Thursday's Links to Writing & Marketing Blog Posts

BUILDING SUSPENSE IN CAPTIVIY

By: Rayne Hall

IF YOU’RE WRITING A NOVEL, is there a scene where the heroine is imprisoned or locked up against her will?

Here are some techniques to make this scene powerful.

If possible, make the room dark or semi-dark. Perhaps she’s locked up in a lightless cellar, in a dungeon where only the flames of the torches flicker in the gloom,  or in a chamber where the villain has cut off the power supply. Maybe there’s a single window is so high up and narrow that it lets in scarce light.

Solitary confinement is scariest. If your heroine is alone in that room, with nobody to talk to, the reader worries for her. She may shout “Is anyone out there? Can you hear me?” and get no reply. Alternatively, she may have a companion in her captivity – until that person gets led away for execution.

Let it be cold. The place is unheated, the protagonist is not wearing many clothes, the air is chilly, the concrete floor is cold, and if a blanket is provided at all it is much too thin.

Use sounds. Sounds create unease and fear in the reader’s subconscious – perfect for this type of scene. Here are some ideas:

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Read the full article HERE!

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If you missed my writing & marketing tweets and retweets yesterday, here they are again:

1. Unsure of how to price your ebook? This may help. http://ow.ly/AwsMW
2. The First 15 Pages | Go Into The Story http://ow.ly/Awt2N
3. Clarissa Draper: Backstory: Who do you think you are? http://ow.ly/Awti1
4. Building Suspense in Captivity - Venture Galleries http://ow.ly/AwtxJ
5. Have You Orphaned Your Dialogue? http://ow.ly/AwucF
6. The Beginner's Guide to Creating Memorable Characters - Writers Write http://ow.ly/Awuq0
7. Karen Woodward: Creative Visualization as a Writing Technique http://ow.ly/AwuDY
8. Dreaming And Writing: How Creative Writers Can Make The Most Of Dreams http://ow.ly/AwuNw
9. 13 Frequently-Used Phrases That Make You Sound Like a Hollywood Rookie | Good in a Room - Stephanie Palmer http://ow.ly/AwtKe
10. How Do Digital Marketers Engage On Twitter? - Jeffbullas's Blog http://ow.ly/Awv0d
11. How To Promote Yourself And Your Books On Social Media Without Feeling Like A Soul-Selling, Sleaze-Sucking Slime-Glob http://ow.ly/AwuWj
12. Create Buzz with Online Contests | Nonfiction Authors Association http://ow.ly/Awvbw
13. Writing Reviews | Self-Published Authors Helping Other Authors http://ow.ly/Awvlw
14. Add a Bit of Romance to Your Novel | Live Write Thrive http://ow.ly/Awvxf
15. The Intricacies Of German Translation. Plus German Pentecost Print Giveaway And Ebook On Sale | The Creative Penn http://ow.ly/AwvPb
16. Fiction University: Painting a Scene vs Dramatizing a Scene http://ow.ly/AwvVv
17. Anne R. Allen's Blog: 5 Protagonists Readers Hate: Why Writers Shouldn't Identify too Closely with a Main Character http://ow.ly/Awxcj
18. Why the Outer and Inner Stories Must Cross | Stavros Halvatzis http://ow.ly/AwxGT
19. How to Overcome The Doubters - Dealing with Those Who Underestimate You | Daniel Decker http://ow.ly/AwxnN
20. How to Create the Perfect Social Media Post http://ow.ly/Ax7g3
21. Writer Unboxed » To Promote or Not To Promote: An Existential Question http://ow.ly/Ax7yg
22. 4 Tips to Create the Perfect Cover Photo on Any Social Network | Social Media Examiner http://ow.ly/Ax7GX
23. Kensington Publishing Teams With Books-A-Million on eBooks - GalleyCat http://ow.ly/Ax8ar
24. Building Suspense in Captivity - Venture Galleries http://ow.ly/AwtxJ13

Happy writing and running, Kathy