Time to Write

How to write a page-turner (part 5: style)

This is the final in a five part series on writing a page turner story, novel or screenplay.

Don't force a style.

This may sound glib, but you don't find a writing style, it finds you. What I mean is that once you have mastered the basic craft of writing and have had some practice, your personality will begin to reflect in your writing. 

When it comes to your style of writing, the most important thing is that it shouldn’t get in the way of the story. Writers who try too hard to impress readers with their vocabulary or their turn of phrase often just end up distracting them instead.

It’s when we are focused on the story itself, not the way that you tell it, that we keep turning those pages. Beware of using too many adjectives or adverbs. In your dialogue, stick to “he said” and “she said” rather than going for variety with clumsy attributions like “he averred” or “she confirmed.” When in doubt, go for the simple option. 

In screenplays always make it your first priority to write in a way that lets the reader visualize the action. When I was a script reader I encountered quite a few comedy scripts that were entertaining to read but the humor in the stage directions distracted from, rather than supported, what was happening in the story.

In short: the best style is no style--because there really isn't any such thing as no style; when you write from the heart a style will emerge.

(Come on, it's time for you to stop procrastinating and actually write--or finish--that book or screenplay. I can help you with my online mentoring program. Find the details at http://www.jurgenwolff.com)

 

Heroes of television...

 

 

 

Young Larry gets honored for working tirelessly to make sure "The Cape" isn't renewed.

How to write a page-turner (part 4: plotting)

In this five part series, we look at what makes a book or a story or a screenplay a page-turner:

Make sure your plot has twists.

Yes, there are only so many stories—some people say 36, some say only 7, but regardless of how many core plots there are, there are always new ways to tell them and to surprise us.

Maybe you are writing a Romeo and Juliet story—but what if it turns out Romeo is courting Juliet only because he’s secretly in love with her mother?

Or maybe you are writing a revenge story about a father who seeks to get even with the drunk driver who apparently was responsible for the death of his son and another person—but then discovers that it was actually his son who was at fault?

These kinds of twists make us keep reading to see what other hidden facts will emerge. If you want to see how this is done well, watch shows like C.S.I. and N.C.I.S., police procedurals where new twists (and new suspects) emerge at least three or four times in an episode.

In a short story one twist (usually revealed at the end) is enough; in a novel or screenplay you need to keep on surprising and intriguing the reader, so it helps to have several. The trick, which has been mastered by the best mystery and thriller writers, is to make each development suprising but, in retrospect, logical. It applies to other genres just as much as to thrillers but studying the masters of that genre can help you see most easily how it's done.

(Next post: style)

(Want a kick up the backside to actually write that book or screenplay you've been thinking about for so long? Join my Writing Breakthrough Strategy Program--see http://www.jurgenwolff.com for details.

 

 

How to write a page-turner (part 3: openings)

In this five part series we're looking at how to write a page-turner--the kind of book (or script) people can't put down. 

Get your story off to a quick start.

The most important page you want people to turn is the first one. If your opening is not interesting, they won’t get beyond that.

This doesn’t mean you have to start with an explosion or shooting. Just find an incident or a person that intrigues us. For instance, a little boy standing in the middle of a busy shopping center, crying and asking for “Doctor Anna” makes us want to find out why he’s there, why there aren’t any adults with him, and who Doctor Anna is—and we will have to keep reading to find out.

Let's look at three books from my pile of books to read next. I enjoyed Marina Lewycka's "A History of Tractors in the Ukraine," so I also picked up another one of hers, "We Are All Made of Glue." Here's the first line:

"The first time I met Wonder Boy, he pissed on me."

OK, that  motivates me to keep reading. The next one is non-fiction, Tim O'Brien's account of being a soldier in VietNam, "If I Die in a Combat Zone." The first sentence:

"It's incredible, it really is, isn't it?" (Second:) "Ever think you'd be humping along some crazy-ass trail like this one, jumping up and down out of the dirt, jumping like a goddam bullfrog, dodging bullets all day?"

If you don't like war books you might put it down, but I'm guessing a lot of people would be intrigued.

The last example is Stieg Larsson's "The Girl Who Played With Fire." It starts:

"She lay on her back fastened by leather straps to a narrow bed with a steel frame."

