Writing Dark Suspense

Suspense, Thrillers, Romance, Paranormal, and, yes, Horror Fiction are on my To-Do list of what type of books I want to write.

While there's still a few weeks of revision remaining of the five-book Young Adult Paranormal Thriller series, in the back of my mind, there's a dark suspense brewing.

Something haunting and twisted lurks just beneath the surface . . . whoa, am I watching too many scary movies and haunted this or that television shows and reading an overabundance novels of terror, or what?

Yet the story stays with me, evolving and expanding, in the deep recesses of my mind.

A long-time Stephen King and Dean Koontz fan, I completed a Savvy Authors workshop Make it Horror, presented by P. June Diehl. Good timing in that I will be able to digest the lessons before time to start the standalone fiction book, slated to be a novel of terror.

The syllabus to the Make it Horror workshop consisted of the following topics:

• Starting with a Dark Idea
• Writing from Our Fears
• Horrible Characters & Creating Monsters
• Horrible Events (Plot)
• Eerie Landscapes and Nightmares (Setting)
• Creating Dark Story Tone and Mood
• Crafting the Impossible
• Marketing Your Horror Story

The workshop was a satisfying savvy experience for me! (Hat tip to Savvy Authors and P. June Diehl.) 

Why write dark suspense?

The scary and the obscure call to me (Stephen King, Dean Koontz), they always have, which is why I suppose for the current series, I was drawn toward writing paranormal thriller.

The how and when and why of events draws me in (Stephen King's The Shining and Dean Koontz's Watchers). The inner workings of the human mind -- greed, skewed belief systems, phobias -- has always intrigued me. The thought of haunted houses and night graveyard visits send chills and thrills up and down my spine.

What frightens you in the night or what scares you most during the day? What potential happenings cause goose bumps or encourage you to double check the locks on your doors? What's your biggest most invasive worry? Is there a childhood memory that haunts you still?

Choose one or even a combination of one of the above and write a fictionalized story about those fears, concerns and worries. Keep upping the level of those fears and the strength of the source of those fears and intensifying the conflict between the two. That's dark suspense.

The story slithering through my head, perhaps a psychological thriller with horror elements, will soon rise to the surface. How will I manage to get the story out and how will it evolve? Okay, I gotta say it -- wait for it -- now, that's suspense!

Determination in Gear

For the first time, I first drafted three chapters in a single day. I busted a writing myth that had been stuck in my head and wrote approximately 6,000 words. (Hat tip to you, Dean Wesley Smith!) And, you know what, I had fun writing those three chapters. Guess what I did to celebrate? I sent out a few hey-guess-what-texts, then jotted down ideas for the next days chapters, and the next morning wrote another chapter.

While I get excited about busting myths and achieving writing goals, since writing books is my job, my focus is production.

Author Dean Wesley Smith's blog post regarding How to Keep Production Going All Year helped me discover which scheduling & production method works for me. (Idea #4 inspired me to set a goal of the number of books I will publish this year, with an increase in the goal for next year, due to shortened learning curve in 2014.)

The key ingredients for me to gain focus and production:

• Disconnect from the internet (using Freedom Internet Blocking software)
• Turn overhead lights off
• Turn reading lamp on
• Play relaxing instrumental music low in the background
• Jot brief bullet notes about upcoming potential scenes 
• SBICAW (Sit Butt in Chair and Write)

With spending so many hours in front of the computer keyboard and monitor, having an ergonomic enviroment is a must:

• Desk or Writing Table right height
• Feet flat on floor or on footrest
• Arms straight out from the bend of the elbow from armrests

To make the length of time writing non-damaging and bearable:

• Write in stints of 45 minutes to 1 hour in length
• Take breaks every 45 minutes to 1 hour
• Do arm neck & shoulder stretches spaced throughout the day
• Lie flat on floor and stretch out back throughout day
• Space writing stints throughout the day

Also, in a comment in his recent blogs about ghost writing a book, Author Dean Wesley Smith mentioned focusing on the next line, then the next, then the next. With this method, Book #5 in Series #1 has taken several unexpected and interesting turns and presented some awesome plot twists! (He graciously took the time to answer questions and reply to comments; therefore, the comments are an integral part of the posts and well worth the read.)

Writing life doesn't have to be limited and long suffering. As Dead Wesley Smith said in his myth-busting blog post Writing is Hard, while writing more than six to eight hours a day is hard work, making stuff up is not.

