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How to Find Your Writing Style

August 25, 2019 by Michael Santos

How do you find your writing style? What is your author voice? These two questions are crucial for any writer to answer.

Style, to me, is like an author’s fingerprint. My favorite books tend to be written by my favorite stylists. When I buy a novel from one of those writers, I’m buying the way they (and only they) tell a story.

Give me a random passage and don’t tell me the author’s name – I’ll be able to identify if one of these writers penned it.

An author’s voice comes from elements like word choice, themes, and attitude.

I can’t stress that last point enough – you have to have an attitude.

Great Author Voices in Crime Fiction

Elmore Leonard – I’ve cited him as a major influence of mine both on this site and in books. Part of what drew me into his fiction was the iconic style and voice he brought to the page. It’s sleazy and grimy and goes down like good bourbon.

George Pelecanos – a contemporary author with a style that merges hard-boiled, clipped speech with literary poeticism.

Stephen King – a natural storyteller, King has a warm, familiar voice that pulls you in, builds empathy with the characters (good and horrific), and makes you want to keep reading.

There are many more, but I hope you see the idea. Each of these writers conveys emotion through the way they tell stories. They let you connect with their senses of humor, their attitudes, their outlooks on life.

Readers buy their books to hear more stories told in those voices.

Why your writing style is important for your career as an author.

The best scenario for a long-term career as an author is to allow readers to connect with you, the person behind the stories. Your style conveys who you are.

How you see the world. When a reader identifies you as a kindred spirit, through your style, they can become an engaged fan.

This is what happened when I first read the aforementioned authors. Beyond the entertainment, educational, and emotional value I found in their work, I knew they were my people.

I got to know them, which made me want to keep getting to know them. Now, I’m a diehard fan. Diehard enough to mention them over and over in articles like this.

The more people enjoy your writing style, the more they’ll read your books. The more they connect with you, the longer they’ll stay a reader.

Your writing style links your books to each other.

Genre authors will be used to writing series, in which a character or setting connects the stories. But voice can also accomplish that task, even for standalone books.

Here, we’ll return to Stephen King. Not all his titles are in a series (though he does connect them all in elaborate ways). But pick up any individual novel of his, and you’ll hear his author voice.

How do you find your writing style?

Read.

No, really. The best way to find your author voice is to read a lot. While you read, analyze the styles and storytelling techniques of the writers.

Do you like when they do x? Why? Do you hate when they do z? Why?

What creates the ideal reading experience for you?

I still haven’t read that long passage of description on page 2 of my copy of The Big Sleep. I skip it every time. But I really enjoy Dashiell Hammett’s sparse description, focusing on just the important bits and letting my imagination come up with the rest.

Then, try to write something. Emulate a writer whose style resonates with you. Learn their rhythms, their attitude. Likely, it is not so different from your own attitude.

You’ll find that your voice will develop from that exercise of reading, writing, and repeating. Let your own individuality come through the language. Make it yours.

Always, always begin with reading.

There’s no right and wrong in the arts. But there is right and wrong for you.

Subjectivity is everything in creative disciplines. Sure, there are best practices in the craft, standards of professionalism, all of that. But in terms of the “rules” of writing, every time someone prescribes one, a talented writer finds a way to successfully break it.

Don’t ask, “Is this right?” Ask, “Is this right for me?”

This is what I mean when I advise you to find the reading experience you prefer. Which writing techniques produce it? Who are the authors from whom you could learn those techniques? For that matter, who are some authors who do the opposite, and what effect do their approaches have on the reading experience?

That is your starting point. Your writing style and the way you enjoy telling stories can be found in that knowledge. Do your homework by reading and evaluating.

It’s the most fun you’ll ever have with homework. And I once had a physics assignment to drop buttered toast off the side of a table in the dining hall to see if it would land buttered side down. That was fun. Reading is more fun.

How I found my writing style.

I read those great stylists and studied my reactions to their work. Here is what I learned about the way I like to read:

  1. Dialogue over narration. I prefer authors who let the characters drive the story by acting and reacting to each other, the same way that stage play scenes are built from lines of speech.
  2. I like rotating third point of view, because it allows me to feel close to multiple characters, even supporting cast members. Often, I enjoy the supporting personalities the most.
  3. I like free indirect discourse, a method of close third narration that involves no separation between the character’s voice and the narrator’s voice. When you’re in the POV of one character, the narration is written in that person’s voice, not the authors. It sounds like dialogue. If you rotate POVs, then the next scene will be in a different character’s perspective and voice.
  4. All those previous points create more immersion for me, because the author is concealed behind the characters. As a reader, I’m left to be with the people in the story, experiencing their world in real time, with no middleman between us.
  5. A slightly irreverent, dry-humored wit never hurts with me.

That’s how I prefer to read stories, so I gravitated to authors who write that way. And, my own writing style accomplishes the same objectives.

I found my style by understanding how I like to read and then writing stories in kind.

You’ll also notice that my nonfiction voice (on display in these articles) is different from my approach to fiction. But that is a subject for another post.

This also isn’t to say you must write in the same style always and forever. People change, and our author voices change along with us. It’s best not to fight that.

But this is the best way I have found to get started.

Looking for a new thriller?

Check out my supernatural thriller, The Nowhere Game!

