By Debby Giusti
It was a dark and stormy night. Anyone
familiar with Charles M. Schulz’s cartoon strip, Peanuts, will recall the opening line of Snoopy’s Great American
Novel. Although his writing career never
blossomed, the lovable pooch understood the importance of establishing the
setting at the beginning of his book.
Take a dark and stormy night, add rumbling thunder and bolts of
lightning that expose an old Victorian house badly in need of repair and you’ve
got a suspense story waiting to be written.
Any author
worth her weight in copy paper knows the importance of anchoring the reader at
the onset of the story. In a suspense
novel, time of day, weather, location and a mix of details hand selected by the
writer weave together into a chilling setting that keeps the reader turning the
page. Take the unsuspecting hero and
heroine from their ordinary world and drop them smack dab in the middle of an escalating
problem–whether man made or an act of God—to build reader anticipation and drive
home the point that something sinister is about to happen.
My April 2020
release, Dangerous Amish Inheritance,
opens with a brutal attack on an Amish widow who tries to protect her two sons.
Torrential rain adds to the drama as storms roll through the isolated mountain town
where the story unfolds. A rising river and a killer on the loose up the
suspense and, hopefully, keep the reader engaged in the story.
The setting for
Amish Christmas Search (October 2020)
stretches from a Florida beach community to an historic Georgia town as the
Amish hero and heroine try to elude a wealthy killer’s security guards. They’re
on the run, but a clock is ticking and a woman will die if they can’t get to
her in time.
My current
work-in-progress, Hidden Amish Secrets,
includes winding mountain roads, falling rocks, an abandoned Amish farmhouse
and lots of secrets to keep the reader guessing about why Amish men are dying
in Mountain Loft, Georgia.
Whether hurricanes,
tornadoes or torrential rains, a mountain cabin or Amish farmhouse, high noon
or midnight, a well-crafted combination of details sets the stage in which a
story can unfold. In a suspense novel, that setting needs to be filled with intrigue
and fraught with peril to draw the reader into the danger and keep her on the
edge of her seat until The End.
As a reader, what
draws you into a story, whether suspense or straight romance? Writers, what
tips can you share about setting the scene for your stories? Leave a comment to
be entered in a drawing for Dangerous
Amish Inheritance.
Happy reading!
Happy writing!
Wishing you
abundant blessings,
Debby Giusti
Dangerous
Amish Inheritance
By Debby
Giusti
“Move off
the mountain. No one wants you here.”
Can this Amish widow survive her dangerous stalker?
Someone wants Ruthie Eicher off Amish Mountain…enough to terrorize the widow and her boys. Now Ruthie must rely on her former sweetheart, Noah Schlabach—the secret father of her eldest son—as they figure out why. But Noah has turned his back on love and the Amish way of life. Can he shield Ruthie…without breaking her heart again?
Can this Amish widow survive her dangerous stalker?
Someone wants Ruthie Eicher off Amish Mountain…enough to terrorize the widow and her boys. Now Ruthie must rely on her former sweetheart, Noah Schlabach—the secret father of her eldest son—as they figure out why. But Noah has turned his back on love and the Amish way of life. Can he shield Ruthie…without breaking her heart again?
Order HERE!
Debby, you are a champion of setting stories right where they need to be to heighten the suspense and to grab hold of the reader and not let go. Brava!
ReplyDeleteI love opening with a great setting that pulls the characters knee-deep into whatever the story is. I remember how I used to crowd the front chapters with backstory, and it was like having the doors thrown open on a sunny day when I saw the difference in presenting a story where the reader is heart-grabbed on the opening page.... and explaining to them why they should care for a full chapter of no dialogue and backstory.
This is why no one should publish their first book, LOL!
I brought fresh coffee and sweet tea! Good morning, all!
I wrote six books before I snagged an editor, Ruthy! And those early books will never see the light of day, for sure. :)
DeleteYour openings always grab my heart! Just as your stories do!!!
Thanks for the coffee. :)
Debby, this is a good post, not just about suspense but about writing in general. We have to keep people turning the pages, yes? I relearn this with every book.