Another aspect of his advice is to have fun, and, oh man, am I.

Big Results in Less Time by Ian Stables

The techniques Ian Stables shares in Big Results In Less Time are concise, simple, doable, realistic, and feasible. This $2.99 booklet provides suggestions that are so forthcoming that I couldn't help wonder why I hadn't heard about, read about, or figured out these processes long before now.

Had I read and had been familiar with the time management techniques presented in Big Results In Less Time: The time management productivity plan that gets top results - How to get things done in the shortest time for the greatest results [Kindle Edition] by Ian Stables, I would have written far more over the years, even while working excessive overtime. 

Big Results In Less Time's Amazon Description is as follows:

How much better would it be, if you were able to do things five times faster and get excellent results? You are about to learn simple and effective methods that do just that.

These methods are not widely known. They make up a complete system for getting things done in the shortest possible time and deliver excellent results.

You'll learn how to...

Dramatically speed up tasks by removing one thing

Prioritise your tasks in a way that will get the best possible resultsThere are certain things you should focus on and others that you shouldn't.

You'll learn about a 'powerful question' that will very quickly prioritise anything with ease.

Complete tasks five times faster and get good results
Find the best ideas and methods in just ten minutes
This is one of the best things you're going to discover. It's a very effective technique called 'The writing solution finder'

It gives you ideas, methods, and solutions in just ten minutes. Things that you would probably never otherwise think of.

Work without getting tired
A scientifically proven work plan that keeps you fresh and makes your day a lot easier.

Get any difficult task done with ease
This is the ultimate cure for procrastination. It removes the block of procrastinating with ease. It takes just sixty-seconds and works every time.
___________

If only I'd been able to apply these techniques while working full-time plus.... No worries, the e-book was released on January 25, 2013 and provides information to assist us on our current journeys. I highly recommend Big Results In Less Time.

Regrouping - Drafting Versus Revision

Both First Drafting and Revision are focused and mentally taxing, so much so, that I am not easily making a successful transition between drafting and revising in a single day. Time to regroup.

This week, I will set aside three (3) days per week at my desk to revise, with four (4) days scheduled for first drafting.

This next week's short term goal is to sit at my desk and revise/edit a certain number of chapters within those three days, and write a certain number of chapters away from my desk, in the next four days.

During the last few months of writing full-time, I welcomed the flexibility to figure out what works best for me and my writing life. Pressing the regroup button. 1, 2. 3. Now.

Happy New Year 2013!!!!

While 2012 was a year of learning and provided lessons in realistic goal setting in my writing life, 2013 will be a year of productivity and project completion.

Initially, I was disappointed with my progress for 2012, with going full-time into writing in June; however, I realized the additional learning and guidance I needed will make 2013 an even more productive year.

I've set realistic goals for 2013, which includes doable daily writing goals and non-writing days. I'm reviewing the 2013 calendar to set weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly deadlines. Yes, I do believe, 2013, we are on our way.

May 2013 bring us all great things!

Wishes, Dreams and Goals - 2013 Here I Come!

A wish is a thought about a hope or desire for something imagined. A dream adds images and emotions to that something imagined and exists only inside the mind. A goal is a dream with a plan and a set deadline, supported by outside-of-the-mind actions to bring that imagined something into reality.

I wish could lose weight.

I dream when I imagine wearing attractive clothing and experience how I feel when I slip into a slinky black dress.

That dream becomes a goal when I plan to exercise, change my eating patterns and set a weekly weight lose goal, then implement the plan.

Dreams are not always something directly attainable. I may dream of being on a Best Seller list or two; however, I cannot control the outcome of potential book sales.

What I can control, by setting goals, is the quantity and quality of my writing.

In order to make realistic goals, I need to review the first six months of my writing full-time life, then evaluate where I go from here.

How many chapters/scenes per day can I actually produce, in conjunction with how many chapters am I able to revise per day?

My word count for the last six months equaled +200K, yet due to lack of story direction, close to half of that total is iffy as to whether the material is banked or unusable.

Now that I have the ability to plot and have a definite direction, 2013 should be a much more prolific and productive year.

I wish I could write a thriller series.

I dream and imagine how the book covers will look and enjoy the feeling of my series being read by eager, appreciative readers.

My goal is to write a specific amount of material in a specified amount of time, one day at a time.

Look out 2013, here I come!

A Mission Statement? Hmmm.

Until today, this woman on a mission has never considered developing an actual mission statement.

