Sandy Paull's Blog - Posts Tagged "suspense"
Background to 'Clouds of Grey'
I decided to recreate some fun/challenging instances from my childhood days and confront my leading lady with them, taking her out of her comfort zone and forcing her to adapt to her surroundings, no easy task for someone who enjoys being alone and would hardly be described as ‘adventurous’. I'm very confident the readers will get a kick out of the plot twists.
This first novel has something in it for everyone ‒ fast-paced adventure, intrigue, a hint of romance and simmering revenge that will keep you turning the pages to reveal what happens next. Lose yourself in our heroine’s dilemma as she lives life on the edge and plunges headlong into a journey of survival and improvisation in order to stay alive.
An innocent trek through the rainforest becomes a battleground of deceit and mayhem, where one woman faces the quandary of amnesia to defy the odds and save her life and that of the man she loves.Clouds Of Grey
This first novel has something in it for everyone ‒ fast-paced adventure, intrigue, a hint of romance and simmering revenge that will keep you turning the pages to reveal what happens next. Lose yourself in our heroine’s dilemma as she lives life on the edge and plunges headlong into a journey of survival and improvisation in order to stay alive.
An innocent trek through the rainforest becomes a battleground of deceit and mayhem, where one woman faces the quandary of amnesia to defy the odds and save her life and that of the man she loves.Clouds Of Grey
Innocent author beginnings
An author’s ultimate goal is of course not to disappoint their reader, but sometimes the reader’s expectation becomes a little too high and they boldly voice their opinion as to what should or shouldn’t have happened to make a story better.
18years ago I suffered from foot-in-mouth disease when I criticised the book I was reading at the time and my husband issued me the ultimate challenge … write something better! I had two choices ‒ shut up, or write, so I dragged out the typewriter and went to work. It was so good when he finally bought me my first computer. No more white ink/liquid paper. Anyway, I didn’t know where this would lead, but I was more than a little surprised at where my imagination took me. I soon became addicted to writing, and Bryan and I would joke about him being my manager if I ever became a published author. Years later, I realised this was where my passion lay, and I became a full-time writer in 2014, with plenty more to learn!
100,000 words is nothing for me to come up with. The daunting part for me is having the final story read by an editor, and then seeing my creation in print for public consumption. OMG … talk about nerve-racking! You become paranoid, vulnerable and open to criticism. Yay! The very things a private person wants to avoid. But I obviously felt the need to do it all over again with this 2nd novel, having been fortunate to publish my debut novel just over 6 months ago...I can report the feelings of insecurity did indeed resurface.
‘In the Dead of Night’ was the very first manuscript I wrote all those years ago and I am nervously excited about putting it out there for you all to enjoy. The title has changed somewhat since the early days, and now fits the storyline better. It’s no longer a sexy romance, but an action/suspense plot, spiced up with desire and intrigue. My first novel published, ‘Clouds of Grey’, was in fact the seventh book that I penned.
English was never my forte, but the one thing I’ve always been gifted with was a good imagination. What I don’t want to do is to die with the music still in me. Daydreaming can be a time for creativity. You never know where it will lead you. Be who you were meant to be and not what others think you should be. Enhance your inner self and be happy. Now pick up that pencil or keyboard and get to it!Sandy PaullIn the Dead of NightClouds of Grey
18years ago I suffered from foot-in-mouth disease when I criticised the book I was reading at the time and my husband issued me the ultimate challenge … write something better! I had two choices ‒ shut up, or write, so I dragged out the typewriter and went to work. It was so good when he finally bought me my first computer. No more white ink/liquid paper. Anyway, I didn’t know where this would lead, but I was more than a little surprised at where my imagination took me. I soon became addicted to writing, and Bryan and I would joke about him being my manager if I ever became a published author. Years later, I realised this was where my passion lay, and I became a full-time writer in 2014, with plenty more to learn!
100,000 words is nothing for me to come up with. The daunting part for me is having the final story read by an editor, and then seeing my creation in print for public consumption. OMG … talk about nerve-racking! You become paranoid, vulnerable and open to criticism. Yay! The very things a private person wants to avoid. But I obviously felt the need to do it all over again with this 2nd novel, having been fortunate to publish my debut novel just over 6 months ago...I can report the feelings of insecurity did indeed resurface.
‘In the Dead of Night’ was the very first manuscript I wrote all those years ago and I am nervously excited about putting it out there for you all to enjoy. The title has changed somewhat since the early days, and now fits the storyline better. It’s no longer a sexy romance, but an action/suspense plot, spiced up with desire and intrigue. My first novel published, ‘Clouds of Grey’, was in fact the seventh book that I penned.
English was never my forte, but the one thing I’ve always been gifted with was a good imagination. What I don’t want to do is to die with the music still in me. Daydreaming can be a time for creativity. You never know where it will lead you. Be who you were meant to be and not what others think you should be. Enhance your inner self and be happy. Now pick up that pencil or keyboard and get to it!Sandy PaullIn the Dead of NightClouds of Grey
How I write an action suspense novel
Anyone with a creative mind knows it doesn’t take much to get the brain cells multiplying, especially when a challenge comes their way. For me, writing an action/crime/suspense novel is my happy place, and I am pleased to have found it after all these years of raising a family and working various jobs. All it takes to get me started is a word, a sentence, or an observation, and the rest is history. There are many paths to take when outlining a plot, or plots, and so many characters to create, but sometimes, there just aren’t enough hours in a day to rattle my keyboard.
