• Sometimes my hero and heroine are wounded.
• Sometimes they have to display courage when they’d rather run.
• Sometimes they have to find logic in the midst of chaos.
• And sometimes they have nothing but their wits as defense.

But sometimes our readers need to take a breath. After all, if we send them after blood pressure medication too often, they might not purchase our next book. Can’t have that.

Teachers of writing instruct us to slow pacing with internal dialogue, and that works as long as we don’t over indulge and keep the reader devouring page after page of our delicious story. A writer’s mind whirls with creating the unpredictable and unexpected while maintaining credibility. So what fits into those three criteria while writing suspense?

Humor. Not slapstick, goofy, cartoon-like humor, but quirky traits and unique circumstances that show our characters as fully developed individuals who have a funny side. The reader can laugh while urging the character to get the bad guy.

How can a writer accomplish this? Here are a few ways to lighten life in your novels by using character traits.

1. The serious character that has dry wit will be appreciated. Although the other characters may not understand the sarcasm or play on words, the reader will. The situation becomes a private joke, allowing the reader to be part of the creative process of story.
2. Bantering between the hero and heroine moves the reader to appreciate the intelligence of each character while the hero and heroine are developing their relationship.
3. Assigning unique traits to the characters that are unlikely yet convincing endear the reader to that character. In The Chase, my rugged FBI Special Agent appreciates Buzz Lightyear. The agent wears a Buzz Lightyear watch and in the second novel of the Crime Scene: Houston series, the reader sees more of the hero’s light side with his sidekick Buzz. My heroine has too much electricity in her body and can’t wear a watch. She’s been known to destroy headphones . . . which she forgets to tell others.
4. Exaggerate a character trait for comic relief. If a character’s only purpose is to provide amusement, give him/her a purpose in the plot.
5. Using satire to an extreme is hurtful, and the writer will lose readers unless the comments and situations are from the antagonist.
6. Unexpected situations can provide a chuckle. Think about the pest control commercials. An unsuspecting couple opens the door to a low-life roach. We laugh because it’s impossible, but we also understand how unwanted pests can invade our homes. Use humor to ease the character through a tough situation.
7. Don’t overdo verbs that indicate a type of laughter. Too much and your story reads like a comic book.
8. Overdone humor or inappropriate ridicule will cause a story to fall flat. Humor isn’t written to display the writer’s creativity but to keep the reader engaged in the story.

A sprinkling of humor in a novel will cause the reader to recommend the book and look forward to the writer’s next release. Isn’t that what we want?

The next time you plan to watch a movie, jot down the answers to the following prompts. This exercise will not only help deepen your skills as a writer, but it will also provide a fresh appreciation of the writer, directors, and producers of the film.

1. Are you pleased with the title?
2. Describe the protagonist(s).
3. Describe the antagonist. Is the character a villain or simply a badly behaved person?
4. Describe the setting?
5. What is the genre?
6. What is the story disturbance?
7. What is the story problem?
8. What makes the story problem worse?
9. What makes the story problem even more worse? 
10. Where are your sympathies?
11. Is there deceit? Describe.
12. Does the plot have unusual twists? Describe.
13. Is there innocence? Describe.
14. Is there selfishness? Describe.
15. What is the climax or black moment?
16. Were you pleased with the ending?
17. Rewrite the ending.

Each time we position our fingers on the keyboard, we challenge our writing to be better than the previous day. No stress there. The road to publication for the first book and the second and each book thereafter is downright difficult. To maintain the momentum of a selling novelist, we consider the following:

• Our skills must be sharpened.
• The industry changes.
• Characters always need more definition.
• Plots can always be more exciting and unique.
• The setting must contribute to the plot.
• The dialogue has to be crisp, in character, and not on-the nose.
• Emotive conflict must keep the reader turning pages.
• Mediocre novels are the best of the worst and the worst of the best. Gulp. Back to work!

Without resources to achieve our writing goals, the high road becomes laden with rocks, potholes, and rattlesnakes, and we become disillusioned.