See what I mean? By the way, I'm not saying these are the three best openings I've ever read, this was a fairly random selection but you can see how in different ways they each capture the attention of the reader. The goal of a book is to keep the reader wondering what happens next; if that curiosity isn't aroused from the first sentence or at least the first paragraph, you've lost your chance.

PS: Yes, I know that many classic works of literature start off slowly with a long description of the weather or the countryside, but those were different times. In those days, books weren't competing with television, the internet, smart phones, and a thousand other distractions.  

(For help writing your book, consider my Writing Breakthrough Strategy Program--get details at www.jurgenwolff.com)

Which dictator do you need to overthrow?

I don't want to trivialize the serious things that are happening in the world right now, but it did remind me that many of us have our own inner dictator who may have controlled us for 30 years or more. See if any of these ring a bell:

 The Inner Critic who tells you that you're not good enough, that nobody will care about your creative projects, that you're foolish to think of reaching your dream.

 The inner Big Daddy or Big Mommy who still treats you like a five-year-old and whispers that if you don't watch it, you will be exposed for the little imposter you are.

 The inner Great Leader who tells you to treat any risks with caution--live small, it's safer!

 These are all variations of the same inner Big Brother, of course, and their effects can be just as corrosive as being dictated to by an actual dictator about what are you allowed to do and not allowed to do. 

 Could this be the time for you to declare a revolution, to challenge the propaganda that's been filling your head?

First step: become aware of the false messages.

Second step: challenge the false messages and replace with them with the bold truth.

Third step: ACT on the new truth. The first time it will feel risky. Maybe the second time, too. By the third time you'll feel the excitement of your new freedom.

(For tips on how to create the life you want, see my book: "Focus: use the power of targeted thinking," published by Pearson and available from Amazon and other online and offline booksellers.)

 

How to write a page-turner (part 2: more on characters)

This is a five part series on writing books, stories or scripts that are page turners. Yesterday we looked at making your characters identifiable for the reader. Today the tip is:

Make your characters unique.

Their desires and fears may be universal, but we want to have them embodied in characters who are individuals, not stereotypes. If you think back to books and films you have enjoyed, probably you aren't able to remember all the details of the plot but you do remember the vivid characters. Hannibal Lector, The Godfather, the lead character in Misery are some of the most memorable characters whether you read the books or saw the films.

Think about the most memorable people you’ve encountered. What made them special? It may have been a quirky sense of humor, or their collection of pet snakes, or the stories they told about their childhood.

In fiction we want to meet people who are more interesting than most of the people we meet in our day to day lives, so push the envelope. If your character is boring, make him the most boring man on earth (without boring us, of course).

However, make sure that the quirks make sense, given the character's history, social circle, and values--otherwise it will feel like you just randomly assigned some eccentricities to try to make an essentially uninteresting character more vivid.

Next post: openings

(Isn't it time you actually sat down and wrote the screenplay or novel you've had in mind for so long? Let me help you via my online mentoring program--see http://www.jurgenwolff.com for details.)

 

 

 

How to write a page-turner (part 1 of 5: characters)

Every author's goal is to write a "page-turner"--the kind of book (or script) that people feel compelled to keep reading, even when they're tired or they should be doing something else. What are the qualities of a work like that? I think there are five, which I'll cover over the next few posts. 

The first is to create a character they will care about. We will identify with your characters if they want something or fear losing something we also desire or fear losing. For instance, we can all relate to things like the fear of dying, the desire for love, or the suspense of waiting to hear whether or not we got the job we want. Characters with feelings we share capture our interest immediately.

This doesn't mean they have to be nice or admirable, although of course it's fine if they are. I usually cite the example of "The Godfather." The first time we see him, the occasion is his daughter's wedding and he's a proud father--a feeling many can identify with. A local man comes to him asking for justice for his own daughter, who was raped but whose attackers got off. The Godfather says he will help him--again, a quality we can identify with (if not with the exact nature of the help). 

We also identify with a character whose flaws we share, so revealing one of your protagonist's vulnerabilities early on is a good strategy, especially if he or she is otherwise heroic or admirable.

In novels, one way to help create this bond is to write in the first person. When someone addresses us directly we immediately feel more involved than when that person is being described. 

Next post: Your opening.

(There are lots of useful writing tips in my book, 'Your Writing Coach,' available from Amazon and other online and offline book sellers. Also check into my online mentoring program--see www.jurgenwolff.com.)