Charting Your Way to a Story--The Moral Premise

Charting Your Way to a Story--The Moral Premise

By Missy Tippens

Missy Tippens, here. And I’m the self-proclaimed "Queen of Charts." I have a whole file on my computer of charts and forms that I use while planning characters and stories.

I’ve previously shared one of these, my combination of a GMC chart (from Debra Dixon) and Magic Conflict Chart (from Carolyn Greene). Click here to see that post.

Today, I’m going to share one of my Moral Premise charts. This is a chart I made after reading The MoralPremise: Harnessing Virtue & Vice for Box Office Success by Stanley D.Williams. We’ve had Dr. Williams as a guest on the blog, plus several of us have blogged about his book, which my agent Natasha Kern recommended. You can check those articles out here, and here.

One of the things I love about his how-to book is that it shows how readers relate to movies/books that have resonance. And resonance comes about by showing the main characters growing, changing, overcoming, and becoming better people. According to Williams, the goal of a storyteller is to take the audience/reader through an emotional and psychological journey that reveals a poignant truth (the moral premise) about the human experience.

Williams also talks about the premise (psychological truth) being offered up to the characters multiple times. But there’s a mid-point moment, the moment of grace, where the protagonist sees the solution to his dilemma, and it makes clear the fundamental conflict of his journey. He’s confronted with an understanding of the human condition in light of the moral premise and his own predicament. Of course, he then has the choice to accept the truth and apply it to his predicament (and have a happy ending) or to reject it (and have an unhappy ending).

I highly recommend The Moral Premise:Harnessing Virtue & Vice for Box Office Success. It’s been a huge help for me in planning my characters and plot. I won’t go into virtue and vice today. Look at previous posts for more on that.

Today, I want to share part of my Moral Premise Chart (The Good Guy Arc Plot from Williams’s book, pg. 123) for Georgia Sweethearts, my most recent release from Love Inspired.

Personal Goal: Daniel: to make a difference Lilly: to find security

Behavior before (vice practiced) in striving toward a personal goal… Dreamer and planner (not good at following through, moves around) Practical, no dreams allowed.

Moment of Grace in the personal subplot… Gets glimpse of settling down and supporting Lilly. Black moment: the reality of her trusting him leads to fear, and he returns to the safety of moving on. Gets a glimpse of trusting and dreaming of a future. Black moment: the reality of him proving he’ll leave makes her revert to protecting herself, and she decides to move back to her safe life (will sell shop)

Behavior after (virtue practiced) in striving toward a personal goal… God has given her to him to love and care for; she needs the life she’s built. The new reality of her leaving shows him the cost of him moving on. He decides to trust God for strength to be the man she needs. Asks her to stay. As she’s about to sign contract, she thinks of her sister grabbing happiness. She can do it, too. Daniel is worth the risk for her dream of a secure future with him.

Daniel is a pastor who wants to make a difference in his community. As the story opens, he’s shown to be a dreamer and planner. But he’s not so good at following through and tends to move around (in the name of starting new churches).

Lilly, who had an insecure childhood, often uprooted by her dreamer father who couldn’t keep a job, wants to find security. In the beginning, we see her being practical. Dreams are not allowed.

At the midpoint of the story, Daniel gets a taste of what it would be like to settle down with Lilly and to support her. Lilly gets a glimpse of what it’s like to trust someone (Daniel) and starts to actually dream of a future. Things start to look good for both of them.

You can see I’ve added their black moments to the chart. I think it’s important to plan what is going to make the characters revert to their vice.

So just as things start looking good for Daniel and Lilly, Daniel observes Lilly trusting him and is struck by fear. His reaction? He decides it’s time to move on and start another new church in a new community. Which leads to Lilly’s black moment. By telling her he’s moving, he’s shown her that, no, you really can’t trust people. She must revert to her former, safe life. She’ll sell the shop she’s grown to love and move back to her old location.

Of course, then the characters will have final realizations and will have grown enough by this point to choose the virtue over vice.

In this story, I had a moral premise in mind while writing (and if you look at the comments section of Stan Williams’s 10-1-12 post, you’ll see he had some great input for re-working my premise). Here it is:

Trying to protect ourselves and follow our own plans leads to loneliness and isolation. But risking love, and trusting God with our lives, leads to the rich, fulfilling life God intends.

Using that premise, you can see the virtue I was heading for and can guess how the story should end.