Sure, I've worked on potential business plans, but I purposefully skipped the part about creating a statement, perhaps because of uncertainty about how to write the statement or indecisiveness toward a definite mission direction. More than likely a mixture of both contributed to my not coming up with a mission statement to assist in the pursuit of my mission.

The one-week course I'm taking on Savvy Authors suggested coming up with task-specific mission statements.

Here goes:

As a writer, my mission is to write books and make a living doing the same by writing quality books for reader entertainment, escape and enjoyment.

The mission of my blog is to chronicle my journey of writing books and making a living doing the same, to share that experience with others and to encourage other writers on their writing journey.

The mission of my Series #1 is to provide entertainment and escape for Young Adult and Adult Crossover readers, and to spark the belief that our family of choice can support us through the worst possible challenges in life.

Look out, world, I'm a woman on a mission with mission statements. There's no stopping me now!

Confusion, Curiosity, Determination and Learning

Layering Editing is unfamiliar to me. Not having researched or even heard about this editing technique, I have to admit I'm more than a little confused about what to do and how to proceed with the edit.

I am awaiting examples of part of the process, so hopefully when I see a real-life sample of my own work partially edited in this way I'll get a gist of how the Layering Editing process works.

For now, I am confused.

However, since I'm naturally curious, I will research this specific editing method. (So far, I haven't come across much relevant information, but since I'm determined to learn, I'll be reading as much as possible about potential editing options.)

Isn't that the natural process of things: Confusion > Curiosity > Determination > Learning?

If so, I've got the first step nailed.

Has Persuing a Dream Gone the Way of the Twinkie?

Unless another company buys and continues the Hostess brand, Twinkies are goners.

"Yeah, right. You're going to write books for a living." That's the milder of responses I get about pursuing my dream of writing books and making a living doing the same.

The not so mild replies include snickers, eye-rolls, chuckles, and comments such as, "Hope you've got your resume updated, because you're going to need it."

Has pursuing ones dream become so unrealistic and divisive that it warrants criticalness and derisiveness?

As the daughter of a true skeptic, it stands to reason I would be familiar with skepticism. With the constant inner dialogue of "You're not good enough" or "You're wasting your time" running through my head, why would there be any doubt that I've got my feet, at least one of them, firmly planted on the ground?

I attempt to do my best to encourage others who are pursuing their own life goals and dreams. For my own endeavor, I planned ahead and am pursuing a life-long goal and dream.

All I can say is long live the pursuit of dreams. Viva the Twinkie revolution!

Pressing the Reset Button

For my thriller series (Series #1), after I received Cathy Yardley's developmental edit, my hand has been wavering over the reset button.

The first book in the series is undergoing a major overhaul, to include:

• Fewer point of views
• Smaller number of scenes due to combining or deleting scenes
• Addition scenes added that need to be written
• Clarification of main character's story goals
• Increased emphasis on scene goals for main characters
• Addition of secondary characters

From this experience, I have learned that I need more work and clarification upfront, so that I have a clearer direction once I begin First Drafting.

So, from now on, I will spend more time working with Cathy Yardley's Rock Your Plot on the front end, to more so clarify the Character's story goals [Goals, Motivations, Conflicts (GMCs)] and story problems. Also, I need to plot each character's scene more clearly to get a better idea of their Goal, Motivation, Conflict and Disaster (GMCD). (Ah, those lovely acronyms.)

So, more plotting and characterization should lead to a more solid first draft in the end.

This go around, with such drastic changes, this level of revision can't be considered a second draft; therefore, I'm diving into writing my First Draft once again.

The story and series will benefit greatly from this unexpected reset. I know that. YET pushing that button.... Not so easy.

My hand hovers over, not quite touching, the reset button.

I was thrilled with finishing the first draft so quickly. The completion of the draft brought to fruition a lifelong dream and validated that I could write books for a living.

Still, resetting, basically starting over? Ouch. I have been frustrated and disappointed in myself and in my efforts.

However, this is not starting over. Not really. The first First Draft gave me a foundation upon which to build the entire series. Wasted words? Maybe. Maybe Not. Even though some scenes will not make it into the newest First Draft, they led me toward the current version, just via a road that traveled the long way around the destination where I and the story needed to arrive.

Better initial plotting and characterization efforts on my part should lead me to a straighter and more direct route in getting my first drafts written; therefore, with much excitement, tempered with a dollop of sadness, I now press the reset button.

What Does Alexa Write?

Someone asked recently about what sort of writing a do and wanted to know what kind of books I write.