That’s why I teach and mentor serious writers who understand the high road means taking a deep breath and pressing on. I’m a learner too, and the process never ends. Writing quality novels that glorify God through one or more characters who solve their problems according to a Christian worldview is a divine calling. I want to bring up new scribes by teaching writers what I’ve learned and continue to learn. When I offer a new tool for the craft, I’m sharpening my own.

• A teachable new writer keeps me on my toes.
• A teachable new writer makes me excited about the writing process.
• A teachable new writer means another person I can pray for.

And most important, helping a teachable writer gives me tremendous satisfaction. I want writers to succeed. I want to see their books on a list of new publications. I want to be their best cheerleader and nurture them through the areas that dance like magic and the areas that need strengthened.

I wrote my first book in second grade. The story was a western, and every chapter ended with the hero riding off in the west. Are you surprised? The story filled a Big Chief writing pad, and all my little friends assured me it would be a success. I also wrote scads of poetry that I hid. Actually the older I became, the more I hid my stories and poetry.

Many years later, I still struggled with wanting to write a book, but I didn’t have the self-confidence (guts) to simply begin. I’d sensed a calling for years, and even realized that God wanted me to write fiction. The urging from God was strong, but I feared every aspect of the writing process. I did nothing except dream about writing and conjure up stories in my head and make the infamous claim of “someday I’m going to write a book.” How sad it is to hold onto a dream, know it is from God, and yet have too many fears and doubts to take a leap of faith.

One day, my husband said, “Stop telling me that someday you’re going to write a book. Just do it! Quit your job and see what you can do. I give you one year.” I’ve never been one who could turn my back on a challenge. My personality defies anyone who tells me I can’t do something. So I took him up on his dare and began gathering the tools needed to learn the art of writing. This was my new full-time job. I began reading the books about the craft, underlining those things that I wanted to emulate and remember. I read novels by authors I admired and respected in the genre in which I wanted to write.  I joined writing groups and participated in discussions and critiques, and I attended writing conferences. I learned about computers, and I wrote every day—whether I felt like it or not. I prayed for guidance, wisdom, and to overcome my fears. Note the number of “I’s” in this list. That’s because I had to be the one to do the work with an understanding that God would work through me. I had to be the one willing to pay the price, and I would be the one who, through the help of God, would reach publication.

Determination is a required trait for a successful writer.

In the first year, I sold magazine articles, short stories, and devotions while working on my first novel: a historical romance. My first published piece was sold to Mature Living about my dad’s pet robin in the hills of Kentucky during the depression. Two years after the “challenge,” the historical novel was released by Barbour Publishing for their Heartsong Presents line. And I didn’t go back to my old job.

I continued to write contemporary and suspense fiction for Barbour for a number of years. Along the way a nonfiction book about the Lost Boys of Sudan graced the retailers’ shelves, as well as other full-length novels. Now I’m writing suspense for one publishing house and historical novels for another. My mind is always full of story ideas.

At times, I attempt to see a pattern of publication, something I could pass on to new writers. But my rocky climb isn’t a step-by-step career ladder. Instead, it’s a constant striving to improve skills and to pass on what I learn to other writers. For those beginning their writing ministry—and it is a ministry—I recommend being diligent and approaching the writing process as a job. The Bible says to work as though working for the Lord, and that means giving your best. Above all, I do believe I’ve been blessed with publication because of a deep-rooted belief that I should help others improve their skills. Whatever I discover or learn mean nothing to me unless I pass on the information–a pay-it-forward mindset.

This is what I want to leave you. All the stories have been written. It’s up to the writer to develop the craft and shape the story into something beautiful and lasting. On your journey, remember how you felt when you were struggling and needed answers and guidance. Encourage others and understand it’s all about glorifying God with our gifts and talents.

Writers never fully understand how some are blessed with publication and others struggle to have their work read by agents and editors, and I have no desire to debate the hows and whys. My point is simple: To be blessed, one must be a blessing to others.

Did a more successful writer ever take you under her wing? Did she teach you technique and edit your work? Did she challenge you to write stronger? Did she make you cry and then encourage you to keep writing? If you were fortunate to have a mentor who loved you enough not to let you write garbage and push you to twist a phrase into something powerful, then you are a blessed writer. Not everyone has that special person.

