WRITING A PAGE-TURNER
by p.m. terrell
My
first fiction was based on a real-life trucking industry kickback scheme in
which I turned evidence over to the FBI. Writing a fictionalized version meant
my genre had been chosen for me; because there was no mystery as to who the
bad guys were, it fell into the suspense category. It was a natural fit because
my career prior to writing had been in the computer industry with a specialty
in computer crime and computer intelligence.
But
what I have found over the last twelve years of writing full-time is the same
principles used to keep readers turning the pages in a suspense/thriller can be
applied to any genre. For example, when I wrote my two historical books, Songbirds are Free and River Passage, I wrote them in the same
style as my suspense—and they are still my most popular books.
Here are
a few ways to keep readers turning the pages, regardless of the genre you
write:
Begin
your book in the middle of the scene.
In
a time in which attention spans are becoming increasingly smaller, it is
particularly important to grab the reader’s attention with your very first
paragraph. You can’t do that if you begin by building scenes that won’t grip
them until much later in the book. You have to demand their attention
immediately—and hold it.
End
each chapter with a cliff-hanger.
A
cliff-hanger is anything that causes the reader to want to move to the next
chapter to see what happens next. I learned this by analyzing What Dreams May Come by Richard
Matheson, which is not a suspense/thriller—but a book I could not put down
until I had finished it. Every chapter ended with the build-up to the next
chapter.
The
first half of the book should aim at a pivotal mid-point.
I
often see writers building their scenes to a climax that might occur 70,000
words into the story. But to avoid the middle sag that can develop in a
full-length book, I always have two climactic scenes. One is in the middle and
serves as an eye-opening pivotal point that causes the reader to sit up
straight and realize that everything they’d read to that point was perhaps not
what it seemed. From that point onward, it’s a roller coaster ride that never
lets up. The end result, in creating that mid-point scene, is a first half that
must happen fast in order to get all of the necessary components lined up—and a
second half that is breathless.
The
climax should be earth-shattering.
Because
there is a jarring scene in the middle, the stakes are higher for a larger
climactic scene at the end of the book in order for the reader to feel
completely satisfied. That scene has to change the main character’s life in an
earth-shattering way, and must also be strong enough for the reader to continue
thinking about it long after they have set down the book.
p.m.terrell's latest book, Dylan’s Song, was released earlier this year. For more
information about the author and her books, visit www.pmterrell.com
and for more information on Book ‘Em, visit www.bookemnc.org.
Thank you for having me here today, Sheila! I'll be checking back later to answer any questions anyone might have for me.
ReplyDeletefabulous advice, thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for the advice. The idea of having two climatic scenes just gave me a good idea for my WIP.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by and leaving comments, Maegan and Stephanie! I'm glad I gave you an idea for your WIP, Stephanie. Sheila, thanks again for having me as a guest on your blog!
ReplyDelete