I write Dark Suspense, which may include Suspense, Thrillers, and/or Horror, with or without paranormal elements.

Dark Suspense is what I enjoy reading and writing.

Some of my favorite Dark Suspense authors would be Alexandra Sokoloff, Dean Koontz, and Stephen King. (A writer gal can aspire BIG, can she not?)

Currently, I am writing a series set in East Tennessee that includes the upper East Tennessee mountain area, as well as covert activities in the Secret City of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The five-book series is based on children able to control the elements (wind, earth, fire, and water, as well as the the less mentioned element, the void).

The first book features a doubting techo-geek yanked into a real-life conspiracy, a little girl who is kidnapped and goes from happy-go-lucky to destroyer, and a villain set on using the children as weapons of mass destruction and taking down the government while she's at it. (Oh my, these characters are fun to write!)

If all goes as intended and planned, the books will be as enjoyable to read as they are to write, which is what I'm working hard to accomplish.

Shuffling the Puzzle Pieces

The closest comparison I can come to the revision process for Book #1, Series #1, is to working with puzzle pieces.

For this comparison, please consider a scene of the story to equal one piece of a jigsaw puzzle.

Right now, I am trimming the pieces of my puzzle, going from 86 pieces to approximately 60 pieces, by combining and tightening several scenes.

Also, I will be shifting pieces of the puzzle around, relocating scenes, so that my finished puzzle will look somewhat different than my first attempt at putting the puzzle together.

A challenge, but a fun learning experience never-the-less, with my goal being to shuffle the puzzle pieces so that I end up with a more powerful, more strongly constructed puzzle.

Revision Plan

Revision Plan is just that. A plan to revise.

The four-page Critique Report from Cathy Yardley was an eye-opening, bang-up guide on how to tighten and strengthen the shape and focus of the story.

The comments within the manuscript are as valuable as flecks of gold to me.


My initial Revision Plan is simple:

• Tweak and rearrange index cards
• Limit Point of View to three (3) characters only
• Write a few new scenes
• Flesh out some existing scenes

 Current Goals:

• Redo Goal, Motivation, Conflict, Disaster (GMCD) Table
• Send Updated GMCD Table to Cathy for feedback

Additional Goals:

• Complete GMCs and GMCDs for Book #2
• Submit Info for Book #2 to Cathy

 Time-Frame:

• Reorganize scenes in the next week
• Submit GMCD Table for Book #1 by October 1st
• Submit GMC/GMCD Info for Book #2 by October 5th

Onward! (Thanks to Rock Your Writing's Cathy Yardley!)

Time for a Pleasant Pause

The potential edits for Book #1, Series #1, resulting from the Developmental Edit that I received from Cathy Yardley's Rock Your Revisions critique, may affect the direction of Book #2; therefore, I am putting the Fast Drafting of Book #2 on hold for a couple of days.

I am reviewing the Developmental Edit -- what an awesome tool -- and will speak with Cathy Yardley tomorrow for more detailed guidance involving a Revision Plan for Book #1.

The Development Edit is quite an eye opener because Cathy points out issues that because I was too close to story I didn't see.

So, for today, I review the Critique Report and the comments Cathy made within the manuscript. It's a rainy day here, so I think a cup of hot chocolate and a relaxing pause while I review is most definitely in order.

What a Developmental Edit Is and Is Not

A Developmental Edit is a high level critique that does not include:
- Page-by-page edit
- Line-by-line edit
- Phraseology feedback

What a Developmental Edit is is a critique regarding:
- Plot Issues
- Pacing
- Information Sharing and Open Loops
- Point of View
- Voice

Foremost, a Developmental Edit is a learning experience and an opportunity to make my book more powerful and hopefully a great start to a series.

Thank you, Cathy Yardley of Rock Your Revisions fame. Your Developmental Edit rocks!

Next, a Revision Plan!

By the Light of the Moon

In keeping track of how much I produce when, I am discovering that evening and nights are most prolific, productive writing times.

Yesterday I wrote 3,000+ words, a majority of those words, minus 600 or so, were written between 6:00 pm and 11:00 pm, with a one-hour break for dinner.

Perhaps I could consider my days, mine and my family's, while evening hours will be set aside for writing, with a power nap in between. Or I could take a break as evening approaches, power nap, and visualize the upcoming scene(s), THEN write.

Oh, yeah, this night owl gal likes the idea of writing by the light of the moon. Arrooooo!