Daniel realizes God has given him Lilly to love and care for, and he wants the best for her. He sees what his leaving has cost Lilly and decides to trust God for the strength to be the man she needs. He asks her to stay.

Lilly realizes she’s stronger than she thinks she is, and Daniel is worth the risk. She wants to dream of a secure future with him in it.

I hope looking at this chart has helped. If you’d like to read Georgia Sweethearts to see how all this plays out, I’d be honored! You can find it here:

Amazon

B&N

Christian Book

IndieBound

Deeper Shopping

Today I’ll be giving away a phone or email chat to one commenter for us to discuss your moral premise or your moral premise chart. Please TELL ME IF YOU WANT TO BE ENTERED in the giveaway.

Now, tell me what you think. Do you see some sort of moral premise arc in your story? Do you think it would help to add one?

Missy

www.missytippens.com

A Light Bulb Moment

A Light Bulb Moment

by Missy Tippens

I was recently critiquing a manuscript for my critique partner, Lindi Peterson, and came across a passage of description that really jumped out at me. And I realized how boring my recent writing had been. For example, if I was writing a scene about a character going out on her deck or patio, I might say:

I walked out and breathed in the fresh air, taking in all the green around me. Birds chirped as I relaxed on the patio furniture. I closed my eyes and wished I could bottle this feeling. Total peace.

Okay, so that’s not horrible. I wrote it off the top of my head, trying to pretend as if I’m plowing through the first draft of my manuscript.

Let me show you the excerpt of Lindi’s manuscript that I was critiquing…

Lindi’s excerpt from Her Crazy Love (work in progress, not sold yet):

The early September evening is still warm. The green leaves on the trees hang in the stillness of the air. Tall pines shoot up toward the sky, their skinny trunks, straight as rulers, hiding their strength. I cross my arms, fully aware of the body language I’m exhibiting. My chin points slightly upward.

Wasn’t that so much better? I especially loved the way she described the pine trees.

Then I had a light bulb moment. You, too, can write this. Of course, I knew that already, so go ahead and call it a blonde moment if you wish. :) Or a "duh" moment. But description is something I'm really working to improve this year. So I was reminded if I don't get it on the first draft, I can get it on the second draft. (And yes, Lindi assured me she wrote this on subsequent drafts while layering.)

So let’s play. Here’s my original paragraph again:

I walked out and breathed in the fresh air, taking in all the green around me. Birds chirped as I relaxed on the patio furniture. I closed my eyes and wished I could bottle this feeling. Total peace.

Okay, so it’s basically a travel log of character motions. She walked. She breathed. She noticed the colors. She heard birds. She closed her eyes and felt peaceful.

BORING. Oh, my. But I'm so guilty of this travel log writing!

Okay, fine. I’ll live with that for a first draft. But now I want to fill it in as I make several more passes through the passage. Making it richer.

I walked out into the hot, steamy evening, hoping for a relief from the heat. And then sure enough, a slight breeze blew the hair off my neck and brought with it a breath of fresh air.

Breath of fresh air?? Cliché alert!! Let’s try harder than that. And let’s make it a little more personal and detailed while we’re at it…

I walked out into the hot, steamy evening, hoping for relief from the stifling heat. And then, just as the air-conditioned room on the other side of the door began to call my name, a slight breeze blew the hair off my neck and brought with it a hint of fall.  Cool, fresh air we hadn’t felt since May. Not since the last time I’d seen my mother.

Ooh, where did that come from? Okay, so I added a little conflict there at the end. That was fun. Let’s continue…

I walked out into the hot, steamy evening, hoping for relief from the stifling heat. And then, just as the air-conditioned room on the other side of the door began to call my name, a slight breeze blew the hair off my neck and brought with it a hint of fall. Cool, fresh air we hadn’t felt since May. Not since the last time I’d seen my mother.

I took in the fading, late-summer green of the trees in Mom’s back yard. Flowers that had been neglected since she left struggled against weeds that tried to choke them out. Tears nearly choked me as I retreated into a chair and prayed for peace.

Peace that wouldn’t come.

Now, that’s better.  But I’d still like to tweak it a bit. I think I could have chosen some better, stronger words. Plus, I realized it made no sense that she’s stepping out of the air-conditioned house and into the summer heat to get relief. :) I also wanted to show something more about the character and evoke more emotion.