The Nowhere Game

 

Check out my Queen City Crime Series, available on Amazon in Kindle Ebook and print paperback.

No Hard Feelings

No Hard Feelings

Mr. Moneybags

Mean Bones

Get more writing and crime fiction content!

A FREE ebook copy of No Hard Feelings and even more great content is yours, when you join my email newsletter. Subscribe below!

Filed Under: On Writing Tagged With: crime fiction, how to write, how to write a book, how to write a story

How to Find an Idea for Your Novel or Story

August 14, 2019 by Michael Santos

How to find an idea for a book or a story is a question posed to virtually every author, both by interested readers and by aspiring writers.

In this post, I’ll tell you how I work, and pass on the advice that has helped me the most.

Write what you want to know.

Conventional wisdom is to write about what you know. You’ve probably seen this catchy phrase on other writing sites, or heard authors and teachers utter it. Many would have you search for story ideas in your experiences, in the knowledge that you currently possess.

In my opinion, that advice isn’t wrong . . . but it’s not right, either.

Starting out, when I deliberately tried to write about what I knew, I was too bored by my ideas to continue beyond a few chapters. Nothing held my attention, because I hadn’t let my curiosity lead the way.

Instead, ask yourself, “What if?”

Creative writing is not like journalism, historical writing, technical writing, or any other fact-based content. Even as I write this post, I approach the task from a different angle than I would a piece of fiction.

That’s because ideas in fiction do not come from asking, “What is?”

As fiction writers, we ask, “What if?”

We’re always asking that question, including in our daily lives. We take in information and find connections between seemingly unrelated things. Taking a couple of facts and turning them upside-down or spinning them in a new way is a source of amusement to the creative writer.

More than that, it’s fulfilling, satisfying.

How to get an idea from “What if?”

What are you curious or passionate about? Which subject interests you enough to research it and then explore its possibilities through the experiences of fictional characters?

What if a priest and a rabbi really did walk into a bar, and it wasn’t a joke? What if the sky did fall?

What if someone pays a hitman a substantial amount of money to commit a different kind of crime? And what if, outside of his comfort zone, he makes a mistake and angers his vengeful client? This became my first novel, No Hard Feelings.

What if two armed-robbers plan to steal from a powerful crime boss, and go so far as to kidnap him? What if, instead of coming to his rescue, the crime boss’s underlings decide they want the money for themselves? There you have my second novel, Mr. Moneybags.

What if a teenage boy, seemingly destined for a career as a stock car driver, gave up his dream of racing to become a U.S. Marshal, after his father was murdered? What if, as a marshal, he now learns the identity of the killers and has the means (and the bullets) to chase them down? Those questions became my third novel, Mean Bones.

I always begin with a character and a situation. The situation has to be something I’m interested in, not something I already know. I must be motivated to spend 300-plus pages exploring an idea.

It is the What If’s in life that nourish a writer. So, dig into those questions and be nourished.

Let the characters do the work.

Once you have a situation, create and flesh out characters. When I say “flesh out” I mean really get to know them. Their hopes and their dreams. Their fears, habits, priorities, goals, weaknesses, strengths, routines, etc. When the story opens, what is their status quo?

A story is worth telling if a character’s life is irrevocably changed by what happens. The events and relationships that your characters experience in the novel should push them to their emotional and/or physical limits.

If they make it out alive (I write crime fiction, remember), they will never be the same, either for better or for worse.

Often, you’ll find that the best protagonist is one who personifies the major themes of the story. Keep that in mind as you develop them.

When the characters are well-sketched, drop them into their starting positions and turn them loose. If you know who they are, they’ll direct the story through their interactions. Of course, writers who prefer to outline will start with more concrete plans, where as “pantsers” (myself included) like to sit back and watch the story unfold.

You will always write about what you know.

So, what about that popular phrase I mentioned at the beginning? After all, it’s popular for a reason.

I believe that, because our characters come from us, it is impossible not to write about what we know. Our experiences, thoughts, questions, understanding, empathy, etc. will always come through in the people we create. We don’t have to force it.

I try to never manage my characters. I set them in motion, often in pursuit of the same, mutually exclusive goal, and record what they do. If I know Characters A and B, then I’ll be able to write Character A’s reaction when Character B does or says something dramatic. My stories build one reaction at a time.

The key to getting this far, though, is to write from a standpoint of curiosity. Never stop asking, “What if?”

I think writers are more interested in asking questions than providing answers. Questions are dramatic, answers are not. Questions are dangerous conflicts, answers are safe resolutions. The question is fire, the answer a bucket of cold water that extinguishes the excitement.

The question, not the answer, is the story.

Read in order to write.

It’s also important to maintain your creative health. I have never heard of, read, or met a successful author who was not also a prolific reader. Often, they even have other creative hobbies, outside of the world of books.

It’s crucial for us to recharge our artistic batteries with the work of others.

I enjoy drinking coffee and reading on weekend mornings (or at night before bed, or when I’m waiting somewhere, or at any other waking moment). I also play the bass guitar in a band and write song lyrics. When I need inspiration for my fiction writing, or simply a break and a step back, I grab a book or my bass.

Writers are not assembly lines.

In today’s world of rapid release publishing, that is sometimes difficult to see. Self-care is as important for our creative lives as it is for any other aspect of our existence.