ReplyDeleteMy stuff isn't suspense per se, but it has suspenseful elements. It's Western so there's usually somebody chasing somebody and up to no good.
Ruthy is right, the backstory has to go...and go...and go. I have some early relics of stories that are lost to the ages, and for good reason.
A beautiful day here, much to do before the Heat Wave.
Kathy Bailey
We all started with backstory...until, as Ruthy mentioned, we saw the light! I still include it in my first drafts. Force of habit, I guess. Then I cut, cut, cut!
DeleteGlad you're having a lovely day. GA is cool and overcast. Wonder if there's a storm brewing somewhere? Must check the weather report. Enjoy your day!
Interesting post, Debby! I read and loved Dangerous Amish Inheritance (so don't put my name in the draw). Of course, I am anxiously waiting for Amish Christmas Search!
ReplyDeleteBlessings~~
I am off to enjoy Ruthy's coffee!
Thank you, Jackie! Your support means so much to me!
DeleteRuthy's coffee is delicious! Hearty and black, the way I like it!
Wonderful post, Debby! Even for those of us who don't write suspense, there is much glean. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI guess the takeaway is to start with a bang! Which, of course, I don't have to tell a HOLT winner! Congrats again. So thrilled for you!!!
DeleteGreat post, Debby! I think it's good to think of this ahead of time, but it's definitely something we can add to heighten tension while we're going back and polishing our drafts. Thanks for the reminders!
ReplyDeleteSo true, Missy. My final copy varies greatly from my first draft. (Thank goodness! LOL) Revisions make a story, imho!
DeleteWonderful post, Debby, and a great reminder. Even the sweetest romance has to plunge the reader right into the story first thing.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
You're so right, Jan. The opening is extremely important. Think how often do we pick up a book in a bookstore and read the first line or paragraph to decide whether to buy or not. If the opening hooks me, I'll head to the cash register. If not, the book goes back on the shelf.
DeleteAs a reader, I agree with you, Ruthy, and the other authors that starting a book in the midst of action (even if not suspense related) works. It engages the reader and makes them think and relate to the characters when well described (as you, Ruthy, Mindy, Missy, and Jan do). The back story needs to come out in most cases but not necessarily at the beginning. Thanks for your post!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Ruthy's coffee is great but I'll pass. Are there any homemade Samoas left?
Thanks, Dawn, for your kind words about our stories! Yes, the Samoas are near the bowl of fresh fruit. Enjoy!
DeleteIt seems I'm writing more suspense than others. I started one with a beautiful fall day in the mountains with a photographer taking pictures. That scene quickly changed to the mountains being on fire and having to ride a motorcycle through flames to get out. Is it okay to have the opening paragraph detail a beautiful scene that so quickly changes.
ReplyDeleteI'm just wishing my vertigo decides to disappear soon. Of course I know that won't happen since it's a permanent injury.
I woke up this morning to being in the air above my bed. The room was spinning and I suddenly fell on my arm that immediately gripped my mattress to keep me from falling out of the bed. I began praising the Lord that I didn't fall out of bed. I was convinced we must be having an earthquake, But alas Google searches have not revealed any earthquakes this morning. Must have just been the extreme vertigo but how I ended up in the air is a mystery. However I did think an earthquake might make an interesting plot twist while they are running from the enemy in my wip. After all you did use a tornado in one of your books and I thought that was an awesome plot twist.
Please enter me in the drawing for your book. I love your books. I am no longer able to go into Walmart with Covid. Our store has the grocery pick up. But alas books are not included in the pick up.
I'm hoping to get back to commenting on Seekerville posts. I've missed everyone.
Wilani, I love the opening to your story with the hero having to ride his bike through the fire! Fantastic!!! Also, an earthquake sounds like a great way to hook the readers, although I'm sorry about your near-earthquake exerperince this morning. It's sounds as if your vertigo is getting worse. Does a change in the barometric pressure make it worse? Continued prayers, dear friend!
DeleteI didn't know Walmart pickup only included groceries and not books as well. :( Yes, you're in the drawing!!!