I stalked out into the hot, steamy evening, hoping for relief from the stifling heat of the overcrowded kitchen. And then, as I was about to escape through the sliding glass door into the air-conditioned bedroom that offered respite from my crazy family, a slight breeze blew the hair off my neck and brought with it a hint of fall. Cool, fresh air we hadn’t felt since May. Not since the last time I’d seen my mother.

The fading, late-summer green branches of the pecan trees swayed in the breeze as if reaching out for me, like a mother’s arms. Flowers that had been neglected since Mom left struggled against weeds that tried to choke them out. Tears nearly choked me as I retreated into a chair and prayed for peace.

Peace that wouldn’t come.

Of course, I added many words. So you may want to plan to come in on the low side of your word count on your first draft because you’ll be adding words on subsequent drafts. So, here’s a recap of a few ways to improve your description:

1.  Use the senses.

2.  Make it personal and detailed.

3.  Add conflict.

4.  Strong word choices.

5.  Show characterization (what would my character notice?) and emotion (how would she feel about it?).

And now I have a challenge for you! I know it’ll be tough to choose, but I’ll pick one winner for a $10 online gift certificate of your choice (Starbucks, Amazon, etc.). All you have to do is write your own description (100 WORD LIMIT!!) of a scene I’ll give you. I know 100 words is nearly impossible. But make those words count!

Describe your character walking into a church for the first time. (Can be first time ever or first time in this particular church.) Remember, NO MORE THAN 100 WORDS! And while you’re thinking it over, enjoy some Timothy’s Parisian Nights coffee with my new sugar-free hazelnut creamer. And since I’m eating low carb, I’ve got made-to-order omelets for you this morning. Just name your fillings!

Oh, and NEWS FLASH!! I just heard from a reader that she got my newest Love Inspired, A Family for Faith, in her book club order!! So my book has been birthed and it now out in the world! If you’re not in the book club (or don’t take all the books), you can pre-order it by clicking:

here for Amazon.

Or here for B&N

Or here for ChristianBook.com.

Here’s a blurb:

When Faith Hagin sees widower cop Gabe Reynolds every day in her coffee shop, she can't help but feel for the struggling single dad. She's raised a teenager of her own—and sadly, knows what not to do. But thanks to his matchmaking preteen daughter, Chelsea, the whole town's praying for Gabe to find a wife! Even though Faith thinks she's content being just friends, spending time with him and Chelsea starts to feel like a fresh start at having a family. And their love may be the answer to everyone's prayers.

18,000 words in 13 and a half hours

Camy here, and yes, you read that correctly. I recently wrote 18,000 words in 13.5 hours and I’m blogging today about what I think helped me to do it.

I was on deadline (but you guessed that already, right???) and trying to finish my novel so I’d have enough time to revise it before sending it in. At the time it was only 15,000 words I needed to write before Sunday so I’d have all day Sunday to do any last minute tweakings, but I ended up needing 18,000 words to finish all the scenes I’d had mapped out.

Let me preface all this by saying that I knew exactly what scenes I had left to do and what I needed to accomplish in each of those scenes. I knew the ending (I’d known the ending from the moment I started the book) and I just needed to write the climax as I envisioned it and tie up loose threads.

How to write a heck of a lot of words in a really short amount of time:

1) Pray really hard. I know some of you may not be Christian, but I am, and I did a lot of praying. That didn’t mean I spent an hour on my knees before I started writing, but before I wrote and while I was in the bathroom on a potty break and while I was eating lunch, I prayed to God and asked for His help. Relying on Jesus’ supernatural assistance is really the only way to go.

2) Make sure you’re comfortable. I had my chair adjusted so I could sit for long hours, but I also got up to walk around every hour.

I even had a timer go off every 60 minutes so that I’d remember to stand up and stretch (and go on a potty break). However, I also had a second timer set for only 10 minutes so I wouldn’t let my break take longer than that.

I turned the heat up so I wouldn’t have cold hands, I had a blanket on my legs, and I made sure my water bottle was close by.

3) Prepare the rest of your family. I had already told Captain Caffeine that I had 15,000 words to write that day and could he please get his meals on his own. He also walked the dog for me and washed dishes. I had leftovers in the fridge that were ready to heat up for both him and for me, so I wouldn’t have to waste time cooking my own meals.

If you have kids, arrange for babysitting by the spouse or someone else. If your kids are older, make sure the office door (or bedroom door) is locked and they cannot disturb you unless they are bleeding and burning.