Project Status and Goals

Project Status:

• September 10th - Book #1 in for Developmental Editing
• September 11th - Rock Your Plot Workbook for Book #2
• September 12th - Index Cards for Scenes and Sorted
• September 13th - One-Line Scene Descriptions
• September 14th - GMCD for Each Scene
• September 15th - First Draft Begins 

 Short-Term Goals:

• 3 Scenes Written per Day
• 20+ Scenes Written per Week
• First Draft Complete by October 15th 

Mid-Term Goals:

• Book #3 First Draft Complete by November 15th
• Book #4 First Draft Complete by December 15th
• Book #5 First Draft Complete by January 15th
  

 Long-Term Goals:

• Finalize Majority of Series by End of 2012
• Publish Majority of Series on Amazon prior to December 25, 2012
• Publish Rest of Series on Amazon in January/February 2012
• Begin Series #2 January 2012
• Reassess Goals January 2012

Inciting Incident - I'd Say

Bullet, the wire-haired dachshund, was visiting while I worked on Notecarding the scenes of Book #2, Series #1. With his oh-so-innocent face near the Inciting Incident index card on the lap desk, as if the card were a caption for his personality or depicting his near-future actions, I couldn't resist snapping a picture.

Yes, Bullet is an Inciting Incident unto himself. He charges nose-first into everything. Look out world, here he comes!

But, what exactly is an Inciting Incident in writing?

Basically, the Inciting Incident is when something happens that sets the story in motion.

For Book #2, Series #1, the Main Character intentionally gets himself recaptured. How's that for a kick-start for a story?

Then What Happens?

With the major plot points worked out for Book #2, Series #1, thanks to Cathy Yardley's Rock Your Plot, I have the basic framework of the story before me.

For the eight major plot points, I have eight scenes already planned, with their Goal, Motivation, Conflict, and Disaster depicted.

The novel will have, at a minimum, 60 scenes, so I now have 52 scenes that need to be placed on my Index Card or MS Word Table road map. (More than likely both!)

I look at Scene #1, the Inciting Incident, then ask myself, "Then what happens?"

I do this until I get to Plot Point #1, then repeat.

As I explained to a writer friend who's considers herself a Pantser, which is someone who writes without a plotted course, and says she just "lets the book come out," the Rock Your Plot method is not a fill-in-the-blank formula.

Writer friend writes quite a bit of material that she discards, but claims that her overall writing is better because of the twists and turns the direction of her writing takes, as she finds her way through the story. The Pantser process works for her.

For me, having some sort of direction tends to keep me on the road, headed in a forward direction, with an idea as to where the road/story is headed next. Writer friend says that I'm a Plotter, because I plot out the scenes of my books ahead of time.

Either way, I'm glad us Plotters and Pantsers can get along and encourage and support each other.

So now, back to my list of Plot Points and Scenes. What's next? THEN what happens?

Expect, Plan, Prepare

The manuscript for Book #1, Series #1 has been submitted for developmental editing. I'm experiencing excitement and expectation, topped with nervousness and uneasiness.

This will be my first experience with this sort of feedback. From Cathy Yardley's Rock Your Writing website, this is my limited knowledge of a full manuscript or developmental edit: "I will analyze how your plot is working, and check if your characters are built with believable motivations to match the story you’ve got. I’ll also  recommend fixes for any story issues I see cropping up."

The edit is scheduled to be completed in a couple of weeks; therefore, I will be better able to blog about what a full manuscript or developmental edit is or is not in a few weeks.

In the meantime, I will not be sitting with my hands in my lap waiting (although it may feel that way on the inside, big time.)

What I will be doing, since the beginning of Book #2 became a bang-up ending for Book #1, is planning and plotting out Book #2, as well as sketching out the rest of the series in more detail. To help me progress more quickly once I begin the first draft, in addition to filling out index cards with my one-line scene descriptions, I am going to attempt to pre-plan the Goal, Motivation, Conflict, and Disaster (GMCD) for as many scenes as possible. (Look out, MS Word table, here I come).

For me, having a better idea of where I'm going (sort of like creating a map and having that map as a reference later on), will help me produce more solid first draft material in a shorter period of time.

My third month of writing full-time did not go well or as planned due to health issues, etc.; however, I'm looking forward to month four being much more productive and fulfilling, writing-wise and otherwise.

So in the meantime, while waiting on the results of the developmental edit, I write.

So, in the words of Dennis Waitley, “Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised.”