Jennifer McKenzie
Romance--Boy meets girl. Romantic Suspense--Boy meets girl with dead bodies.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Finally! An Idea That Works
If any of you have read the synopsis or the blurb for "Rough Seas" then you know that the main concern for the heroine is where is her brother? Ever since I started this wip, I've struggled with how to justify the ending I wanted. I don't want to put any spoilers in, so I'll just tell you that, thanks to my best friend Michelle, I have an idea that will work. Sometimes, I know I want a certain outcome, but the getting there is difficult. It's always the suspense aspect that makes it tough to make a really good plot.
In romantic suspense, there are two elements that must be present, IMHO. There's the conflict in the romance department. Why are they fighting their attraction for each other? What keeps them apart and ultimately drives them together. Then, there the "mystery". That is the part that keeps them in danger. That has to make sense AND have a satisfying ending. The bad guys have to get it in the end and the "mystery" has to be solved. In my case, the mystery of the missing brother actually added a complicated element. Where the hell has he been for eight years? I found an answer.
I knew that the options I played with led me into areas that I had no desire to jump into. Now, I found a third option that will give me everything I need and a really great scene that will drive the book forward. Yayyyyyy!
I can't tell you how nice it is to find the direction I want to go. Being a panster, I don't always know what my characters are going to do. This solution will remove some of the stigma around the brother that I didn't like and give the reader (I hope) a satisfying ending.
So, I'm hoping to get this down on the computer by the end of the week. Whew! What a relief! Thanks to Dayna Hart, I get to have a writer counter I can put on everyday that I make progress.
Above is a picture of crab boats in the Bering Sea ice. Be picturing the setting since I know some of you will have to read this so I can fix it. As always.
Question of the day? How do you get your "third option"? Doesn't it seem like there are "two" answers, neither very palatable, until the Universe, Life or God presents you with a third "perfect" option? How does it come to you? Mine usually comes from other people.
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Name:: Jennifer McKenzie Location:: California
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