4) Prepare yourself. This is not a cakewalk. Don’t lollygag around. Sit down and focus your mind and prepare yourself like you’re going to war.

5) Surround yourself with things that will help you to focus. I tend to write better when I have snacks, a mug of tea, and music without words playing. It will be different for you. Some people like scents, some don’t. Some people like music, some don’t. Surround yourself with what you need to focus.

6) Get rid of all distractions beforehand. I didn’t realize until only a few months ago how incredibly distracting it was for me to have so much clutter around me. I spent 3 days cleaning my office and discovered I have a much easier time writing now than I did before.

Clutter might not be the same type of distraction for you, but whatever your distraction is, get rid of it. Do not tolerate distractions because they will break your focus and reduce your creativity and your efficiency.

This is not to say you shouldn’t take breaks—by all means, take breaks if only to keep yourself from injury (see above about a timer set for every 60 minutes). But get rid of distractions that will take you mentally away from your goal of High Word Count.

Only you know what your distractions are, but be completely honest with yourself about what your distractions are. It doesn’t help your efficiency if you lie to yourself.

7) Get off the internet. This is what really helped me, but I’m not saying it’ll work for everyone. Anytime I had a research question I needed to look up on the internet, I made a note for myself in the manuscript to look up what I needed later, and I moved on. I labeled my notes with [xxx] so that I could do a Find for “xxx” and find all my notes to myself easily.

NO EXCEPTIONS. If I needed a name for a minor character, I named him Character A and used that for the entire scene. Later, I did a Find and Replace for “Character A” and changed it to whatever I determined his name should be.

Anytime I needed to look something up on the internet, no matter how small, I did not let myself do it, because even if I didn’t check email, the time taken for internet research could take as long as 30 minutes sometimes, and I wanted to focus on writing, not on research.

Research and writing use different sides of the brain (left and right, respectively) and for me to switch back into right brain creative writing mode is hard. So I did my best not to move out of that right brain creative writing mode, even for research.

In the end:

I wrote 18,163 words in thirteen hours, twenty minutes (give or take a few minutes). This included breaks. Quite frankly, this is the fastest I’ve ever written in my life.

If I can do it, you can too—you just need to prepare both your family and yourself for what you need to do.

GIVEAWAY: Thanks to Tina for this idea. I’m giving away a free 30-minute telephone mentoring session. To enter, answer this question: What would you need to do in order to prepare yourself for a writing marathon? Also please leave your email address or some way for me to contact you, otherwise I’ll pull another name.

Winner will be announced in the Weekend Edition.

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Out now is her romantic suspense, Formula for Danger. She runs the Story Sensei critique service, is a staff worker for her church youth group, and leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she ponders frivolous things like knitting, running, dogs, and Asiana. Visit her website to sign up for her quarterly newsletter.

GLYNNA KAYE: How I Write!

