tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post163827423071178417..comments2024-03-28T16:52:31.923-04:00Comments on The Write Conversation: Ratchet Up the Tension By Making Your Hero’s Life DifficultEdie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-49260160152480753682017-03-23T23:39:15.508-04:002017-03-23T23:39:15.508-04:00You're most welcome.You're most welcome. Henry McLaughlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02636211246051854954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-72449842801481578122017-03-23T22:43:04.042-04:002017-03-23T22:43:04.042-04:00Great writing advice! Thank you, Henry. Great writing advice! Thank you, Henry. Ingmar Albizuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01329625581962664673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-14944869059803785552017-03-23T19:27:59.100-04:002017-03-23T19:27:59.100-04:00Glad you like it. Hope it helps with your writing....Glad you like it. Hope it helps with your writing.Henry McLaughlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02636211246051854954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-49468281645399413792017-03-23T19:27:08.060-04:002017-03-23T19:27:08.060-04:00And the battery on her cell phone dies.
Isn't ...And the battery on her cell phone dies.<br />Isn't fun to put our characters through stuff?Henry McLaughlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02636211246051854954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-55341162524952461932017-03-23T19:02:24.179-04:002017-03-23T19:02:24.179-04:00Great stuff! ....Oh look. A tornado. Shoot.
But r...Great stuff! ....Oh look. A tornado. Shoot.<br /><br />But really. GREAT stuff, thank you. :)Rhonda Rheahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196392643761653667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-22002885567962285212017-03-23T15:23:55.127-04:002017-03-23T15:23:55.127-04:00oh yeah, and in a thunderstorm, toooh yeah, and in a thunderstorm, tooRobin E. Masonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16258253525429429571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-72517445146526233192017-03-23T15:23:33.232-04:002017-03-23T15:23:33.232-04:00how 'bout she goes into semi-shock, wanders to...how 'bout she goes into semi-shock, wanders to a favorite spot in the woods - and promptly goes into labor....Robin E. Masonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16258253525429429571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-40181737922929108752017-03-23T15:22:51.889-04:002017-03-23T15:22:51.889-04:00Sounds exciting, Jay. Keep making it worse. Not ju...Sounds exciting, Jay. Keep making it worse. Not just more obstacles but tougher obstacles to overcome. Let her experience the fear of failing. Show her facing death--physical, professional or emotional/spiritual. Facing all three would be even better. Look for a way to force her to make a choice between two moral values. Henry McLaughlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02636211246051854954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-75080562018988941482017-03-23T15:19:46.587-04:002017-03-23T15:19:46.587-04:00Thanks Ane.Thanks Ane.Henry McLaughlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02636211246051854954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-62810947711919796132017-03-23T14:36:06.266-04:002017-03-23T14:36:06.266-04:00Thanks for this. I was going to have my MC's o...Thanks for this. I was going to have my MC's only sibling blown up after arriving early at a catered offshore affair. This is her only sibling and changes everything about the family business and family inheritance. Now you've given me courage to go ahead and have her father get caught in a gangland shootout while after trying to clear up pending family business her brother was dealing with. This not only will ratchet up the tension of her story to that point, it will be a trigger to give her the strength to uncover the family secret no one ever suspected - plus a way to uncover a few things that will facilitate healing and help justify a life decision that will put her where I want her to be in the sequel.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-14969131498192498222017-03-23T13:32:52.193-04:002017-03-23T13:32:52.193-04:00Funny, I just did a short blog post on this myself...Funny, I just did a short blog post on this myself. My critique partner, Michelle Griep, is the best I've ever read for making her heroine/hero's life worse. In fact, she made me get tougher on my new protagonist. I have a threat hanging over my MC, but after critiquing one of Michele's chapters, I realized I have to make that threat come to fruition. And I hate to do it to her, but it's a must. And so I will get mean and do it. Donald Maass says find out what's the worst thing that could happen to your MC and then do one worse!Southern-fried Fictionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17274634359952391833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-91216238075759130082017-03-23T13:15:32.673-04:002017-03-23T13:15:32.673-04:00Thank you, Karen. I'm blessed you found this p...Thank you, Karen. I'm blessed you found this post helpful. Praying for your continued growth and success as a writer,Henry McLaughlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02636211246051854954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-6121804252570458902017-03-23T09:25:29.098-04:002017-03-23T09:25:29.098-04:00Thank you, Mr. McLaughlin! I'm a new author wh...Thank you, Mr. McLaughlin! I'm a new author who went about her first ms totally solo. I didn't realize writing communities existed until I finished and wondered, "Now what?" My point here...looking back, I created tension in my story as I "felt" it, kind of by instinct I guess you'd say. Since then I've learned so much from the writing communities I've found. I appreciate posts like this one because you help writers see how to be "intentional" about creating tension. I think instinct is fine, but instinct + being intentional has so much more potential! I like the advice to "bring in a gun" and love the question "what can make it worse?" Thank you!Karen Sargenthttp://www.karensargentbooks.comnoreply@blogger.com