end. No. No. Don’t do that. But do make your readers anticipate every moment of every element of each and every setting.
Each writer and author benefits from exploring their characters and setting inside and out, while asking “what if?” at every turn when crafting their novel’s plot
because it’s really the secret sauce to writing a great story that captivates people, agents, editors, readers, marketers, and the person who wouldn’t necessarily pick up a book and read it.
Questions? Comments? I’d love to engage in the conversation with you! Drop your question or comment in the chat below, and I’ll look forward to responding!
Your Turn!
What is the dominant impression in your setting?
Which of the five senses will you use in your scene, and how?
How is your character viewing the scene by the setting, or how are they feeling / reacting?
Tisha Martin writes historical fiction and nonfiction but edits full time for beginning and best-selling writers and publishing houses. Since 2017 she has worked on over 250 books, including Planned from the Start, the devotional companion to Unplanned the movie, and serves as contest judge for Writer’s Digest. She puts her bachelors in Professional Writing, masters in English Education, and editing certificate from the PEN Institute to delightful good use. Her nonfiction essay “The Meaning of an Heirloom” in The Horse of My Dreams: True Stories of the Horses We Love is available from Revell. She enjoys speaking at writer’s conferences and coaching writers in the self-editing process. Learn more at www.tishamartin.com.
Once you’ve chosen the setting of your book—which we discussed in Part 1 of this series—it’s important to spend time researching the setting so you can portray this location accurately.
Here’s how you can research your setting:
Take a research trip to your setting (if feasible).
Watch YouTube videos. Many times, people will give a “virtual tour” of a certain city. As you watch, pay close attention to the sights and sounds of the place.
Research the location and its history through various online resources. (Keep in mind, however, that some websites, such as Wikipedia, may not provide 100% accurate information and should not considered a reliable source.)
Read books about the location, including memoirs.
Read the online newspaper of the location.
Discover pictures of the place via Pinterest. (Make sure to pin them to your storyboard as well!)
Interview people who have a connection to the location.
Research the city through www.areavibes.com. This website allows you to explore a location and discover its amenities, housing and neighborhoods, population, economics, crime, weather, etc. It will even compare these results with another location as well.
Take advantage of Google Earth and its street view feature.
The same amount of work must be applied to settings that are invented as well. Obviously, you can’t research the setting—but by using the above and below checklists, you can brainstorm specific location details. (If you do this, you might even be able to trick your readers into believing that your setting is an actual place!)
When you research/invent your setting, I recommend recording the info in an online file or notebook. As you do, take note of the following:
What unique elements does the place have that contribute toward its personality? Are there rolling hills? Willow trees that form a canopy over a certain street? Farm animals held behind fences?
How do people speak? What is their dialect and popular slang?
Where is the place located geographically?
What is the climate in every season?
What is the history of the location, and how has it shaped the setting into what it is today?
What is the most popular religion? (For instance, is it located in the Bible belt?)
What are the socioeconomics?
What is the atmosphere? Is it a laid back town in the south, where people are accustomed to a slow-paced lifestyle, or does it take place within the hustle and bustle of NYC?
What are the popular fashion and hairstyles?
Where people shop for food, coffee, groceries, clothes, ice cream, etc.?
What are the significant landmarks and parks?
Where do the teenagers hangout?
What kind of animals can be found in the location? Plants? Insects?
If it’s a small town, what big city is it located near?
What are the popular street names?
As you research, you will collect facts about this location; however, when you write your story, these facts must be filtered through the eyes of your POV character. Everyone is going to have a unique attitude toward a specific location. This attitude is influenced by a number of factors: the person’s personal experiences, memories, personality, worldview, etc. Their perception of this setting is also a great tool to contribute to the book/scene’s particular mood/emotion.
For example, the following excerpt is the first page of my YA novel, PURPLE MOON:
“Why couldn’t you just leave me alone in our apartment for the summer, Mom? I’m sixteen. I’m responsible. Mostly mature.”
Our Camry swerves as we turn into Lakeview Estates. Three-‐‑story homes span the landscaping that stretches for acres then tucks into the bordering lake.
Families visit here every year for summer vacation. The majestic mountain peaks that outline the water of Lake Lure offer a refuge of seclusion to escape the stress of hectic lifestyles. No words describe the beauty of this place.
Yet I shut my eyes and sink further into the seat, trying to wish myself away. Somewhere else. Maybe to the fairy tale land that I used to imagine when I was a kid. I would even welcome the idea of turning around and driving all the way back to Brooklyn.
Anywhere but here. ”
(c)Purple Moon by Tessa Emily Hall – 2013 – Published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas
Based on that excerpt, what would you say is the attitude that my protagonist, Selena, has toward the setting?
The fact about the setting, which is included in this excerpt, is that Lake Lure is a beautiful tourist location. But it’s clear that Selena is not happy to be there. She portrays this not only through internal monologue, but through her body language as well (sinking into her seat and closing her eyes).
Later, Selena reacts to the thick humidity of Lake Lure by mentioning how she should have brought more summer clothes. Why wasn’t she prepared for the hot weather? Probably because she was accustomed to living in Brooklyn, NY, which is a much cooler climate than Lake Lure, even in the summer.
Do you see how one’s memories, personality, and background all come into play when describing the setting of a novel?
“I wouldn’t have thought a simple sketch of a lake could have so many emotional strings attached to it. But it does. For me, at least.” ~Selena from PURPLE MOON
So ask yourself: How does my protagonist connect to the setting? You can brainstorm this by asking the following questions:
What are her significant memories of certain areas of the location? What are the sights, sounds, smells, etc. that remind her of these memories, and what is her attitude toward them?
Is this her birthplace? If not, when did she move there, and how does it compare with the other places she has lived?