Good morning, Seekerville! I’ve been a long-time collector of story ideas. Have folders and binders stuffed with clippings, articles and notes. So I’m set for life, right?
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How I wish!
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In my beginning writing days, I’d excitedly pounce on a fabulous “idea.” Unfortunately, those were the too-many-to-count times I’d write two or three sparkling chapters only to discover the story wasn’t progressing. Then disappointed, frustrated and clueless about how to fix it, I’d set it aside and wander off until I found the next “great idea” and pounce again.
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Due to a day job, there’s limited and often unpredictable time available to write, so it was necessary--through trial and error--to learn what I need to do to lay a foundation that will carry the story beyond a few opening chapters. I’m still learning, but here’s what is currently working for me.
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I’m one of those writers to whom a full-blown story concept does NOT come overnight. Ideas, yes. A fully developed foundation you can construct the story house on, no.
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I start far away from my computer, pen in hand and an unlined 9” x 12” newsprint pad on my lap (the kind of scribble pads you buy for your kids at the grocery or discount stores). There’s something about those blank, unlined pages and the way the ink flows smoothly onto them that frees my imagination from the Inner Critic’s mental handcuffs.
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While I can’t tell you exactly which comes first (the chicken or the egg thing), I jot down potential situations, characters, log-lines, premises, GMC, verses, scenes and dialogue that have been bouncing around in my head. Page after page. Circling ideas. Drawing arrows. Posing questions. Cramming stuff into the margins. Gradually, prayerfully, I gravitate to ideas which generate related ideas and begin solidifying and connecting with each other.
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When the core “seed” idea evolves to where it captures my interest--and hopefully the interest of my READERS--then I home in on each facet I’ve uncovered and brainstorm those to a greater extent. I pinpoint (in just a few lines each) the basic story concept, premise, opening line, and GMC--what my characters want most, why they want it, and why can’t they have it! I document it in my Netbook or AlphaSmart (still as far away from my desk as I can get), then print it out for a 1- to-2-inch wide, slant-D binder so I can access it for quick reference even when I’m not near a computer.
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In snatches of time I’m also:
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- Collecting “art fact sheet” images that my editor will need for cover ideas.
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- Doing in-person or on-line research to flesh out an idea.
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- Brainstorming character backgrounds and scenes that will reflect the premise I’ve tentatively established. This helps me avoid “episodic writing”–-where you go from chapter to chapter with fabulously clever, action-packed, or romantic scenes that, unfortunately, don’t move the story forward, strengthen the conflict or reflect what the story is essentially about.
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Scene storming also helps me judge if I have enough ideas related to the premise to sustain an entire book and ensures I’ve thought through the major turning points. (My books usually have about 3 scenes per chapter--approximately 60 scenes per book--but I don’t brainstorm ALL 60 before I start writing.) Some writers are gifted at creating and retaining prep work in their heads, but if I don’t write stuff down, well, the ideas evaporate with almost embarrassing swiftness.
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It’s at round 4-6 weeks into this process (while also doing revisions, edits and such on the next releasing book)--that I’m chomping at the bit to launch into that first chapter. Because of my day job, I do my writing early in the morning, 90-120 minutes. While it doesn’t always work out, my goal is to write 1,000 words a day, six days a week--usually taking Sunday’s off (not because I’m legalistic but because I’m TIRED--Monday morning rolls around all too quickly). Sometimes that means 500 words in the a.m. and 500 in the p.m. if other things outside my control have crowded into my morning writing time.
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One thing I’ve found invaluable is an Excel spreadsheet to record my daily word count--and pinpoint a reason if I didn’t reach my goal. It’s a great way to evaluate at the end of a book how I used my time, to determine where I “lost ground” to unanticipated day job demands, edits, galleys, art fact sheets, proposal writing, blogs, non-writing-related commitments--and computer meltdowns. I can also see where I could have better applied myself and can improve next time.
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When I’ve completed 3-4 chapters, I ask a Seeker pal or two to read them. A proposal usually consists of 3 chapters (or around 50 pages) and a synopsis, so opening chapters are critical. Is the story situation compelling and the conflict strong enough to sustain a whole book? Are the characters likable? Did the reader want to keep turning the pages?
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One thing I’ve learned is how important a synopsis is. An editor or agent might love your opening chapters, but if the synopsis--the core of your story structure--appears weak, that’s not good news. I’ve struggled to write a lucid, untangled synopsis FOREVER. Finally finding a method that works for me has taken away the dread of writing one. I even find myself often referring to it to keep me on track.
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My synopsis method in a nutshell: At the top of the page I place (in bullet points of a line or two each) the concept, the premise, verse, and themes. This serves as a reminder of what the story is ABOUT as I write the synopsis. Then I introduce the heroine’s background, GMC, and the situation she’s in at the opening of the story. A paragraph or three. Same thing for the hero. Then I launch into the this-happens-and-then-that-happens business. Separating “back story” from the body of the current story adds clarity for my agent and editor, as well as ease of writing it for me.
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As I’m constructing the story in my mind and in the synopsis, I’m also documenting:
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- A timeline chart for each character. This is where I comparatively keep track of the hero/heroine’s background events. (When were they born? When did he enter the military and what was she doing at that same time? When did her folks divorce?)
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- A calendar that encompasses the time period of the story. On it I designate which scenes happen on which days. Did they argue in the park a week ago? Or two weeks ago? (The timeline and calendar docs are subject to change as the story evolves.)
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Here are a few more insights into how I write.
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- I keep an MS Word document “clips holder” for each story. That’s where I save a scene or dialogue that I’ve decided, for whatever reason, to remove from my manuscript. I may insert it elsewhere later--or in another book altogether.
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- I set my trusty timer for each writing session so I don’t keep interrupting myself checking the clock. (Can’t miss the day job or those appointments!)
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- I keep a small notebook by my computer where I jot down reminders of things to confirm or research, or things that must be woven into or deleted/modified from earlier scenes.
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- I sometimes sketch maps of a town or setting so I can keep in mind the relationship between places from scene to scene (or book to book if writing a series).
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- I print out the manuscript several times to red-line while reading it aloud. This not only helps with proofreading, but also to check on story flow/pacing, sentence rhythm, and dialogue.
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- My writing sessions go better if I find time the previous evening to pull out my newsprint pad, let my mind wander for a few minutes, and briefly sketch out the next scene so I don’t waste time the following morning.
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- By the time I draft the first third of the book, I’m panicking--certain I can’t possibly have enough ideas to sustain the rest of the story. By the time I get the second third drafted I’m panicking again--this time because how on earth can I get EVERYTHING in there that needs to be in there and still stay under the maximum required word count? There’s nothing quite like Writer Paranoia, is there?
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- When I complete the first draft (about 4 months), that’s when the FUN begins. Seriously! This is my favorite part! I review my reminder notes and synopsis, then read through the whole manuscript and red-line again before launching into the joy of cutting “deadwood,” fleshing out, layering, enriching and polishing. I also use a checklist to weed out that pesky passive phrasing and repetitive words.
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So that’s how I write, more or less! I’m not as super-detailed as some of the genuine plotsters or as freewheeling as the pansters. I’m probably something in between–-a planster--which provides enough structure to keep me on target, but allows me the creative freedom I crave as well.
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If you have any questions or thoughts about what I’ve shared, please leave a comment! And if you’re interested in being entered in a drawing for a copy of my upcoming release, “Second Chance Courtship,” please note that, too!
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Glynna
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ROLL OF DRUMS AND TRUMPET FANFARE! If you have a COMPLETED manuscript and would like to be entered in a drawing to receive a critique of your book proposal by a top industry professional, this may be your lucky day!