Take a break and recharge. You might be surprised by the ideas that will come.

Use real places for idea inspiration.

Ever visit a city, town, or famous building and think about using it as a story setting?

That is another form of “What if?” question. What if a character encountered an interesting situation at this location?

When I was developing the idea for Mean Bones, I was inspired by the North Carolina mountains and the town of North Wilkesboro. For all my Queen City crime novels, I spend time in Charlotte, where the books are set, and come back to the page, ready to work on the next story.

What are some places of interest to you? The idea you’ve been looking for might be there.

Look at society for an idea.

I would never advocate turning a work of fiction into a preachy manifesto. Your novel shouldn’t be a political brochure or a soap box disguised as a book.

That said, often a story can be derived from an issue or aspect of society that you feel needs to be discussed.

The trick is to make sure the characters represent and personify the social commentary you want to include. Don’t write a treatise. Write a story that proves your point through the events and people involved.

“My idea has to be original!” and other dumb things we tell ourselves.

I’ve seen many aspiring writers become paralyzed by the fact that their idea is not 100 percent original. They feel it’s been done before. They’re convinced they won’t be a real artist unless they redefine what it is to tell a story.

Rookie authors worry about originality. Veteran writers have, somewhere along the way, learned the truth: there is no such thing as an original idea.

Every idea has been done before. You can boil any story you’ve ever encountered down to one of a handful of plot types.

What will be original is your specific execution of an idea. Nobody else on this planet is you, so nobody else can approach a story the same way that you would.

Don’t let the myth of originality stop you from charging ahead. Start your story. Create your characters. Allow your experiences and perspectives to come through in the writing and make an old idea new.

For some reason, this seems to be a trade secret. They ought to teach this in more writing classes.

We are not bigger than the story, the story is bigger than us. Don’t lose sight of that by thinking that you’re an artist. You very well might be one, but the moment you call yourself that, you may as well hang up your pen.

Looking for a new thriller?

Check out my supernatural thriller, The Nowhere Game!

The Nowhere Game

 

Check out my Queen City Crime Series, available on Amazon in Kindle Ebook and print paperback.

No Hard Feelings

No Hard Feelings

Mr. Moneybags

Mean Bones

Get more writing and crime fiction content!

A FREE ebook copy of No Hard Feelings and even more great content is yours, when you join my email newsletter. Subscribe below!

Filed Under: On Writing Tagged With: creative writing, crime fiction, how to write a book, how to write a story, novels, stories, writing, writing tips

The FBI, ATF, DEA, and US Marshals: Federal Agencies for Writers

January 21, 2019 by Michael Santos

One of the key challenges of writing crime fiction is getting your facts straight. While every story requires artistic liberties, such as cutting the duller moments of a cop’s job (i.e. the paperwork), readers in this genre expect that authors understand the most important details of crime and law enforcement.

Many amateur authors make the mistake of using the wrong agencies in their stories. For instance, having the FBI investigate a local murder, which would actually be the jurisdiction of local authorities. Or having ATF chase a fugitive with a drug charge. The U.S. Marshals apprehend wanted fugitives, and the DEA is the federal agency created to fight the war on drugs.

In this article, I’ll give you a rundown of the most commonly referenced federal law enforcement agencies so you can get it right.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

The FBI is a popular choice for crime writers, especially in the serial killer thriller sub-genre. If you’re writing about the Bureau, here’s what you need to know:

  1. It is the principal federal law enforcement agency of the United States. The Bureau operates under the jurisdiction of the US Department of Justice and reports to the US Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence.
  2. It does NOT work local cases, which fall to state, municipal, and county departments.
  3. Its wide variety of duties encompass national security and criminal investigation responsibilities that include: anti-terrorism operations, defending the US from foreign intelligence, stopping cyber attacks and crimes, combating corruption, defending civil rights, fighting national and transnational criminal organizations (such as the infamous LCN), combating white-collar crime, and supporting law enforcement partners (such as on task forces).
  4. It has 56 field offices in major US cities, as well as 60 Legal Attaches (called LEGATs) at US embassies in foreign countries. Those offices primarily coordinate with international law enforcement, rather than conduct operations in other nations.

The Organization

The FBI has a myriad of branches. Click each of these links for more information.

  • Intelligence Branch
  • National Security Branch
  • Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch
  • Science and Technology Branch
  • Information and Technology Branch
  • Human Resources Branch

Rank Structure

Field Agents

  • New Agent Trainee
  • Special Agent
  • Senior Special Agent
  • Supervisory Special Agent
  • Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge (ASAC)
  • Special Agent-in-Charge (SAC)

FBI Management

  • Deputy Assistant Director
  • Assistant Director
  • Associate Executive Assistant Director
  • Executive Assistant Director
  • Associate Deputy Director
  • Deputy Chief of Staff
  • Chief of Staff and Special Counsel to the Director
  • Deputy Director
  • Director

Duty Weapons

FBI Special Agents are issued the Glock 22 or 23 semi-automatic handgun, chambered in the .40 S&W cartridge. The next generation of FBI weapons, also produced by Glock, will shoot the 9mm Parabellum, and will be branded the Glock 17M and 19M.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and

Explosives (ATF)

ATF is an interesting law enforcement agency because the crimes it investigates are so specialized and specific. They feature prominently in my favorite crime novel, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, by George Higgins. Here’s what you need to know:

  1. Like the FBI, it operates under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice.
  2. It investigates and prevents crimes related to: unlawful use, possession, and manufacture of firearms; acts of arson and bombings; the trafficking of alcohol and tobacco products and the tax evasion that accompanies such activity. ATF also regulates interstate commerce and transportation of firearms and explosives.
  3. Much of its operations involve working with local and state law enforcement on task forces, such as the Charlotte Fire Investigation Task Force featured in my first novel, No Hard Feelings.
  4. It is not unusual for ATF to be included in narcotics investigations, since guns and drugs are almost always found together.

