Page turners by Violet Carr Moore

Violet Carr Moore

Violet Carr Moore

The initial reviewer of the first chapters of my most recent mystery novel asked “Where’s the conflict?” The next critiquer said “Lacks tension.” The third reader followed with “Needs more action.” Number four summed it up with “Nothing worth turning the page in these chapters.”

Nothing. Worth. Turning. The. Page.

The manuscript took shape as my fifth NaNoWriMo challenge last November. My main focus was the gallop to the finish line before Thanksgiving dinner. Four months later the novel smelled worse than unrefrigerated limburger on a summer day. Only the title, Retribution, offered action, conflict and tension.

I tried to revise the first chapters, but it was like rerolling a pie crust. The more I worked, the tougher it became. After a face-to-face meeting with a couple of the reviewers, I choose to lay it aside and concentrate on my second NaNo novel. It started with tension and conflict on the first page. The characters pushed forward to form a strong plot and subplots. An arc and a justice-prevails conclusion followed.

A page turner.

 

Andrew Peterson on Plot

Andrew Peterson will discuss plotting and writing thrillers at the next TVW meeting. The author of two novels, First to Kill and Forced to Kill, Peterson began writing fiction in 1990. He sold a short story, “Mr. Haggarty’s Stop”, to San Diego Writers Monthly in October, 1992. He continued to write exploring both the novel form and screenplays. After attending his first writers’ conference in 2005, he became serious about telling the Nathan McBride stories. First to Kill was released in September 2008. He is currently working on the third novel in a planned series featuring the brutally effective Marine Corps scout sniper and CIA operations officer.

While on a book signing journey, Andrew took time to visit VA hospitals and sit with our nation’s veterans. He gave away hundreds of books. In Phoenix, he had the pleasure of meeting a Pearl Harbor survivor and one of the last remaining Navajo code talkers. He’s also donated over 2,000 books to our troops serving overseas and to our wounded warriors recovering in Naval and Army hospitals all over the world.

He and his wife live in Monterey County with their two giant schnauzers. Visit his website at http://www.andrewpeterson.com.