ANNE GREENE HERE.
Two
weeks ago I wrote how to make your characters unforgettable. This week I’m
discussing how to rack up the intensity
in your novel.
USE
INTENSIFIERS TO ITENSIFY THE
EMOTIONS.
ADD
SOMETHING UNEXPECTED TO EVERY SCENE.
SHOW
the POV character through his perceptions (what he sees), emotions (what he
feels), flashbacks (what he remembers and relives).
Show
three objects the POV character
notices.
For
instance, in my book Murder In Istanbul
the hero notices, a broken vase, an overturned table, and a high heeled shoe. So
he deduces that she attacked the massive thug with the vase to try to help him.
The thug overturned the table going after her. Her shoe is missing. She can’t
run without her shoe. She must be in shock because she doesn’t know her shoe is
missing. (perceptions)
The
three objects are intensifiers.
Show
three unexpected emotions in every
scene.
For
instance, in my book Cupid Goes
Barnstorming, Rand meets Gloria for the first time. She’s stunning. She has
backbone and spirit even if she is one of those new-fangled flappers, and she’s
a moocher. Those are his perceptions. His emotions range from she’d complicate
his life, he had no money for the gold-digger, but he’d give her the most
dangerous job on the planet. (not so much emotions as decisions) - emotions
take more time than I have here. But one is definitely unexpected.
Now,
if you use flashbacks, throw in the
unexpected!
What SCENE
do you remember from a book you read (not from a movie)! Does it contain
intensifiers?
Leave
a comment for a chance to win an autographed copy of Anne’s latest release,
Marriage By Arrangement.
On
March 1st, Anne will write about how to add
an exciting new twist to your book. Come back and visit. Join her followers
or add the date to your computer calendar.
ANNE
GREENE delights in writing about wounded heroes and gutsy heroines. Her second
novel, a Scottish historical, Masquerade Marriage, won numerous
awards. The sequel Marriage By
Arrangement released November, 2013.
A Texas Christmas Mystery also won
awards. Anne makes her home in McKinney, Texas. Tim LaHaye led her to the Lord
when she was twenty-one and Chuck Swindoll is her Pastor. Anne’s highest hope
is that her stories transport the reader to an awesome new world and touch
hearts to seek a deeper spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus. Buy Anne’s
books at http://www.Amazon.com. Talk with Anne
on twitter at @TheAnneGreene. Visit Anne’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/AnneWGreeneAuthor.