Agents and Structure

ATF Special Agents are empowered to conduct investigations and work with local and state police to reduce violent crime across the United States. They have the lead in any federal investigation involving firearms, explosives, or tobacco-related crimes such as cigarette smuggling.

They can also conduct narcotics investigations independently of other agencies like the DEA. Once again, this is a practical empowerment given the fact that criminals and criminal organizations use firearms to defend drugs and the money illegal substances bring.

ATF Industry Operations Investigators (IOIs) conduct routine investigations into the industries regulated by the agency (such as firearms and explosive dealers, manufacturers, and wholesalers).

Field Offices

ATF has field offices in: Atlanta; Baltimore; Boston; Charlotte, North Carolina; Chicago; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Denver; Detroit; Houston; Kansas City, Missouri; Los Angeles; Louisville, Kentucky; Miami; Nashville, Tennessee; New Orleans; New York City; Newark, New Jersey; Philadelphia; Phoenix, Arizona; San Francisco; Seattle; St. Paul, Minnesota; Tampa, Florida; and Washington, D.C.

Duty Weapons

Special agents are equipped with the Glock 22 or Glock 27 handgun as their primary weapon. ATF Special Response Teams (SRTs) also carry Colt M4 assault rifles, among other firearms.

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

The DEA was established in 1973 to fight the global war on drugs. The United States is one of the world’s largest markets for illegal substances. The DEA has 223 offices in the country, as well as 86 offices in other countries.

  1. The DEA is the lead agency for domestic enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act, sharing its jurisdiction and duties with the FBI, ICE, and Homeland Security.
  2. They often work with local and state law enforcement in DEA-led drug task forces.
  3. In 2005, the DEA seized a reported $1.4 billion in drug trade related assets and $477 million worth of drugs.
  4. The DEA also employs an Aviation Division and Special Response Teams (SRTs). SRT missions often involve high-risk arrests, surveillance, arrests of high-profile individuals, witness protection,  breaching, tactical training for local and state police units and teams, and fugitive searches.

Duty Weapons

DEA Special Agents’ primary service weapons include the Glock 17 and Glock 19, the Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun, and Rock River Arms LAR-15 semi-auto carbine.

The United States Marshals Service

I’ve saved my personal favorite federal agency for last. The US Marshals Service is the oldest federal law enforcement agency, dating back to 1789. Marshals are famous for their acts of heroism in the wild west, as they pursued wanted men with posses of deputies.

Today, they serve the 94 federal court districts with approximately 4,000 deputy marshals.

  1. The marshals do not investigate crimes. Their duties include: judicial security and protection, fugitive asset forfeiture, transporting prisoners, operating the WITSEC program, and (as they always have) chasing fugitives and individuals wanted on indictment or by warrant.
  2. They are the most effective federal agency in terms of arrests, with around 350 daily collars.
  3. They often work with local and state law enforcement to apprehend fugitives. Marshals can deputize local LEOs, giving them jurisdiction beyond that of the LEO’s parent agency. For instance, a deputy marshal working with a city police department can deputize an officer. This allows that officer to operate and make an arrest outside the jurisdiction of the city.

Duty Weapons

Deputy marshals carry .40 S&W caliber Glocks, including the Glock 22, 23, and 27. They also carry a backup weapon of their choosing, provided it meets agency standards. Due to the high potential for violent opposition when arresting fugitives, marshals are also equipped with body armor and can wield ballistic shields, helmets, and goggles for the highest risk operations.

Summary

It is every crime author’s responsibility to stay as true to real life law enforcement as the story allows. Readers want it, expect it, and demand it. Fortunately for writers, the subjects of crime and law enforcement are fascinating.

Do your research and choose the right agencies!

If you enjoyed this post, please share it!

Looking for a new thriller?

Check out my supernatural thriller, The Nowhere Game!

The Nowhere Game

 

Check out my Queen City Crime Series, available on Amazon in Kindle Ebook and print paperback.

No Hard Feelings

No Hard Feelings

Mr. Moneybags

Mean Bones

Get more writing and crime fiction content!

A FREE ebook copy of No Hard Feelings and even more great content is yours, when you join my email newsletter. Subscribe below!

Filed Under: On Writing Tagged With: crime fiction, how to write crime fiction, law enforcement

Point of View in Stories

December 30, 2018 by Michael Santos

In this article we’ll discuss the different point of view (POV) options available to writers, how to execute them, and the benefits/drawbacks of each.

What is point of view?

Point of view is the technical term for the vantage point the writer uses to tell the story.

