This week's Follow Friday features a group of five writers who write in the dystopian/sci-fi genre. I particularly love this blog for its tips on world-building and writing craft.

Here's some quick info pulled off the League's blog on their upcoming books:

League Members

• Jeff Hirsch, author of THE LONG WALK HOME, about a 15 year old scavenger coming of age after a nearly apocalyptic war.
• Elana Johnson, author of CONTROL ISSUES, where one rebel fifteen-year-old tries to fight her brainwashing government.
• Julia Karr, author of XVI, a novel set in the year 2150, where turning sixteen is anything but sweet.
• Beth Revis, author of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, a murder mystery set in space.
• Angie Smibert whose novel MEMENTO NORA is about a teenage girl’s struggle to hold on to her memories—and her identity—in a world that finds it far more lucrative for everyone to forget—and keep on shopping.

Publishing Info

• Jeff Hirsch, THE LONG WALK HOME, Scholastic, Summer/Fall 2011
• Elana Johnson, CONTROL ISSUES, Simon & Schuster, Summer 2011
• Julia Karr, XVI, Puffin/Speak, Spring 2011
• Beth Revis, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, Razorbill/Penguin, Spring 2011
• Angie Smibert, MEMENTO NORA, Marshall Cavendish, April 2011

Who else is pumped for these titles? Go sci-fi and dystopian fiction!

Check out these writers' great blog. You're sure to hear about this crew soon, if you haven't already.

And Happy Halloween to all from the Muses!

http://leaguewriters.blogspot.com/

When Veronica suggested a theme for Halloween week, we all jumped on it (obviously) with relish.  Suspense is what keeps the pages turning.  It is what makes your story unputdownable.  And it is a perfect theme for this week as we head into the time of year that frightened our ancestors the most (in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway).  Anticipation of winter.  Darkness, damp, starvation, death. 

What more primal fear is there?

Because ultimately, it is fear that builds suspense, whether you’re writing a thriller, an adventure, a mystery, a romance, or a quiet, character-driven story.  There is an element of fear every time you raise the stakes.

“Will Katniss survive?”  We fear for her life.  “Will Percy stop the gods’ war?” We fear for humanity.  “Will Bella end up with Edward or Jacob?”  We fear for her happiness.  “Will Melinda tell her story, will she Speak?”  We fear for justice to be done.

And we, as writers, know all about fear.  I mean, look at yourselves.  You’re bleeding onto the page.  These characters are borne directly from you, like Athena from the skull of Zeus.  The very act of creation is an act of immense courage.

We, as writers, feel fear every day.  And suspense.  Tension.  Anticipation.  What if it’s not good enough?  What if I never get past Chapter One?  What if my computer crashes and I lose my manuscript?  What if I can’t write tomorrow?  Or the next day?  Or next week?

What if.  The two biggest guns in our arsenal.  Because they are what enable us to create – “What if demigods were real?”  “What if vampires went to high school?” – but they are also what impel us to doubt.  To fear.

So what do we do?  We mine that.  Just like so many other emotions and events and characters from real life that we merge and tweak and alter and fictionalize.  We use the fear.  Put it on the page.  Give it to our characters (the poor things).  Build on it.  Make it worse.  Afraid of spiders?  Make an Aragog.  Afraid of criticism?  The Mean Girl needs to pinpoint your character’s weakness.  Afraid of falling?  Imagine it.  Afraid of rejection?  Have your protagonist get it in the throat.  

And survive.

Literally.

I am in the throes of writing my first thriller. The problem? How to make it thrilling. Enter the solution- Suspense.

Easy, right?

Not.

I am a bit of panster when it comes to first drafts. I have a vague, broad outline that keeps me pointed in the right direction, but the details are left to chance. It gives me a certain freedom, and I love when characters or plot twists surprise me, but it's not exactly conducive to building suspense. Unless you count the suspense of not having any idea of what is about to happen until it shows up on the page- THAT will get my heart racing.

So I'm about to let you in on my unproven and untested method to building suspense.

You're a risk taker right?

You can try this at home, but your individual results and satisfaction will vary. Manuscripts may be injured.

Okay, here it is: My secret to building suspense is....

