How I write Mystery/Suspense
K.J. Dahlen
When I start a book I come up with an idea. Brilliant right? Every book starts with an idea. Mine are no different. My ideas might be different though. I wrote an entire book on one line, “Has he asked you to convert yet?”
I am a people watcher. I like to sit down with a cup of coffee and watch the people around me. I get some of my character’s idiosyncrasies from the people around me. I watch how people talk and how they laugh. I see how they treat each other and I listen to what they say and how they say it. Their tone often tells its own story.
The idea doesn’t have to be a lot at first. Just a simple idea, then I sit down and name my characters. A name is very important because his/her name will set the mood for the entire book. I prefer names that stand out from the norm such as Max, Sam, Jesse, Rheta, Meghan, Hannah and Sable. I try to find different names for my characters. For this I use a baby naming web site. Then I come up with a profile for my characters. What does he/she like? We all have our likes and dislikes and I enjoy making my characters as human as possible. Where does he/she live? In a house or apartment? What does he/she look like? What has happened in the past to make my characters who they have become?
Now comes the fun part- the plot. What are my main characters going to do? What evil are they going to track down and stop? What obstacles am I going to put in their way? Is someone going to die in my book? If I put in a killer, how does he kill and why? Then I ask myself what motivates my characters? I have to make up my characters past and present. What can I put in my characters past that will help the book? I do outline what I’d like to see in my books. I don’t always stay within the outline but I do one before I start my books.
Sometimes there are more questions than answers when I start writing the book, but as I build my characters I find the answers. My first chapter sets the pace for the book and I like to allow my readers to find out the first surprise of the book. I like to put twists and turns in my books that my readers don’t always see coming. I love surprising my readers.
My books sometimes take off in a different direction than I thought, but that’s ok, I’m open to different ideas. And very often the different ideas can make the story better. People ask me how long does it take me to write a book? That depends on how into the plot I am before I start writing. It can take as little time as three and half weeks to a couple of months. Sometimes it takes longer because I often get ideas for other books and I have to sit down and write out the outline.
Once I think I have the first draft done, I print it off and start reading it. I make the changes that need to be made and ask myself, have I connected all the dots? Have I wrapped up everything that I need to wrap up? Then I ask myself, “Can I make the story any better?” If the answer is no I get it ready to send out.
Next comes the part I dislike the most…the hurry up and wait part. You hurry to get your story ready for the publisher of your choice and then you wait for them to read it and decide. Sometimes that can take months and months. Then in the end, you sometimes get the dreaded rejection.
I look at rejection letters with a positive note. Sometimes the publisher will give you a reason why they rejected your story. That’s helpful but it doesn’t give you what you ultimately want, the highly prized acceptance letter. I looked at all the rejection letters I received over the years as publishers that weren’t right for my stories. Sometimes you have to look a long time for the right publisher.
Once you have a publisher then you really have to work. Your book can be ripped apart and rewritten maybe more than once but the end result is a book other people will read and enjoy.
That’s how I did it and will continue to do it every time. Each story is different, with a different plot and characters and a different problem to solve. But that’s the fun part! The part where I can create my own little world again. Ain’t life grand? I think so… every time I sit down at my computer, and each story takes me to a new place in my mind.
K.J. Dahlen
When I start a book I come up with an idea. Brilliant right? Every book starts with an idea. Mine are no different. My ideas might be different though. I wrote an entire book on one line, “Has he asked you to convert yet?”
I am a people watcher. I like to sit down with a cup of coffee and watch the people around me. I get some of my character’s idiosyncrasies from the people around me. I watch how people talk and how they laugh. I see how they treat each other and I listen to what they say and how they say it. Their tone often tells its own story.
The idea doesn’t have to be a lot at first. Just a simple idea, then I sit down and name my characters. A name is very important because his/her name will set the mood for the entire book. I prefer names that stand out from the norm such as Max, Sam, Jesse, Rheta, Meghan, Hannah and Sable. I try to find different names for my characters. For this I use a baby naming web site. Then I come up with a profile for my characters. What does he/she like? We all have our likes and dislikes and I enjoy making my characters as human as possible. Where does he/she live? In a house or apartment? What does he/she look like? What has happened in the past to make my characters who they have become?
Now comes the fun part- the plot. What are my main characters going to do? What evil are they going to track down and stop? What obstacles am I going to put in their way? Is someone going to die in my book? If I put in a killer, how does he kill and why? Then I ask myself what motivates my characters? I have to make up my characters past and present. What can I put in my characters past that will help the book? I do outline what I’d like to see in my books. I don’t always stay within the outline but I do one before I start my books.
Sometimes there are more questions than answers when I start writing the book, but as I build my characters I find the answers. My first chapter sets the pace for the book and I like to allow my readers to find out the first surprise of the book. I like to put twists and turns in my books that my readers don’t always see coming. I love surprising my readers.
My books sometimes take off in a different direction than I thought, but that’s ok, I’m open to different ideas. And very often the different ideas can make the story better. People ask me how long does it take me to write a book? That depends on how into the plot I am before I start writing. It can take as little time as three and half weeks to a couple of months. Sometimes it takes longer because I often get ideas for other books and I have to sit down and write out the outline.
Once I think I have the first draft done, I print it off and start reading it. I make the changes that need to be made and ask myself, have I connected all the dots? Have I wrapped up everything that I need to wrap up? Then I ask myself, “Can I make the story any better?” If the answer is no I get it ready to send out.
Next comes the part I dislike the most…the hurry up and wait part. You hurry to get your story ready for the publisher of your choice and then you wait for them to read it and decide. Sometimes that can take months and months. Then in the end, you sometimes get the dreaded rejection.
I look at rejection letters with a positive note. Sometimes the publisher will give you a reason why they rejected your story. That’s helpful but it doesn’t give you what you ultimately want, the highly prized acceptance letter. I looked at all the rejection letters I received over the years as publishers that weren’t right for my stories. Sometimes you have to look a long time for the right publisher.
Once you have a publisher then you really have to work. Your book can be ripped apart and rewritten maybe more than once but the end result is a book other people will read and enjoy.
That’s how I did it and will continue to do it every time. Each story is different, with a different plot and characters and a different problem to solve. But that’s the fun part! The part where I can create my own little world again. Ain’t life grand? I think so… every time I sit down at my computer, and each story takes me to a new place in my mind.
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