The reader experiences scenes through the perspective of that person, who is either the author or the viewpoint character. This means that you, the writer, can use your own narrative voice or you can tell the story through your characters.

Choosing the right POV for your project is one of the most crucial decisions that will make or break a work. The choice will ultimately depend on the effect you want to create for the reader.

Common types of point of view.

In this section, I’ll give you brief descriptions of the major types of point of view, and we’ll explore some of them in greater detail later on.

First person.

Dark AlleyIn this point of view, the story is told by the narrator, a character who is deeply involved in the story and relays their perspective with “I”.

I took a shortcut down a dark alley, felt a gun against my spine. A voice said to me, “Take out your wallet.”

One crucial element to remember is that first person point of view is limited to the knowledge, experience, and perception of the narrator. We can only tell the reader information that the character already has. The thoughts of other characters are off-limits.

We can, however, tell the reader what the narrator believes other characters are thinking. But we must stay in the mind and voice of our narrator, alone.

This is perhaps the most natural and intuitive POV to use, and will often be the best choice for beginning writers. Why? When we tell stories in day to day life, we almost always use first person, going all the way back to when we were children.

“How was your day, honey?”

“Great. I got an A in Spanish.”

Keep in mind that first person narration is not in the author’s voice. There is a character narrating the story, so it must be the character’s voice on the page.

This means that we have to pay attention to that person’s sentence structure, vocabulary, and rhythms of speech when writing the narration in the book.

First person remains a popular point of view in all styles of fiction, both commercial and literary.

Advantages and disadvantages of first person POV.

The main advantages are:

  1. First person is an intuitive voice for writers to produce and for readers to consume.
  2. It creates intimacy and immediacy. First person narration is the absolute closest in narrative distance that we, as readers, can get to a fictional character. We share the narrator’s thoughts, feelings, and views of the world. And, the events in the story are presented in real time—we are right there with the character in every scene.
  3. Closeness builds trust. If your story focuses on the trials and tribulations of a main protagonist, especially if that character undergoes immense internal change, the close narrative distance of first-person will heighten the impact of the story on the reader. In short, it helps connect the reader to the character. Other forms of POV can do this too, of course, but first person is excellent in this regard.

Some disadvantages:

  1. Limiting yourself to one character’s perspective can restrict your options as a storyteller. You won’t be able to enter the perspective of any other characters with first person. In some stories, there isn’t a need to. However, some forms of fiction, like thrillers, can benefit from switching between characters. Your choice of POV should factor that in.

Second person.

In this point of view, the narrator refers to the reader as “you”.

You take a shortcut down a dark alley, feel a gun against your spine. A voice says to you, “Take out your wallet.”

I won’t go into too much detail on this POV, because it is very rare for novelists to use it. My opinion is that second person can be more effective in short-form writing, but in long-form it is difficult to execute effectively.

As a reader, second person annoys me after awhile. I can’t help thinking, “No, narrator, you’re not talking about me…it’s the character.”

Third person.

This point of view means that the story is told from a narrative distance. There are several types of third person, so let’s break down each one.

Types of third person POV.

Third person is the most versatile point of view, especially in contemporary fiction. You can choose from the following:

Limited third person.

For limited third, the viewpoint character is “he” or “she,” and is directly involved in the events of the story. As with first person, we are limited to the perspective of that character and can’t divulge anything to the reader that our viewpoint character does not think, feel, or perceive.

This creates the same intimacy and immediacy that we get with first person point of view, resulting in a strong connection between the reader and the character.

However, limited third person comes with an advantage over first person…we can easily switch viewpoint characters with a scene or chapter break.

He took a shortcut down the dark alley, felt a gun against his spine. A voice said to him, “Take out your wallet.”

***

She pressed the .38 into his flesh, her finger over the trigger.

In this short example, we return to the same situation we’ve seen before. This time, we see the differences between the two viewpoint characters’ perspectives in the scene.

The man feels a gun (he doesn’t know what kind) against his back and hears a voice. We then have a scene break and enter his assailant’s viewpoint. She knows exactly what kind of gun it is (a .38 revolver) because it’s her weapon. She also feels her own finger over the trigger, so her viewpoint gives us that detail as well.

By using limited third, we’re able to seamlessly switch viewpoint characters to give the reader multiple angles of the situation, with high levels of immediacy. Now, we’re connected to both characters.

Limited third person or first person?

By contrast, having multiple first person narrators is awkward and clumsy.

I took a shortcut down a dark alley, felt a gun against my spine. A voice said to me, “Take out your wallet.”

***

I pressed the .38 into his flesh, my finger over the trigger.

Having two first person viewpoints here creates confusion for the reader, because we can’t distinguish between them. In third person, we can use different pronouns or give the characters’ names. But in first person, we must stick with “I”.

Limited third person delivers the intimacy of first person with the flexibility of a more distant narrative style, allowing us to shift viewpoints. For this reason, it is the most popular point of view in fiction today, especially commercial fiction.

Think about thriller novels, which often have large casts and will shift between the protagonist, the villain, and multiple supporting characters. All of those different perspectives make the storytelling more interesting and exciting for the reader. Third limited makes that possible.

Third person omniscient.

In this point of view, the narrator is the all-knowing author, who sees the story from a greater narrative distance and has access to the thoughts, feelings, and perception of every character.