My initial plan is to jot down plot points in a notepad, sometimes compiling pages and pages of notes during a couple of hours, and then draft a manuscript on my laptop. I develop characters and traits, and timelines of the crimes being committed, but sometimes it doesn’t work out as first planned. My mind might have been stuck on a thought, and while it’s there, I concentrate all my efforts on creating dialogue to go with the scene. From there, I can work either way, and sometimes find myself back at the beginning adding something new. For me, there is no rule of thumb when it comes to writing. It’s not imperative for me to start at the start with every story.
Mystery movies, and authors like Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock, have always intrigued and inspired me and, to this day, I analyse movies in my head for many hours after watching them. I like to know the where’s and how-to’s of a supposed crime that has been committed, and fully expect my audience to do the same when reading the twists and turns in my novels.
I draw on my accomplishments in life, whether it be gymnastics, various sporting activities, martial arts, or one of the many things of little or no consequence to anyone else but me, when thinking up a believable storyline. And sometimes it’s good to think outside the square so that my characters’ actions surprise the reader.
In my stories, you will find all kinds of weapons, and there’s nothing like getting first-hand experience, feeling the recoil of a shotgun on your shoulder, or lining up a target with a shanghai and releasing the elastic band. It gives you a new perspective and appreciation for how to describe action scenes. Several years ago, I discovered my enjoyment of archery but as yet haven’t found a way to weave a bow and arrow into an inner city crime scene.
Short sentences help create suspense and anticipation, and I employ them whenever there is confrontation, which is typically every other page in my novels. My goal is to have my readers empathise with the protagonist, and at the same time despise the antagonist. The result I’m looking for is to have the reader wanting to keep turning page after page, seeking resolution.
I tend to model some of the traits of my leading lady on myself, knowing what it feels like to step out of my comfort zone, and to be able to multitask when under pressure. As for the male roles, I picture well-known actors playing their parts, and envisage how they would deal with a situation, whether it be good or bad.
Several months later, the story is usually completed, and the next leg of the journey starts with editing, proofreading, cover design, and publishing. It’s generally during this process I feel a sense of satisfaction tinged with a little sadness that it is all nearly over. The best thing of all is when the first carton of print books arrive at home, and I can physically hold my new creation.
The sense of achievement continues every single time I receive reviews and/or feedback from anyone who has read the book. But the work isn’t over just yet as marketing and promotions need to continue… but that’s another story!
My initial plan is to jot down plot points in a notepad, sometimes compiling pages and pages of notes during a couple of hours, and then draft a manuscript on my laptop. I develop characters and traits, and timelines of the crimes being committed, but sometimes it doesn’t work out as first planned. My mind might have been stuck on a thought, and while it’s there, I concentrate all my efforts on creating dialogue to go with the scene. From there, I can work either way, and sometimes find myself back at the beginning adding something new. For me, there is no rule of thumb when it comes to writing. It’s not imperative for me to start at the start with every story.
Mystery movies, and authors like Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock, have always intrigued and inspired me and, to this day, I analyse movies in my head for many hours after watching them. I like to know the where’s and how-to’s of a supposed crime that has been committed, and fully expect my audience to do the same when reading the twists and turns in my novels.
I draw on my accomplishments in life, whether it be gymnastics, various sporting activities, martial arts, or one of the many things of little or no consequence to anyone else but me, when thinking up a believable storyline. And sometimes it’s good to think outside the square so that my characters’ actions surprise the reader.
In my stories, you will find all kinds of weapons, and there’s nothing like getting first-hand experience, feeling the recoil of a shotgun on your shoulder, or lining up a target with a shanghai and releasing the elastic band. It gives you a new perspective and appreciation for how to describe action scenes. Several years ago, I discovered my enjoyment of archery but as yet haven’t found a way to weave a bow and arrow into an inner city crime scene.
Short sentences help create suspense and anticipation, and I employ them whenever there is confrontation, which is typically every other page in my novels. My goal is to have my readers empathise with the protagonist, and at the same time despise the antagonist. The result I’m looking for is to have the reader wanting to keep turning page after page, seeking resolution.
I tend to model some of the traits of my leading lady on myself, knowing what it feels like to step out of my comfort zone, and to be able to multitask when under pressure. As for the male roles, I picture well-known actors playing their parts, and envisage how they would deal with a situation, whether it be good or bad.
Several months later, the story is usually completed, and the next leg of the journey starts with editing, proofreading, cover design, and publishing. It’s generally during this process I feel a sense of satisfaction tinged with a little sadness that it is all nearly over. The best thing of all is when the first carton of print books arrive at home, and I can physically hold my new creation.
The sense of achievement continues every single time I receive reviews and/or feedback from anyone who has read the book. But the work isn’t over just yet as marketing and promotions need to continue… but that’s another story!
