October 05, 2012

Writing Filling Material

Chapter Ten was one of your BIG BANG chapters that thrills, excites, and shocks your readers. You wrote something explosive like a grisly murder, a steamy love scene, a tragic car accident, etc. You made your readers bite their nails and hold their breath.
Chapters eleven and twelve is the fallout to the drama that happened in chapter ten. This is where you wrote about your detective investigating the horrid crime scene, what your two characters did after they made love, or the chaotic events at the hospital following the terrible car accident.
Now chapters thirteen and fourteen are once again filling material and small events that link what happened in chapter ten with what is waiting to happen in later chapters. Remember to consult your detailed plan to make sure you keep on track and don’t forget something important.
Chapters thirteen and fourteen can literally be anything that you can think of that fits your genre and storyline. For a mystery/thriller this is the perfect time for your detective to bring in a suspect (or two) for interrogation about the murders that have been consuming your novel.
For a romance, your two characters could fight, or something (or someone) could split them apart just when they are beginning to fall in love. They may struggle with their feelings for each other and even try to bury them.
Whatever happens in your book, just remember that now is the time to slow down the pace (even if you slow it down just a tad for a thriller) and create material that can gradually build your story back up for the real BIG BANG at the end of your story.

QUESTION: Do you have an author that you look up to and aspire to become?

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