We can switch between viewpoints easily with third omniscient. Additionally, we can give the reader information that only the storyteller would know. For instance:

John thought this would be the last time he’d see the bloody knife. Ten years later, he’d learn otherwise.

In the moment, John can’t possibly know what will happen ten years from the time he uses that knife to kill someone. But the all-knowing narrator does, and can include that little teaser for the reader without breaking the rules of third omniscient.

It is a very natural storytelling voice to read, since we’ve seen it over and over again since we were young. Children’s stories, folktales, and fables commonly use this POV.

Stephen King is the contemporary author I recommend studying to learn this technique—especially his novel, It. King himself is the narrator, and most of the book employs a close narrative distance to the characters. He even switches to first person and limited third in various sections.

However, he’ll also include some ominous lines that only the omniscient narrator could know. When the Losers’ Club are still children, for instance, he’ll tease the horrific events they’ll encounter as adults.

The resulting effect is a mood of impending doom and mystery that is perfect for horror fiction.

Advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages are many:

  1. This is the most flexible point of view, giving us the most liberty in our storytelling. We can follow any character at any time, discuss anyone’s thoughts, and even introduce events that are yet to occur.
  2. Once again, it is a very natural voice for the reader to hear. We’re all familiar with stories told by an all-knowing narrator, and it is easy to become immersed in this point of view when it is done correctly.
  3. Like third limited, we have the opportunity to deeply connect with multiple characters, because we can see inside their psyches. The difference is that third limited requires a scene or chapter break to signal a change in viewpoint, whereas third omniscient does not.

There are a couple of key disadvantages:

  1. It is the hardest point of view to use. This makes sense, because with greater freedom comes greater labor. Yes, we can follow any character at any time, discuss anyone’s thoughts, and even introduce events that are yet to occur. But that involves managing a tremendous amount of moving pieces.
  2. The narrative distance is greater than in both first person and limited third. While we can still close that distance by telling the reader the most intimate thoughts of the characters, third omniscient can’t accomplish the same level of immediacy as those other two POVs. This can be a benefit, depending on the desired effect you want to create.

Summary.

To review:

  1. The most common POVs in fiction today are: first person, limited third person, and third person omniscient.
  2. In first person, the viewpoint character is “I” and narrates the story from their perspective. It has the highest levels of immediacy and intimacy.
  3. In limited third, the viewpoint character is “he” or “she” and narrates the story from their perspective. It combines the immediacy of first person with a slightly greater narrative distance, making it easy to switch viewpoints with scene and chapter breaks.
  4. In omniscient third, the narrator is all-knowing, and can give the reader any information about the characters and events. It has the lowest immediacy but the highest level of flexibility for the writer.
  5. Second person is worth knowing, but is rarely used in long-form storytelling.

There are even more variations of these points of view, which we will cover in future posts.

  • My article on How to Write in Free Indirect Style

For now, if you liked this article and found it helpful, please share it!

Looking for a new thriller?

Check out my supernatural thriller, The Nowhere Game!

The Nowhere Game

 

Filed Under: On Writing Tagged With: crime fiction, how to write a book, writing, writing tips

How to Write a Mystery: It’s All a Game

December 22, 2018 by Michael Santos

In this article, we discuss how to write a mystery novel, one of the most popular forms of crime fiction on the market. How do the mechanics of these books work to engage readers? How do we create a compelling puzzle that holds the reader’s attention?

You can also watch my YouTube video on writing mysteries.

Let’s go back to school.

Do you remember learning about analogies in school? When I was in fifth grade, there was this competition called Wordly Wise, in which every student had to participate. They’d give us a long sheet of paper with a list of analogies. One of the words would be left blank, and we’d have to pick the right answer from a list of four choices.

Each analogy would be written in this classic formatting…

a : b :: x : y

The single colon means “is to”. The double colon means “as”.

breeze : gale :: trickle : ______.

a) lull b) plunder c) cascade d) sunshine

The correct answer is C. Analogies create associations between pairings of words. A breeze is a smaller amount of wind compared to a gale, just as a trickle is a smaller amount of liquid compared to a cascade.

So, what does that have to do with writing mystery stories?

The game is afoot.

Everything. A mystery novel is really a game between the reader and the writer, and the mechanics of the gameplay are built from an analogy.

In a mystery, the protagonist is typically the investigator character, while the main antagonist is usually the person at the center of the case…the perpetrator who planned the crime, committed it, and now toils to keep the facts hidden.

The investigator pursues the truth one clue at a time, in an effort to sift through the red herrings and catch the criminal. Pretty straightforward, right? You can probably recall several books that use the framework I just described.

Here’s the trick: just as the fictional story is a game between the investigator and the perpetrator, the reading experience is a game between the reader and the writer. In other words…

reader : investigator :: writer : perpetrator

Mystery novels are proxy warfare.

What is the reader’s role in the reading experience? They enter the novel knowing none of the information they need to solve the puzzle. They’re typically shown a crime scene in an early chapter, perhaps at the very beginning. There they find the first clues that set them on the path to discovering the truth. But it’s not until the end that they have enough information to solve the case.

Additionally, because mystery novels are most often set in the point of view of the investigator character, the reader typically receives that information at the same pace and from the same perspective as their fictional counterpart.

