USING DIALOGUE TO CRANK UP TENSION
“Straight-forward dialogue can be a bit…eh…how should I say…. Well, I’d rather keep my opinion to myself.”
Here’s an example of a character backing off from a comment where the meaning is implied. These kinds of lines gave a novel a lot of body and create tension when tension is hard to find, especially if you have a man and a woman drinking wine at a romantic dinner date in the woman’s apartment. Continue reading
HOW TO KEEP YOUR CHARACTERS UNDER FIRE
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I’m bubbling up with insight from another James Frey book, How to Write a Damn Good Novel II. It’s amazing the tips that he has, and if you want some deeper understanding about novel-writing, I’d suggest buying both of his books. They’re easy reads, and they’re as suspenseful as a novel, in my opinion.
He uses the term, “Light the Fuse.” The idea is that your characters have to start your novel in a dramatic situation, a tough circumstance. It’s the bomb that’s about to blow if your characters don’t escape. Continue reading
William Stadler 