How has this location influenced her personality and worldview?
Where does your character go during her free time?
What street does she live on?
What kind of house does she live in?
Where does her family fall on the socioeconomics scale?
Remember:
The setting of a story should be treated as if it were another character, so make sure to research it beforehand.
Then, when you begin to write, highlight on the specific details that will breathe life into your setting. However, make sure that this is presented through the eyes of your POV (Point of View) character.
Through proper developing and portraying your setting, you will give your readers the opportunity to become transported into the story’s location . . . and they’ll never once have to leave the comfort of their own home. 😉
[bctt tweet=”How to Choose, Develop, & Research a Setting: Part 2 #amwriting #writingtips” username=”tessaemilyhall”]
Do you prefer to invent a location, or choose an already-existing one? What’s your favorite part about researching the setting? Let me know in the comments!
Setting is far more than the backdrop of a novel. It’s the environment that breathes life into a story. It can paint hues of emotion, provide necessary backstory, enhance characterization, and serve as a tool to unfold significant plot elements.
When a writer prepares to write a book, they should spend just as much time researching and developing a setting as they do with their characters. In fact, settingshould be treated with much attention as if it were a character in itself.
Think of your favorite book. How would the plot differ if it were set in the snow-capped mountains of Colorado? Or in a dry desert of New Mexico?
When a writer accurately portrays a believable setting for their novel, the reader becomes sucked into the story. This should be done in a way so that the story would not be the same if it were set in another location.
For example: The setting is a crucial element in the movie The Titanic. It would be impossible to set that story in another location; the entire plot would unravel.
Readers fall in love with books that present well-developed settings and story worlds. What would The Chronicles of Narnia be without Narnia? Or Anne of Green Gables without Green Gables?
When choosing a setting, ask yourself:
What is the mood and theme of this story? What kind of location—a small town, big city, etc.—would best portray this?
How will the setting affect the plot of the story?
Will I use a real town or invent one?
What cities—including my hometown— am I familiar with? Out of those, which one am I most passionate about?
How can I weave symbolism into this setting?
How does the setting influence my protagonist? What is his/her attitude toward this location? (This is a great way to unravel backstory — through showing the memories tied to her surroundings.)
I chose Lake Lure, NC for the setting of Purple Moon for the following reasons:
I realized I had yet to read a YA novel that was set in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina.
I knew I wanted to set the story in the south since I am from SC.
I came across a photograph of the mountains outlining a lake. This inspired me to do a Google search of lakes in North Carolina.
After I found a list, I chose Lake Lure because the name reflected a theme in the novel.
Since my protagonist is an artist, the mountains tucked into the lake keeps her inspired and reflects her personality.
If you want your readers to become swept away in your story, it’s crucial that you spend necessary time researching your setting before you begin to write.
It’s important to research your setting for the following reasons:
Believability
Accuracy
So your readers can feel as if they have stepped into the pages of your book. You want to give them the sense that they are living in the story.
To prevent your story from unfolding in front of a “closed curtain”.
In the next post, we’ll discuss how to go about researching your setting and how to filter it through the eyes of your protagonist.
[bctt tweet=”How to Choose, Develop, & Research a Setting: Part 1 via @TessaEmilyHall #write” username=””]
What is your favorite story setting? How does it enhance the plot, theme, mood, and protagonist of the novel?
Many people are discouraged from enjoying poetry because they claim it’s too difficult. Trust me. I’ve had those moments when faced with an enigma of words on the page.
One way I hope to lessen the fear of reading poetry is to show you how to read it—especially for more complex poems. These five questions will help you crack the code of many poems you might come across.
Understanding poetry begins with visualizing the central images in the poem. What do you see, taste, smell, hear, and feel?
Then figure out what those images have in common. For instance, in Langston Hughes’ “Mother to Son” the imagery centers around a broken down staircase and reflects personal brokenness and hardship.
What is the mood of the poem? (Or How does it make me feel?)
The imagery can help you determine whether the mood or feeling of the poem is positive or negative. In the poem above, the negative imagery conveys a negative, or somber mood. Yet the speaker shows her determination to overcome life’s hardships by saying things such as “For I’se still going honey” which in turn allows the poem to end on a more positive note rather than desperation.
Who is the speaker of the poem?
The speaker is the voice of the poem, and it’s not necessarily the poet. In Hughes’ poem, the speaker is a mother speaking to her son, while the poet is a man. You should identify the speaker by describing him or her as “someone who…” and fill in the blank. Does the person admire nature? Or does she have a message for someone? Maybe the speaker is complaining about something or questioning his life. In this poem, the speaker is a mother who is encouraging her son not to give up just because life is difficult.
What structural or stylistic techniques does the poet use?
Notice the punctuation, informal language and repetition in the poem.
Usually poets use structure and style to emphasize the message or reflect the meaning of the poem. In Hughes’ poem, the repeated line “And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair” is a big key to the message he’s trying to convey. Also, the poem is written in dialect which makes it sound more like we’re overhearing part of a conversation. This makes it more personal.
What is the message of the poem?
All of the above questions point to the message the poet wants to convey. Consider the negative imagery that represents the hardships of life and the negative mood that contrasts with the speaker’s words of encouragement. Her words emphasize that she’s not given up and kept going despite the hardships. So we can guess the message the poet means to share is to persevere through hard times no matter what.
Now I know you’re probably thinking that was too easy. And yes, for teaching purposes I picked a simpler poem. However, if you get in the habit of looking for these things when reading any level of poetry, you will find it much more understandable and enjoyable.
[bctt tweet=”Crack the code of poetry with just 5 questions! #poets #poetry”]
Do you have a special technique you use to uncover the messages in the poetry you read? Tell me below.