That is, the investigator is the reader’s proxy in the story. Their experiences mirror each other, and the reader “lives” through that character as they both work through the puzzle. The investigator and the reader both want the same answers.

The investigator is the reader’s game piece.

But how about the writer’s role? The mystery author plans the puzzle, executes the crime (typically before the beginning of the narrative or right at the beginning), and then keeps the answers hidden until close to the end, when it’s time for the reader to make a guess…and time for the showdown between the investigator and perpetrator.

Sound familiar? It should remind you of how we described the perpetrator’s role in the fictional story.

The perpetrator is the writer’s proxy. It is through the villain that the writer spins the web of information, manages the reader’s experience acquiring that information, and pays off the entire case with the revelation of the answers at the story’s conclusion.

The perpetrator and the writer have the solution that the investigator and the reader want, so the perpetrator is the writer’s game piece.

The rules of play.

The experience of a mystery novel relies on this game between reader and writer. As with any fun game, however, there are rules.

  1. The reader has until the end of the book to solve the puzzle. Solving the mystery is the experience that they’re buying, but there is a time limit on that experience. What makes this genre so addicting and so ripe for successful series is that when the reader solves one book’s puzzle, they’ll want more.
  2. The writer must exercise “fair play”, one of the most important terms in mystery writing. That is, the reader must have all the information they require to solve the puzzle before the big reveal at the end. An author can’t present a random, convenient clue that changes the mystery at the last second, for the sake of adding another twist. I’ve read a few books by authors who commit that sin, and there is nothing more frustrating than to reach a conclusion based on the evidence, only to have the rug pulled out from under you.
  3. The puzzle must be challenging. This is especially true because avid mystery novel fans are VERY good at this game. The writer must play fair, but fair doesn’t mean easy. The author should use misdirection, red herrings, and vibrant casts of potentially guilty characters to send their readers (and their investigators) chasing after multiple leads at any given time.

Summary.

  1. A mystery is a game between the reader and the writer, in which the reader has to solve the puzzle by collecting and analyzing information created, managed, and revealed by the writer.
  2. The investigator is the reader’s proxy in the story, and the perpetrator is the writer’s proxy. The reader experiences the game through the investigator’s eyes, and the writer experiences the game through the perpetrator’s eyes.
  3. The writer must play fair by ensuring that the reader has all the information they need to solve the puzzle before the answer is revealed.

I recommend going back and reading the Sherlock Holmes stories. It’s no coincidence that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had his hero say, “The game is afoot!” He used these mechanics to perfection, and it’s the reason his fiction remains the model for popular mysteries today, from books to TV crime dramas.

Another recommendation I have is Hour Game, by David Baldacci. This is my favorite serial killer mystery, because Baldacci manages the reader’s experience with the puzzle so well.

To see a book that I feel doesn’t play fair, read Michael Connelly’s The Poet. Don’t get me wrong, Connelly is perhaps the greatest mystery author of his generation, and The Poet is a brilliant novel in every other way. But when I reached the end, I felt that the last twist broke the fair play rule. See if you agree!

Understanding this relationship (reader : investigator :: writer : villain) is the key to writing a killer mystery.

If you enjoyed this post and found it helpful, please share it!

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Filed Under: On Writing Tagged With: crime fiction, how to write a book, how to write a mystery

How to Write a Thriller: The Keys to Suspenseful Writing

December 22, 2018 by Michael Santos

In this article, we begin discussing thriller novels by talking about suspense. How do we create suspense? How does it work within a crime novel to create a satisfying experience for readers?

Be sure to watch my YouTube video on this subject as well.

It’s all about mood.

The label “thriller” encompasses a wide variety of fiction. In terms of popular genres, you’re likely familiar with legal thrillers, psychological thrillers, historical thrillers, and many more.

It is one of the most versatile types of book, because any story can contain elements of a thriller. That is to say, any story can be thrilling. As a result, they are incredibly fun to write, because thriller authors have a great deal of freedom in terms of subject matter, story structure, and the mechanics of the creative writing craft.

The key to every thriller is having the right mood, which demands that you create suspense for the reader.

How do we write with suspense?

I define good suspense as a combination of excitement and apprehension. I want to be desperate to know what happens next in the book, but I also want to experience a sense of dread.

You have to make the reader worry about the outcome of the story. Each new plot point has to change the game in such a way that the reader says, “Uh-oh, now what?” You should make your reader hope for a happy ending but fear impending doom for the characters.

The narrative in a thriller is built on layers of twists and turns that create both excitement and apprehension. Each layer changes the status quo in such a way that the reader senses the tension building, which makes them wonder when that tension will become too much. They instinctively know that the story can’t go on like that forever.

These layers build to an ending that pays off those feelings, arguably the most important part of a thriller–the end is the most cathartic stage of the reading experience, when the emotions are at their peak.

Writing with suspense entails creating, managing, and escalating that sense of impending disaster, as the narrative progresses from its inciting incident to the climax, at which point the protagonist’s life will be irrevocably changed.

There will either be a happy ending (what the reader hopes for), a negative ending (what the reader dreads), or a mix of the two. Perhaps an FBI agent catches the serial killer, but must compromise her personal values and identity to do so. Those complicated resolutions are the ones that will resonate with readers the most, because they keep you thinking long after you finish the novel.

