Old Familiar Friends

By Michael Hicks Thompson

I have no idea if any of those “How to Write a Novel” books (e.g., King’s On Writing, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Memoir of the Craft) or any others) taught this, but I’ve not read it anywhere; though, I doubt I’m the only one to offer it up.

I discovered a principle about readers. Simply by reading my manuscript through, page by page, word by word, dozens of times.

Here’s what I discovered. Readers need to encounter familiar friends (even foes) during the course of reading a novel. Why? Because readers need familiar characters to pop up throughout the story. Otherwise, their subconscious asks them, “Where’s that character, Freddie? I haven’t read anything about him for ten chapters.” Well, people don’t think exactly like that, but you get the point.

Think of it this way. If a writer brings up a character in the first third, that character will need to reappear again. Maybe even multiple times, depending on the size of the character’s role in the first third. The more description, dialogue, or substance an author gives to a character, the more that character needs to come back into the story. I had to re-write a major portion of my novel when I discovered that I’d simply written this one scene about a deputy on the Greenlee Sheriff’s Force.

She reached in her purse and retrieved a thin, silver-engraved box of cigarettes. She selected one and inserted it into a shiny black holder. Deputy Cox, who’d been leaning against the doorjamb, pulled a Zippo from his pocket, strutted over, and lit it. She smiled at him, tossed her head back, and blew out a smoke ring as big as my dinner plates. Cox grinned and dropped the lighter in his trousers, while Butch continued.

 And one page over, the Sheriff is telling Cox to take Tully Ivey back to the Grater house.

“Cox, I want you to drive Miz Ivey and Mr. Carr out to the Grater house.”

“Be my pleasure,” Cox said, spreading his cowboy legs, both thumbs wrapped around his belt buckle.

I had left Cox out for the rest of the story. Stupid me. But, it’s easy to do unless you look for such occurrences, and I did, after reading the doggone manuscript over a dozen times.

Leave out old friends, and you’ll leave your reader out.

Here’s what I did. I brought Cox back later, in a subtle way, i.e., not trying to connect his love interest in Tully Ivey, America’s most famous actress, but simply learning from her how Tarot cards work. Eerie.

Haven’t you read novels where a character came into play in the first third with a seemingly big set-up, only never to hear from him again? It happens all the time.

You see, it’s difficult to juggle a mystery novel. To keep the plot moving, the clues, the red herrings, the humor, the empathy, the struggle, yet be aware of every character’s role and their place in the story tell

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Michael Hicks Thompson received his masters degree in mass communication from the University of South Carolina, after an undergrad from Ole Miss. He started a one-man ad agency that grew into 87 employees in two cities, where he was CEO/creative director/copywriter. His firm, Thompson & Company won numerous national and international creative awards. He sold the firm in 2011, and now devotes his time to writing the Solo series. The Rector has already won several major awards. He's been a team member in Kairos' prison ministry for two years; also been to Cuba on door-to-door evangelism trips, and spoken at large conventions as featured speaker on the life of David ben Jesse. You can actually "See Inside" the DAVID books at www.shepking.com, or Amazon. Oh you won't want to miss the photo of Goliath and the Ark of the Covenant. Michael had both of them made for a book signing tour. His latest book The Actress has released.

TENSION on Every Page

By Creston Mapes

There are notes, small and large, taped all over my computer and desk. They hang from my lamps, stick on my phone, and pop out of my pen holder. They’re reminders:

“Things get worse.”

“Turn up the heat.”

“Don’t take the reader where she wants to go—give her stress, strain, pressure!”

“Discombobulate the reader!”

“The secret of breakout plotting is TENSION on every page.”

These reminders are just a few that I’ve written down from favorite books and websites about how to write page-turning fiction. And I refer to them often when I’m writing. In fact, I have a folder two- to three-inches thick entitled, “Writing Tips.” It includes pages of notes I’ve taken from those favorite books and websites, all about writing good, solid, exciting fiction that keeps readers hooked from cover to cover.

When I come to a place in the manuscript where I don’t know what’s going to happen—which is often, because I like to work with a barebones outline—I simply start looking around at my notes, the ones hanging everywhere. If that doesn’t work, I get out the old “Writing Tips” folder and simply begin reading.

Much of the great advice comes from The Complete Guide to Writing & Selling the Christian Novel by Penelope J. Stokes; Stein on Writing by Sol Stein; On Writing by Stephen King; Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass; The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing by Meg Leder, Jack Heffron, and the editors of Writer’s Digest; and Plot& Structure by James Scott Bell.

One of the notes sticking above me reads: “You must not come lightly to the blank page.”Another: “Writing…this is just another job like laying pipe or driving long-haul trucks. Shut the door and get to it.” And another: “Be strong and courageous and get to work. Don’t be frightened by the size of the task, for the Lord my God is with you: He will not forsake you. He will see to it that everything is finished correctly (1 Chronicles 28: 20).”

I also get revved up and inspired by cranking up some of my favorite music. Usually, within a song or two, I am ready to set the reader on her ear with some jaw-dropping twists and turns.

So, take notes when you’re reading those books on the craft of writing fiction. Print out the articles and tips that inspire you. Crank up the music and get motivated to give the fiction reader what he really wants: tension on every page!

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Creston Mapes is the author of the thrillers Fear Has a Name, Nobody, Dark Star, and Full Tilt. A journalist, copywriter, and editor, he works from his home-office in Atlanta for some of the nation’s top media companies, Christian ministries, and nationally-recognized corporations. His early years as a reporter inspire many of his novels. CrestonMapes.com

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