The Right To Write

Writing Page-Turners: Part 4

This is the final installment in the set of Writing Page-Turners. Not all these scenarios may be applicable to the genre you are writing in.

Time Limits. Anything storyline, or part of a storyline that has a time limit requires the reader to see if your protagonist can succeed in the given time.

Chases. This is another great scenario of will he fail or will he succeed. It can range figuratively from romantic will she or will she not to literal chases. Pressure is the key word to both time limits and chases. Your main character should be under pressure to make a decision or achieve something. Readers will willingly sit at the edges of their seats to see how it is finally resolved. Take note that "chases" are easily prolonged and easily burned out. Keeping people on the same subject for too long without resolve will begin growing dull. Some characters need the race of a lifetime to keep their lives and goals intact, but it doesn't mean the chase has to last a lifetime.

Dilemmas. This is not a yes or no question, or a will she or will she not question. These are far more complicated. They're a matter of being torn between two or more choices that the protagonist equally values. Two or more options that will take them down an irreversible path. Dilemmas are also a great way to develop your character. They show how the protagonist's values disperse and materialize into paths of their own; all that's left for the protagonist to do is value one over the other. These situations will only work well if the reader is well-associated with the level of value the main character has for her options; they need to feel how hard it is for the main character to make this choice.

Piecing the unknown together. Do you recall what I said in one of the earlier sections? Where unanswered questions create a suspenseful wait. Piecing little bits of the situation together until they make sense is a great way to create suspense. The reader will feel a sense of accomplishment when seeing the solved puzzle from a complete point of view, and you want that to happen. It's important how you build on to those questions, or twist them. There's a huge difference between "not understood" and "confused." If the reader doesn't completely understand what's going on, but still sees what the character is driving towards the goal, how the character is being proactive and attempting to take control of the situation, but the true nature of the situation is unclear, that's good, that is the build-up you need. But if the reader has no clue what is happening, and the main character is spiraling into spontaneous circles and not putting himself into an active position, then you've got a problem. Set a goal, even if the character doesn't understand what's going on, put in some mystery, and pack in some unexpected surprises; which brings me to the next topic.

Bring in some unexpected moments. Whether it's a cliffhanger or a stark confession, you need them. Bring in a slight bit of foreshadowing, and sprinkle in some tiny, tiny hints that'll only seem like a drip of milk in comparison to a gallon of it. Redirect the action to the main focus of what the character is trying to accomplish at the moment, dab in some foreshadowing, then throw your reader an unexpected punch. Let the story take an interesting turn. Just when the main character wins a to-the-death match, he gets shot. See those happy little moments that would be the only moments we want everybody to enjoy? Yes, those? Twist them upside down! Change the happiest day of your protagonist's life into the worst within a heartbeat, because that's how life works.

Fighting and action scenes. These scenes are restricted to only a number of genres, but are one of the best ways to draw your reader into the story. You already knew that knowledgeable action writer, right? I need to mention one thing before you leave that most writers seem to forget. I feel as if most people are missing the point of action scenes. They don't exist because they need to live up to their genre, but they exist because they have an actual purpose. Remember two things while writing an action scene; the goal and the stakes. What is your character trying to achieve by putting himself in this position, and what will your character lose if he fails? Answer those questions, make sure the answers are worth the motivation then, you're good to go.

Note that conflicting situations can be mixed and transformed into an even more compelling point of conflict. For example, maybe your main character only has a short amount of time to pick between two things he values very much.

Also, special thanks to Fox-ishCat for giving me some of these ideas! Please check out her work (and encourage her to continue it!)

I must have missed a lot of conflicting points...but I tried to list the main and most effective ones. Please send me requests for what I should cover next!