You want to be a writer, eh? The biggest part of being a writer is in the writing. But after that, how do you get people to read and enjoy what you've written? Well, that's where places such as Writing.Com, magazines such as the Writer's Digest, and books such as Conflict, Action & Suspense come into play -- all help you learn the TECHNIQUES of telling a good story.

In one sense, in reading and studying this book you wouldn't necessarily have to read another writing book -- it does a good job of covering the basics of all the elements of a story -- character, description, setting, point of view, and plot.

On the other hand, it's a lot to think about! Which I did like, but it is something to keep in mind.

Why go out and write some "kick-butt" action and suspense stories.

"William Noble is the author of several writing books, short fiction and nonfiction pieces. He has taught and lectured about writing at the Breadloaf Writer's Conference and others."

This book would be an excellent addition to any writer's reference library. I intend to read it periodically and to study the various techniques.

If you already have several writing books, you may not need this one, though it is an excellent read and a good condensation of the various writing techniques as applied to action and suspense writing.

Conflict -- somthing that happens. Every story an author writes should have something that happens. It's the first principle of writing fiction.



Action -- Happenings. Something happens in the course of the story.



Suspense -- Uncertainty.



Conflict is going to involve either action or suspense and sometimes both.



To quote from the book:



[T]hroughout the book, the differences between action and suspense are highlighted, especially when they might relate to individual scenes or sketches. Sometimes the way to develop an action scene is not the way to develop a suspense scene, and we'll see why. Action, after all, is more direct and more immediate than suspense, which thrives on indirectness and the hope of a payoff somewhere down the line. Action throbs while suspense quivers; action shouts while suspense whispers; action does while suspense hints.



Chapters are



1. The Nuts and Bolts of Drama

The Need for Confrontation - Pull on Those Emotions - Escalate, Esalate - Immediacy Does the Trick



2. Stage-Setting

It Begins With Grammar - Charge Up Those Images - Shift That Point of View - Dig That Contrast



3. Openings

Leads and Hooks - A Block to Build Upon - Sometimes Dialogue, Sometimes Narrative -- When the Ending Comes First



4. Leave 'Em Hanging

Scene Cuts - Transitions - It Pays to Wait - To Complete or Not to Complete



5. Building Through Dialouge

Yes/No - Well/Maybe - Threat of the Unsaid - Self-Talk - Gesturing



6. Building Through Mood and Atmosphere

Anticipation and Dread - Step by Step - Physical Description Plus



7. Building Through Character DevelopmentMultiple Faces - Terrible Secrets - Inevitable Collisions - Inevitable Choices



8. Building Through Point of ViewConverging Themes - Your Viewpoint or Mine? - Me, Myself and I



9. Subtlety and Misdirection

Hints and Shadows - Foreshadowing - Reversing the Rules



10. Time and Place

The Logic of Setting - The Crunch of Time Limits - Incidents and Anecdotes - Anytime but the Present



11. It's in the Pacing

Let's Take a Breather - Crisis, Crisis! - The Narrative Way - Mixing and Matching



12. Endings

Keep Surprise and Delight Coming - Questions and Choices - Reach for the Climax - Back to the Beginning?

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Created Jun 10, 2003 at 10:29pm • Submit your own review...