This week we have NZ author K A Servian. She shares about how to keep a reader engrossed and keep them turning the pages. She also has free books for all!
After a twenty-plus-year
career in the applied arts industry, including owning her own fashion and
jewellery labels, Kathy decided to turn her creative skills to writing fiction.
Her first novel, Peak
Hill, was a finalist in the Romance Writers of New Zealand Pacific
Hearts Full Manuscript contest in 2016.
Kathy now squeezes
full-time study for an advanced diploma in applied writing in around writing
novels and short stories, teaching sewing and pattern making and being a wife
and mother.
K A Servian on the web:
Over to K A Servian now...
To create and maintain suspense and tension in a story, Try taking the complete plot outline, breaking it into pieces which hold the main plot points and then drip feeding those pieces to the reader. It's vital to never give away too much too soon. Drop hints and throw in the odd red herring to keep them guessing, that's what makes the reader keep turning pages.
I've done a lot of beta reading and I find that one of the most common mistakes rooky writers make is to 'mind dump'. They don't trust the reader's ability to fill in the gaps for themselves. I used to do it too and forcing myself not to is an ongoing battle.Try and think of your writing as a sketch. A skilled artist can render a beautiful image using only a few well-placed lines. They allow the viewer to fill in the gaps in the image with their mind. It's the same with writing, use a light touch, only say what you need to and don't weigh the story down with too much information. If the reader must wade through pages of backstory, character self-analysis and soap-boxing the suspense and tension will be lost.
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Throwing Light by K A Servian
Grace is trying to come to terms with her mother's death and handle the unexpected arrival of her ex-boyfriend when a mystery document she finds in a box in the attic turns her life on its head and raises questions she is compelled to answer.In her search for the truth, she stumbles into the middle of a missing person cold case in a small town where the inhabitants have kept a secret to protect one of their own for twenty-five years. Grace's investigation unearths long-held rivalries and opens old wounds, causing the past to collide with the present with terrifying results.
Buy on:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paperback
Shame on Who? (Short Prequel to Throwing Light)
In 1979, fifteen-year-old Jane Smith announced to her parents that she was expecting a baby. Thirty-five years later, the repercussions of the decision made by her father on that day come home to roost in the romantic thriller 'Throwing Light.' 'Shame on Who?' is a short prequel to the book and provides insight into the dramatic events that changed Jane's life.
I think getting that balance just right is a true art, one we're all striving to learn. It's easy to be heavy handed, even with years of practice.
ReplyDeleteHi Crystal, you're right. It's easy to slip into over doing it. Although I suppose, that can always be addressed during editing.
DeleteHello, K.A.! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteGood point.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteExcellent advice. I think its something most of us struggle with.
ReplyDeleteThe books look great!
Thank you, Sandra.
DeleteIt's often not easy finding the balance between too much info and not enough! All the best, KA.
ReplyDeleteHi Denise, very true. Thanks for your comment.
DeleteSo true! I tend to go to extremes - FAR too much info or not nearly enough! Tough to find that balance :)
ReplyDeleteHi, Jemi, it's a constant struggle. Thanks for your comment.
DeleteHi Kathy - oh gosh reading a whole lot of info that's relatively irrelevant to a book is just an irritation - so I agree with you - yet we need to understand the context ...
ReplyDeleteI came here via Olivia Rose who commented on my recent post ... so good to be here - thank you ... cheers Hilary
Hi Hilary. It's a fine line don't you think? Enjoyed ugh to keep the reader intrigued without over doing it.
DeleteI agree that telling the reader too much too soon can ruin the suspense.
ReplyDeleteHi patsy, there's nothing worse than knowing what's gong to happen at the end after reading first few pages.
DeleteIt can be hard not to tell a reader too much information at once. I know that is something I have worked on, and I probably need to keep working on it. :)
ReplyDeleteBest of luck, Kathy!
~Jess
Thank you , Jess. You're right, it's a never-ending battle getting the balance right.
DeleteOh yes...I am definitely guilty of this and been trying to get progressively better. Not easy though. Thanks for the recommendations!
ReplyDeleteThanks Robert.
DeleteI'm still struggling with then info dumping. A hard bad habit to break!
ReplyDeleteHi Yolanda, it certainly is. Thanks for your comment.
DeleteAs a reader... I love books that can hold my attention and take me down a path that makes me think... it's not something easy but wonderful when it works xox
ReplyDelete