*drum rolls*

*pretty girls in brightly colored costumes wave scarves*

*black covering is ripped away to reveal-*

"Ta-Dah!"

Revision.

Yeah, I know, the payoff wasn't big enough. But that's what revision is for!

It's only after I know for sure how the story ends that I can plant seeds of doubt along the way. For me, building up to something requires knowing what that something is, and more importantly, what that something is not (but the character might think it is).

When I start a first draft, I usually have a concept, some characters, and three or four major plot points. I may even outline a few scenes that need to happen along the way. But to really create tension and suspense, I need details.

Its through details that a mystery builds. It's through revelations that a secret is uncovered or a character is changed.

Building suspense during a revision is not as exciting as it sounds. For me it's a methodical, analytical process. It's the lawyer in me.

First step: outline all scenes in the WIP with one sentence that describes the major plot points.

Second step: identify the key conflicts in your story and their resolution (note: you should have external and internal conflicts- but conflict is another post).

Third step: For each of the above, identify scenes in which this conflict is presented, complicated or resolved.

Fourth step: (don't have all three?) Brainstorm new scenes and where they fit in overall story.

Fifth step: Are there scenes where you can't identify the main conflicts? Consider revising or (Sob!) cutting.

Sixth step: Now review the scenes you've identified and make sure the conflict really is presented, complicated or resolved in the course of the scene: revise accordingly.

Seventh step: Do you have enough complications? Can you add more? Where in the story? In what scenes can conflict be intensified? Revise some more.

Seventh step: Repeat.

Voila! Conflict is the key. Conflict builds tension naturally. Complications (or setbacks) keep the reader turning the page. And resolution? Makes the trip worthwhile.

For now, I'm still working on the first draft of my thriller, but as I throttle towards the end, I am already dying to know how it turns out. I don't have long to find out.

And then I can fix it.

In revision.

I have to give a solid shout-out to Donald Maass for his tips on crafting suspense. I've attended two of Donald Maass's workshops. One focusing specifically on his concept of Micro Tension, the other a weeklong workshop named Breakout Novel Intensive. Also, I've read and highlighted my way through his book, Writing the Breakout Novel.

I'm not going to attempt to encapsulate all of Don teachings - but do consider looking into his books and workshops if tension and suspense are particular areas of importance to your writing (they should be.) What I'd like to do is focus a key lesson I learned from Don that swirls about in the back of my mind as I write. Creating tension. Also known as suspense.

Tension very often implies doubt about what will happen. Here's a definition of suspense for you. Pay close attention....

suspense [səˈspɛns]

n

1. the condition of being insecure or uncertain

2. mental uncertainty; anxiety

3. excitement felt at the approach of the climax

4. the condition of being suspended

I know I'm belaboring this point a bit. You know, of course, what suspense and tension mean. But for me, looking at tension this way was a breakthrough. After I realized this, writing suspense became a matter of:

1) Creating a sympathetic character (the reader wants character to succeed/survive/achieve their goal)

2) Giving that character a clear scene and story goal

3) Creating questions and doubt about whether that character will achieve their goal.

This last point is most of the real work in creating tension. Once you have a goal - let's say it's something straightforward like get out of a burning house - then you can start making decisions.

Sometimes you can give the reader hope that your protagonist will get what they want. They scramble to the kitchen. The doors and windows are jammed tight - but they find a fire extinguisher and there's the sound of fire engines in the distance. You know that feeling... oh, this is good. But it's too easy... It can't be this easy... Something bad is going to happen.... That's doubt. That's good stuff to read. It'll keep you turning pages.

This, of course, doesn't just apply to life and death moments. It applies to any goal your character might have. Impressing the girl. Passing that test. Getting good results from that last doctor's appointment. Whenever you want something, there's the fear you might not get it. Oh, but it does help if you want it badly, and bonus points if you need it. Stakes, people. But that's another lesson...

You can work reader expectations any way you want. Give them hope and tear them down. (mwah ha ha!) Or make them despair, and then turn it around and give them that carrot. Those are valid, important moments in storytelling, too. The point, at least the point I took, is to be smart about those decisions. Look at your scene carefully. I like to use a highlighter. Find those delicious moments of doubt. If you do it, I promise I'll... I swear to you that I'll...

(mwah ha ha ha!)

V, over and out.