Yes the barametric pressure effects so all these storms play havock with me.
DeleteI hate that for you, Wilani! Asking the Lord to end your vertigo!
DeleteI failed to mention I appreciate your video greetings on Facebook. I don't often comment because I have more trouble typing on my phone.
ReplyDeleteWilani, I'm so glad you're part of our FB Prayer Warrior community! Without a doubt, the Lord is using our prayers for good. Bless you!
DeleteHi Debby:
ReplyDeleteOften my book buying decision is based on the location of the story. I'll even buy books in different genres if I like the setting. Hallmark movies understand this by having most of their stories set in beautiful locations where many people would love to live and visit. Their movies usually open with an aerial view of the location. I usually feel anchored into the story from the very start.
I saw a movie the other day, "Love Finds You in Charm," set in two Amish communities and the beauty of the panoramic landscapes was breathtaking.
When starting a new novel I like the setting to be worth the read regardless of the story plot. I know in advance that I'll be reading this book for days, many hours indeed, and I want to be sure of spending that time in an interesting and entertaining location.
I've read all of Nevada Barr's early books, about twenty of them, because each was set in a different national park. I just wanted these experiences.
From a marketing point of view, location and setting should be a major selling point in marketing the book. With novels, the location is free! Authors should get creative. It's not like a movie where some locations are either prohibitively expensive or impossible to secure.
I don't remember the exact story but my favorite location for one of your books is the one that has the hero or heroine or both in a storm being swept down a raging river. That's an image attached with strong feelings that won't let go…ever. I think you outdid yourself on that one. (BTW: I was in a roaring river once and while I had a professional guide, a lifejacket, and a helmet, it was still one of the most frightening experiences I've ever had.)
When writing an exotic setting or popular location with millions of visitors a year, be sure to five-sense the copy. Many of your readers have had the experience themselves, (that's why they bought the book) or want to have those experiences. Don't just give them a postcard view of the location! Let them five sense the scenes.
Of course, Ruth has a story set during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on a cold, rainy, sloppy November day set in the late 1940's. She captured the sounds and smells of NYC spot on. I know I was at that parade and somewhere there is a picture of me in a cute Navy Pea Jacket standing next to a cop with the parade only slightly in the background. Wonderful. I can smell the bagels even now and feel the icy wind on my cheeks as if it were yesterday. That's the power of setting!
When starting to write a book I always want to begin with the setting. I want the setting to become a major character. I want the story to only be able to happen in that setting. If the story could happen anywhere, then the setting is a wash. Also, if possible, I like the setting to mirror the major events happening in the story as they happen. (Cf. "The Dam" and "Under the Vocano").
I have a favorite idea I'd like to achieve one day and that is opening a suspense story with a terrible storm creating great danger and fear and upheaval in the lives of the major characters. I then want to have the story end during a second great storm but this time, at the ending of the story, the storm is welcome and a baptism for the new born HEA.
Think of the end of "Autumn Rain" where the storm brings to an end devastating months of a long hot dry spell and a deadly drought. This climax would show how far the characters have grown by their experiences after the first storm. It would also show how using a 'cliché' opening can become a mark of excellence by the end of the book.
Dream on.
Vince
Great insight, Vince! I always remember your mention of the various videos you enjoy that take the viewer on a tour of a certain part of the country. On a similar note, I watch videos of Amish gatherings when I'm writing my current stories. I re-watched the barn building in "Witness" to get the feel for a building project I used in one of my stories. I know it was a movie, but the scene provided an overview of how the action could unfold.
DeleteHow lovely to recall the Macy's parade when reading Ruthy's book. She's such a talented writer. Your description of the event allowed me to see you standing on the NYC street. Good job in your writing, Vince!
Thanks for mentioned my raging river climax in THE OFFICER'S SECRET. That was the first story in my Criminal Investigations series. The first book in a new genre or series is always a challenge, but an exciting challenge. I'm glad you remembered the story.
Yes, location can make or break a story. Start writing the storm beginning you mentioned. It sounds like you've given it a lot of thought. Now take pen to paper!