NATASHA KERN, literary agent extraordinaire (and agent of Seekers Julie, Mary, Myra, Missy & Glynna) has generously offered to critique the winner’s proposal for a book-length contemporary or historical romance, women's fiction or suspense.
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Natasha’s critique will include comments on plot, character, pacing, hooks, voice and other elements of a novel. The proposal should consist of:
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- first 3 chapters (up to 50 double-spaced pages)
- synopsis (4-5 single-spaced pages)
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If you want to be entered in the drawing, please e-mail the Seekerville e-address with “Natasha Critique” in the subject line and, in the body of the e-mail, include:
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- your name
- e-mail addy
- title of the manuscript
- genre (contemporary romance, historical romance, women’s fiction, or suspense)
- first paragraph
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Deadline is Thursday, October 28 at midnight PDT. The winner will be contacted as to where and how the proposal should be submitted. Please check The Natasha Kern Literary Agency website if you want to know more about Natasha! http://www.natashakern.com/

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Glynna Kaye’s Steeple Hill Love Inspired “Dreaming of Home” is a 2010 “Carol Award” and “Maggie Award” finalist, as well as a first place winner of the “Booksellers Best” and “Beacon” awards. Her next books (also set in Canyon Springs, Arizona) are “Second Chance Courtship” releasing February 2011, and “At Home In His Heart” debuting August 2011!

Putting the Pieces Together

by Debby Giusti

Happy Birthday, Seekerville! October has been a fantastic month. I love the daily giveaways and all the wonderful posts our guests have provided. The take-a-closer-look-at-a-writer’s-life blogs have been fun too. I’ll never forget Ruthy’s 4 AM shot with the kitty and Myra doing her morning exercise a la Wii.

Now, it’s my turn. What to write? What to share? What to ignore?

I start with an internal picture. (I  believe it's called a freeze frame in the screenwriting world.) It’s as if my mind’s eye catches a glimpse of action, either the beginning of the story or the climax. If not worth developing, it flutters away like the falling leaves. But if the idea captures my imagination then I begin to “what if” and the story starts to build.

When my husband and I moved into a new home that had a security alarm, we inadvertently activated the emergency code and were surprised when the police arrived with their guns drawn. Naturally, my suspense writer brain pictured a woman tripping an alarm and the law enforcement hero arriving on scene to check out the situation.

Eventually that “mental picture” morphed into NOWHERE TO HIDE, the first book I sold to Steeple Hill. The heroine and her young son are on the run and need to hide out in her elderly aunt’s coastal Georgia home. To compound the problem, the aunt set the security alarm before she left on a trip and a storm knocks out the electricity. The house is dark, and when the heroine opens the door, the backup power supply triggers a screeching alarm that alerts the island chief of security. You guessed it! Enter the hero.

