Skip to main content

Leave 'Em Hanging

Morning Folks,

Yet another lovely day in my neck of the woods, although, going by the weather report it's supposed to get up into the latter 70's...darn. Was hoping it would stay chilly like my house is in the morning! I talked to my cousin's husband yesterday and he said up north it was in the 30's and 40's. Lucky ducks (okay I don't need the waist-high snow, but I'll take the colder weather) LOL.

Yesterday I was working on Chapter 3 of Conjure A Man and right in the middle of an argument between Delaney and Pierre I took a break. I told a friend of mine "Yep, I left them right in the middle of an argument." That means when I go back (or went back) I have an exciting part to start right off on--a place for my creativity to immediately wake up and get to work.

I heard about this method from either a published author or a book (I can't remember exactly where) but in any case it says to stop right at an exciting part (when choosing a place to stop for the day or for a break). Or put in a chapter break there, if it's long enough.

In this way you accomplish 1 of 2 things (or if it's a chapter break, 2 things):

1. You have a place to work from when you come back from break.

2. If it's a chapter break, your readers have to turn the page to find out what happens.

Both things can move your writing (and reading) along.

So what do you do to help ensure that you'll be able to get your creativity juices flowing and keep readers turning the page?

Have A Work-Write Wednesday!

Comments

Tamika: said…
So funny you are mentioning this! I stopped right in the middle of a confrontation with the distinct purpose of exciting me to write today when I pick it back up.

It creates the energy for me, I hope it will create the same for the reader.
Bethany said…
Tamika,

Awesome! Happy writing :-)
Joshua McCune said…
I don't like stopping during the exciting parts b/c those are usually the easiest to write for me. It's the in-betweens where I need to take more breaks to allow my thoughts to percolate.
Bethany said…
Bane,

That works, too, but for me sometimes I prefer to stop at an exciting part just in case I get stumped. Of course I don't always stop at an exciting part and it might not always work, but when it does, it's nice! :-)
Unknown said…
I had a situation the other day when I started up and had no idea where I was going. Then in midconversation a voice screamed something in my head. I went with the idea and now everything I wanted to happen will. All because of that little voice. It makes everything come together. Thank goodness for those little voices!
Stephanie Faris said…
I do often end what I'm writing mid-sentence or mid-conversation. I think I usually end wherever my mind starts to wander, though. Sometimes I'm mid-word. It's a little disturbing, actually!

Popular posts from this blog

Get Thee A Nom De Plume!

Good Evening One & All, Shakespeare wrote in Romeo & Juliet, "What's in a name?...A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Disney talked about names in Aladdin in the lyrics, "Better get a nom de plume ." (the song, "One Jump"). So, for a writer, what does a nom de plume (or, pen name) say about the author? It could be a different spelling of the author's name, it could be a name that has a significance. They could keep their first name, but change the last, or change both. A pen name is also the name a writer will write under for his or her books. The name that his or her readers will recognize them. The name on the autographs and the one where people will say, "Oh yes, that's so and so, they wrote..." Some authors write under their own names. Others, for a variety of reasons, choose a pen name. What about you? Are you considering a pen name? What have you looked at when thinking of your nom de plume ? For myself, I&

Gregori Celebrates My Birthday

Happy Tuesday All, ****CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED**** In honor of my birthday (that was on Oct. 15th) I am doing TWO give aways! The FIRST one is TODAY!  Today's give away is a copy of Kerrelyn Sparks' Sexiest Vampire Alive . Kerrelyn, being the awesome person that she is, has agreed to give a signed copy of the novel to ONE lucky commenter on my blog. Here's how it's going to work and please read all instructions CAREFULLY. ONE entry PER person : If you choose to email in your entry: Email to this email ONLY .  Your email should state who your favorite vampire is. And no, it does NOT have to be one of Kerrelyn Sparks' characters, but that would be really cool if you DID mention one of hers. If you choose to enter by commenting on my blog: Leave your FIRST name, email address, and what vampire is your favorite. It can be ANY vampire--but like I said, it would be really cool if you mention a Kerrelyn Sparks' vampire. You don't know Kerrelyn Spa

Spotlight On Author: Loretta Wheeler

Happy Tuesday Everyone, There's a gem of an author I've had the privilege of coming across...I'm talking about my friend, Loretta Wheeler. She's a sweetheart and very talented author. I enjoyed her YA Paranormal novella, The Pan Man immensely. And, she also writes Romance. So without further ado, come into my parlor and meet Loretta Wheeler: Me:  In your YA novelette, The Pan Man , you mention Pan's looking for his long lost soul mate. What made you choose Pan out of all the Greek/Roman gods and goddesses? Loretta:  I chose the Greek god Pan, because of the connection with the music. I found later on in the story, (my stories take over and write themselves usually) it applied even more than I realized because of the band's name. I won't mention the name of the band in here, because it's part of the surprise ending. Me:  You're mostly known for your Romance stories. How would you describe your writing style? Hot, suspenseful, sensual, sw