It's always good to see you in Seekerville. Hugs to your sweet wife! Stay safe!
Vince I've read ALL of Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series. In fact I just reread one of them that sort of fell into my hands and now I want to start the whole series over. I love that perfect design of having Anna live and work in National Parks. She is, btw, the toughest woman who ever lived. And yes, I'm including Wonder Woman.
DeleteHi Mary:
DeleteNevada Barr was a National Park Ranger for ten years on the Natchez Trace and I met her partner one day at the Ranger station there near my good friend's house. Nevada knows all about the Park service and how things run. She really writes what she knows.
I believe that the Trace book was the first National park where she wrote about twice. I loved the Mesa Verde book, "Ill Wind" but when I stayed at the lodge and went into the gift shop they had a whole section of novels set in various National Parks but none of Nevada's. I asked about this and the saleslady just acted horrified and said, "We'd never carry any of her books." (Emphasis on the word 'her'). That tells me her books were spot on!
What about prologues that will show up again in the middle of the book as a way to present suspenseful setting? Then chapter one goes back in time to when life had been more peaceful and allows the reader to get to know the character as she or he heads into danger through the rest of the story? I have seen this done, and I like it. I'm considering that for a middle grade suspense novel.
ReplyDeleteI love prologues. Unfortunately, my editor doesn't. She made me take out the prologue in my current WIP. I LOVED that prologue, but I also trust my editor.
DeleteBut middle-grade readers will enjoy your exciting prologue, I'm sure, Linda! Anticipation builds as the story progresses! I'm excited just thinking about it!
Great post, Debby. Your suspense books always catch me from the beginning. It is something I need to keep in mind, even though I don't write suspense. I always want to put in backstory in the beginning, and I'm trying to learn not to do that. Please put me in the drawing.
ReplyDeleteI'm soon off to the root canal specialist to see if I need to have a root canal or my tooth pulled. Neither option sounds great to me.
Praying for an easy fix to your dental problems, Sandy!
DeleteThanks for your sweet comments about my stories. Sometimes we write the backstory in the first draft to ensure we know enough about our characters. Once it's on the page, we can start to cut or weave all that good stuff into other sections of the book.
I try to remember that less is more, meaning just a short reference to problems in the past is often enough to clue in the reader.
Debby, I only need a root canal. The root canal specialist said my tooth is strong and healthy and will be fine after the procedure. So that was a relief. Thanks for the prayers!
DeleteI'm so glad, Sandy. I know you are, as well. Still, a root canal is significant. Praying you through the procedure!
DeleteAs a reader I love how your books draw me in and put me on the edge of my seat from the beginning. I try not to read them at bedtime as I can’t get it out of my mind to sleep. 😉
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chance.
I'm laughing, Lucy. Sorry about keeping you up at night!
DeleteYou're so sweet, and I greatly appreciate your support! Hugs!
Thank you for the post, Debby!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you could stop by, Angeline!
DeleteThanks for posting Debbie. As a reader I love when authors make the setting reflective of something eerie (like abandoned houses) and the weather foreshadowing what's coming - in suspense books of course.
ReplyDeleteI love old houses and storms! Both can be so eerie! :)
DeleteTo be the first man/woman to write what turns into a cliche is an act of genius. :) Edward Bulwar-Lytton opening line of the novel Paul Clifford.....It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents—except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.
ReplyDeleteSo it wasn't Snoopy's line! LOL! Thanks for the info!
DeleteDebby does the BEST gripping opening scenes of anyone. I remember one and I was sure any second the heroine would WAKE UP and realize she was dreaming. But nope. That was really going on! It was terrific.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary! I'm turning it back on you! Your openings are always amazing!!! Heroine jumping out of a building, hero careening down a cliff, or canyon, or something that should have caused his death! You always hook me at the onset of your stories! :)
DeleteThanks, Mary! I'm turning it back on you! Your openings are always amazing!!! Heroine jumping out of a building, hero careening down a cliff, or canyon, or something that should have caused his death! You always hook me at the onset of your stories! :)
Delete