The resolution in a thriller must be both surprising and inevitable. It must shock the reader. At the same time, when the reader considers the story in retrospect, the ending must make complete sense. With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, they should feel like they should have seen the end coming all along.

Thrillers are built on hope.

To write a compelling thriller, you must manage the reader’s hope and fear. But how?

One of my favorite techniques is dramatic irony, when the reader knows more than the characters.

The most common example of this is found in horror movies, when a clueless character goes down into the dark basement. The viewer knows that the monster is down there, ready to rip asunder the poor soul’s head. But the character believes they’re making the right decision.

This creates a powerful sense of impending doom. We hope that they survive, but we dread the likely possibility that we’ll be saying goodbye to this character in a matter of seconds.

Another example…

In my first novel, No Hard Feelings, my protagonist–a hit man named The Apostle–believes the woman he’s seeing has betrayed him to the police and to a group of criminals, who want revenge for a crime he committed against them.

Chapter 11 opens with the woman–Eve–driving home from a date with another man, a detective no less. She’s feeling positive after meeting with him. The next scene shows The Apostle breaking into her apartment, where he plans to confront her about her alleged treachery. He’s irate, hurt, and desperate. And he’s a professional killer.

Eve has no idea that he’s waiting for her, but the reader does.

When you get to that scene, you hope that their encounter will end peaceably. But you dread more negative outcomes.

That’s how dramatic irony works. It plays on the reader’s hope and fear.

Hope is built on good characterization.

It is essential that your reader connects with the characters for this to work. It is required, or your thriller will be less than satisfactory and contain no emotional power whatsoever.

Read It, by Stephen King–a masterpiece of characterization. We get to know the Losers’ Club by seeing the intricacies of their dreams, apprehensions, and lives as both children and adults. The horror plot points in the novel are compelling and terrifying, because we become close enough to the characters for us to feel their dread along with them.

We hope and fear because they do, and King’s skill in creating and developing engaging characters is the key to that.

How to write characters that resonate with readers.

This subject is worthy of its own post (or series of posts), but I’ll keep it simple in this article.

Thrillers are known for their action-packed plots. In any story, there is an external narrative and an internal narrative. The thriller genre is driven by the external; that is, the events of the story–the conflict surrounding the characters.

But it’s the internal narrative, the conflict within the characters, that binds the reader to them on a human level. The internal conflict speaks to a human experience that we’ve all had or will have.

What makes this even more interesting is that it’s common for the reader to know what a character’s internal conflict is…but often the character does not. They typically learn it by the end, in a moment of revelation. “I thought I wanted x, but I needed y all along.”

The internal narrative also enhances our experience with the external narrative, because it adds to the plot’s stakes.

For example, let’s go back to that FBI agent/serial killer bit. The agent’s external objective is straight-forward: they want to solve the case. The plot of the novel will be built on that objective, as we follow the agent’s progress.

But what about the internal objective? Perhaps the FBI agent must solve this case to make up for some horrible thing they did in their past. Now the stakes are much higher. It’s not just a story about stopping a serial killer. The protagonist’s entire sense of self and subconscious journey for redemption now rides on the outcome of the case.

We’ve all experienced a time in life when we sought redemption, so we relate to that story. We hope that it resolves in the agent’s favor, because if they can find redemption, surely so can we. But we dread the negative ending, because we feel the same doom as the character.

For more information about external and internal conflicts, read the full article on how to use them effectively in your story writing.

Back to No Hard Feelings.

In my novel, The Apostle faces two tremendous conflicts in the scene where he breaks into Eve’s apartment.

The external conflict: he’s on the run from the police and a gang, and the woman he loves may have sold him out. The internal conflict: his father used to mercilessly beat him as a punishment. He became a hit man, a professional murderer, so that he would always be the most dangerous person in the room. So that no one could ever hurt him again.

The fact that the woman he loves is likely hurting him is too much for him to handle. It brings him back to his childhood, when another loved one caused him emotional (and physical) pain. He constructed his whole adult persona to avoid such torture, and now that persona is failing him.

He must find the truth about Eve for the sake of his sense of self, his identity, and his ability to find peace. All of which adds to the stakes of the external events in the chapter.

Because of that strong internal narrative, the reader feels connected to him and is more invested in the outcome of the scene. On top of that, the reader has spent enough time with Eve by this point in the story (chapter 11, remember) to know what her internal conflicts are.

When the two characters are in a scene of conflict together, the reader desperately hopes they’ll find happiness, while also dreading the opposite. In short, the chapter is suspenseful because it resonates with the reader on a human level.

Summary.

Okay, let’s review. To write a good thriller:

  1. You must write with suspense.
  2. Suspense is a combination of excitement and apprehension, hope and fear.
  3. Dramatic irony is a great technique for creating suspense.
  4. You must get your readers to connect with your characters for them to feel hope and fear.
  5. To make that happen, write compelling internal narratives that add to the stakes of your plots.

If you enjoyed this post and found it helpful, please share it!

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Looking for a new thriller?

Check out my supernatural thriller, The Nowhere Game!

The Nowhere Game

 

Filed Under: On Writing Tagged With: creative writing, crime fiction, how to write a book, how to write a thriller, how to write crime fiction, no hard feelings, suspense novels, thriller novels

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