How many twists are too many?

For some people there is nothing better than a good twist.  The most memorable movies are the ones than leave you trying to figure out what just happened and how you didn't see it coming.  One of my favorite movies is the Usual Suspects (possible spoiler ahead - but seriously the movie is great and was released in 1995 - if you haven't seen it go out right now and see it!) for the simple reason that the movie convinced me I knew who Keyser Soze was.  I knew it was Gabriel Byrne from the start, no doubt, roll the credits, pat myself on the back, and then woosh, the carpet was just ripped out from under me.  I think I actually sat in a stunned silence for a few minutes.

Writing fiction can sometimes lead you to try and recreate these types of scenarios, and there is nothing wrong with that.  If you read my last blog entry I try and use an early shock to draw in the reader.  However, you have to be cautious how many of these twists you use in a story.  It seems logical that the more exciting things happening in a book the more the reader will be engaged.  The trick to really good writing in my opinion is being able to engage the reader while less exciting things are happening.

Certainly easier said than done!  One way I try to write engaging fiction is by picturing a peaks and valley's system.  For each valley of the story your reader in my mind is reading quickly like running downhill into the valley.  The story is exciting and different events are happening.  Once the event is over and the reader is at the bottom of the valley the next step is to get them to the top of the next peak.  As someone who as an adult and a child seemed to always be hiking up some mountain or another I was excited to approach the peak.  In my mind I would imagine what it would look like at the top.  I now keep that same philosophy in mind to try and create suspense and intrigue in my writing.  Often what could happen in the story is just as engaging as what is happening.  For each peak I have the reader slowly climbing I am attempting to build their enthusiasm for what will be at the top.  Once you are at the top there are many ways to fulfill the reader.  Even, as in the case of the Usual Suspects it involves pushing them right off the cliff :)

For ease of following my concept (and because I felt like drawing a picture) here is what I keep in my mind for pretty much the entire time I am writing:

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Do I practice What I Preach?

(Golden Gate Bridge picture borrowed :) from The San Francisco Tourism Website: http://www.sanfrancisco.travel/ )

So hopefully you have been reading my blog each week on how, what, and why I write but am I any good at practicing what I preach?  Here are the first two chapters of 'The OuterQuaker Affair" so you can judge for yourself!

Chapter One.

Darrin sat on the couch flicking through the 997 satellite channels he had in his fifth floor apartment.  College football on every sport channel and even the Cartoon Network was failing him.  “Piece of junk” he muttered to himself as he flung the remote on the table.  He headed to the kitchen in search of food to cure his boredom. 

            Darrin Scott was twenty-four and employed by a top computer firm as a wizkid.  He had been there for four years and there wasn’t a wire or mainframe he hadn’t ‘Darrinized” as he liked to put it.  Although not married Darrin had plenty of female company flow through his apartment.  Mostly due to his checking balance and his blue BMW convertible than his charm and wit.  His apartment was also most impressive, situated on the fifth floor of the OuterQuaker Tower he overlooked the San Francisco bay.  It added an extra twenty-five minutes to his commute but Darrin didn’t care.

            The refrigerator did not bring great joy to Darrin.  Short of eating Ritz crackers and Champagne he was going to have to order out.  “Pizza, Chinese, Pizza, Chinese” Darrin mumbled as the coin flew through the air.  Tails, Pizza.  Grabbing the phone and returning to the couch he punched AutoDial three into the handset.  The phone remained silent so Darrin hung up to get a dial tone.  Nothing.  “You’ve gotta be kidding me” Darrin tried to get out, however halfway through the sentence two silenced shots sent him spinning to a heap on the floor. 

            Darrin’s body was slumped on the bed and the killer was soon hooked up to Darrin’s laptop.  Darrin had an illegal hobby, which his assailant was going to use for his own gain.  On the laptop was information hacked from various companies and institutions.  He had not been killed for industrial secrets however.  Within seconds using Darrin’s hacking software he had accessed the OuterQuaker Building Company records.  He now had access to the building plan and information on every tenant.

Chapter Two.

            On the sixth floor Sarah Baker was settling in to watch a movie.  She was alone except for her cat, Mongrel.  She was startled when a loud knock sounded from her door.  Guests had to be buzzed up from the lobby and she didn’t have any real friends in the building.  Cautiously she approached the door.  She didn’t see anyone when she looked through the peephole.  Slowly with the chain on the door she opened it.  The elevator pinged to announce its arrival.  Sure that it was a ploy to draw her into the hallway she quickly shut the door. As she turned she saw the window wide open.  Sarah would never leave the window like that; Mongrel had nearly fallen out a month earlier.  She was nervous as she quickly walked to shut the window.  She pressed her back to the wall and slowly scanned the apartment for intruders.  Nothing was out of place and her cat had slept through the whole event.

If this seems it may interest you post in the comments and I will probably post more of the story.  Or check out my Historical Fiction Novella at: http://store.payloadz.com/details/1941573

Why do I write?

So a little change of pace today.  I will give you some insight into why and what I write.  The first part is obvious.  From a very young age I was encouraged to read books and I had very supportive parents and grandparents who would also read to me.

After all of that exposure to books it was only a matter of time before I would attempt it too.  To date I have 5 projects in various stages:

A Frank's Tale - The story of a father and his sons as they accompany King Clovis on his barbarian exploits
Published and available at http://store.payloadz.com/details/1941573

Atlantros - "The Warrior's" meets the lost city of Atlantis - yes it is as cheesy as it sounds!

The OuterQuaker Affair - A work I did in college about an apartment complex held by terrorists

The Guild - A story about a young man drawn into the underworld of a thieves guild - I still need to write an ending for this one and then go through the editing and re-reading stage

Edward - One boys fight for survival as William the Conqueror attempts to put down the Northern Rebellion with a brutal campaign of terror - ongoing

I wish I could say that the words just flow onto the pages but most days between work and other commitments things move pretty slow.  My current project has been booted back to the research stage as I try and figure out the specifics (or near enough) about what happened in Northern England between 1067 and 1069AD.  Funny how there are few records about an area when everything was destroyed and more than half the people killed!

As it says in my bio I love to write historical fiction because I get to research events and still be creative.  Although I had a diploma in Information Technology from Tynemouth College, it really didn't count for much academically in the United States.  So I had to return to school :) and I now hold a Bachelor's degree in History from Rutgers University.  Over the eight years going part-time I found plenty of historical events that are basically just interesting to me.  Writing about something you are interested about plays a huge role in how easy it is to write.  There is a reason I don't try to write about vampires trying to seduce teenage girls.  Although I know a fair amount about vampires (proper Christopher Lee vampires :)) I have no interest in writing about their love or angst filled lives.  Throw a Peter Cushing character into the equation and drop them both into the Acropolis and now you are talking my language :)

Other than a love of books, identifying topics that keep you interested, and a bit of free time the rest is really just a desire (or lack of fear) of putting your work out in the world.  I sat on my novella "A Frank's Tale" for a good two years before making it available for people to read.  I was and am very proud of this work but it is still a big step to open yourself up to potential criticism.  Sooner or later you will reach the point when you realize that your story is as good as it is going to get and just release it. 

Last week was James, this week is Karl debuting on my blog.  I think he would be more likely to just write bacon over and over on my grocery list if he could hold a pen rather than write a book.