Jude Hardin

Author, Drummer, Turtle Whisperer

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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

How to Write a Thriller: Part Two

The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!
Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be that his head wasn't screwed on quite right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.


But,
Whatever the reason,
His heart or his shoes,
He stood there on Christmas Eve, hating the Whos,
Staring down from his cave with a sour, Grinchy frown
At the warm lighted windows below in their town.
For he knew every Who down in Who-ville beneath
Was busy now, hanging a mistleoe wreath.


Give us a sense of who your main character is. We need a reason to care. Give us a glimpse into his/her psyche and motivations without dwelling on back story too long. Always keep the story moving forward, with tension on every page.

Why is your character uniquely equipped and motivated to tackle the arduous tasks that lie ahead?

Stay tuned for Part Three tomorrow!

2 Comments:

Blogger Jon VanZile said...

"Tension on every page ..."

Amen to that. When I'm writing and/or editing, I'm always saying to myself: Plot on every page. Plot on every page. Plot on every page.

9:35 AM  
Blogger Jude Hardin said...

I'm thinking about having it tattooed to the backs of my hands, Jon.

9:48 AM  

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