My second book took shape when I thought about a winding road, an ice storm and a car that plunges off a bridge into raging water, which is how SCARED TO DEATH opens. Of course, the woman is rescued only to learn the old friend she was driving to visit died earlier that day. I had been researching liver transplants for a clinical laboratory article I was writing at the time so I considered adding a black market organ transplant operation that morphed into a transplant tourist racket. (FYI, that’s when US citizens skirt the long wait for an organ by traveling to a foreign country for their transplants.)

Currently, I’m writing a series about special agents in the US Army Criminal Investigation Division. THE OFFICER’S SECRET will be out in May 2011 and began with a fictional Army post in Georgia, two estranged siblings and a CID agent who investigates the death of a female major on post. The second book in the series, THE CAPTAIN’S MISSION, starts with a possible training accident my blond, blue-eyed CID heroine is called in to investigate.

Once the plot starts to take shape, I work on the hero and heroine’s back story and their inner conflict. Usually they are tackling similar issues, which play into the overall theme. Layers are added as I enhance the love story, increase the suspense, plant clues, add a few red herrings and drive the action to the climax. Including an act of nature—a fire, tornado, hurricane or flood--ups the tension and provides another complication.

I’m always thinking of worst case scenarios for my characters. Given two choices, I pick the one that provides more difficulty, anxiety or pain. Speaking of pain, I usually wound the hero or heroine or both. Gunshot wounds, stabbings, infections and extreme cold are some of the problems my characters have had to endure.

Since I write for the Love Inspired Suspense line, I focus on an exciting beginning, a hero or heroine in danger throughout the story, a concrete external problem that needs to be solved and internal conflicts that inhibit the characters in the beginning. During the story, they change and grow. By the end of their journey, they are able to forgive themselves and accept God’s love as well as the love of another.

The picture was taken in my garage, but you get the idea! :)

Now a peek into where I write…the picture at the beginning of this blog shows me on my deck with my AlphaSmart in hand. The simple word processor can hold about 25 pages of text in each of eight files and allows me to write on the go. When hubby and I travel, I’ll work while he drives. Sometimes in the winter if I’ve been housebound too long, I’ll take my Alpha to Starbucks just for a change of pace.

Often I’ll get up between 5 and 6 AM and work at my kitchen counter for two or three hours. About 9 AM, I head to church for Bible Study or some other activity followed by grocery shopping and errands. By noon or 1 PM, I’m back at work. In the late afternoon, I walk before cooking dinner, and most evenings, I’m at my computer, catching up on emails.

Before I start writing, I always recite The Writer’s Prayer. God gave me the prayer shortly after I got The Call. (He must have known I would always need His help.) For the last few years, I’ve handed out the prayer at conferences and am touched when others mention praying it as well.



The back of the previous page provides room for inserts.

When I finish the first draft of a book, I do a number of rewrites and often read the text in a web layout or use a different font to pick out errors I might not notice otherwise. I also print the entire manuscript and put it in a binder for my final revisions. To enter the changes in the computer, I work from the back of the book and move forward, which keeps my page numbers intact as I make corrections.

Here’s a picture of some of my favorite research books. The US Army Survival Manual (Platinum Press, Inc), A Special Forces Guide to Escape and Evasion (Will Rowler, St. Martin’s Press), The Forensic Casebook ( N.E. Genge, Ballantine Books) and Extreme Survival (Akkermans, Cook, Mattos, Morrison, JG Press) have been especially helpful for the CID series.

Research books for the suspense writer.

I hope this brief glimpse into my writing life brings to mind something you’d like to share about your process. Leave a comment or question to be entered into two drawings. I’m giving away PROTECTING HER CHILD and SCARED TO DEATH, along with two $10 Starbuck’s gift card, today.  Your comment automatically enters you in the Big Birthday Bash drawing for a Kindle!

My favorite writing snacks!

The breakfast bar is open—make your own omelets.  Help yourself to the sausage, hashed browns, biscuits and gravy, an assortment of pastries and, of course, grits! The coffee’s on. Grab a plate, pour a cup of joe and let’s talk writing!

Wishing you abundant blessings,

Debby Giusti

http://www.debbygiusti.com/