Kootenai River in NW Montana, near Canadian Border

Kootenai River in NW Montana, near Canadian Border
photo by Gene Tunick of Eureka, Montana

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Tip O'Day for Authors #144

Guest blogger Ezra Barany says adding a time lock turns any scene into a page-turner.

Need to build more suspense in your scene? Add a time lock! In fiction, a time lock is a deadline that the character must meet. It can be as blatant as a time bomb set to go off in three minutes, or as subtle as a young woman working up her courage to forgive her father who is on his deathbed. Adding a time lock turns any scene into a page-turner!

Warning! Use a time lock that fits the story! Unnatural time locks are only good for creating absurd scenarios. For example, imagine a young woman working up the courage to forgive her father as he's resting on a bomb set to go off in three minutes.

Ezra Barany is an instructor for authors at SavvyAuthors.com. His recent thriller The Torah Codes (#1 book in the UK Torah category!) is available at http://www.amazon.com/Torah-Codes-Ezra-Barany/dp/0983296014/

He asks that you not fax him Brussels sprouts. He does not like them.

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