Some writers are willing to help a fledging writer who is committed to hard work and developing the craft. Those people make time to ensure another writer rises to publication. A true mentor gives freely without thought of reward, recognition, or even letting others know of the sacrifice. The process builds character, and that’s not a bad swap in the mentoring process. During the process, the mentor might just find her own life bubbles over with unexpected blessings.

A writer has a gauge by which she measures her stories, the one she is currently writing and the future projects that are being shopped at publishing houses.

My personal barometer is for each reader to Expect an Adventure. This aspiration is a two-way street. If I don’t have the adventure of a lifetime while I’m writing the story, then how can I expect a reader to feel the same exhilaration? When I laugh, cry, hate, love, argue, discover, run for my life and leap high mountains, I expect my readers to take the same plunge. Oh, the span of emotions that expands the human heart.

What is my criteria? Simply stated, each book has to have deeper characterization than the previous novel, a more intricate plot, and a setting that challenges the storyline. No pressure there!

My quest begins with dynamic characters. I insist upon an unlikely heroine—a woman who is qualified and able to solve a problem, but odds are against her success. She’s a feminine creature, capable of feeling a variety of emotions, and she’s mentally strong, a woman who uses her wit to meet each new challenge. This woman may or may not be Christian at the beginning of the story, but she will find faith by the end, and she will learn to solve her problems through a Christian worldview.

The hero is a strong man who appreciates many aspects of the heroine. They differ in views and argue, but they learn to work together while they step from one danger to another.

The villain is motivated by greed. He’s highly intelligent and charms his followers with power, money, or wit. I much prefer hiding his identity so my readers can be a part of the heroine’s journey.

While I’m developing my characters, I’m thinking about a plot line that presents the heroine with a nearly impossible goal. My plot must parallel the heroine’s chosen profession and put her into danger. But she’s willing to stand and fight! She flexes her mental muscles and goes to work.

Plotting involves asking myself questions. What is the worst possible thing that could happen to my character? How can I raise the stakes in every scene? How can I keep the reader on the edge of her seat and glued to the pages of the book? My personal standards must meet the demands of today’s readers.        

Are my readers breathless? Filled with excitement? Do they sense the danger? Are they swept away in a romance?

I’m always looking for the best place to set my story, and that doesn’t mean a resort unless a murder takes place there. What setting interests or terrifies my heroine? My research has taken me from Sudan to riding the line with the Border Patrol to interviewing treasure hunters in West Texas to FBI cold cases.

What about you? What kind of characters peak your interest? What plots rob your sleeping hours? What settings send chills up your spine? Now is the time to get started on your adventure.

What makes a contemporary woman choose a career that has the potential of ending her life? Experts often point to personality differences or a “risk-gene” as an explanation why some are risk takers and others are content in less stressful lifestyles. I prefer courageous heroines who’ve been wired with a few more endorphins to balance the adrenaline, and they thrive on it.

If my heroine races down a dirt road on a Harley in the dead of night, or scales a cliff while someone is shooting at her, or stuffs a weapon into the waistband of her jeans, it’s to get the edge on the bad guys.

My heroines are not satisfied unless they are placing their lives on the line to protect or save innocent victims. These women are warriors who are trained to protect, defend, and hopefully outsmart the ones who will stop at nothing to obtain money and power.

Jack London said it quite well. “The adventurer gambles with life to heighten sensation–to make it glow for a moment.”

Of course, in a suspense novel the heroine ends up being the prey, but the heroine and the villain are balanced in their skills and intelligence. Who knows? The bad guy may be a woman.

In short, the heroines in the Call of Duty series aren’t the women next door. Hmm. Then again, they might be.

The heroine in Breach of Trust is a CIA operative posing as a librarian in rural Oklahoma where the only excitement is Friday night, high school football or an occasional twister. Her name is Paige; she thought it was quite clever considering her role as the local librarian. And the hero is a football coach who has more “on the ball” than most would think.

Sworn to Protect calls for a different heroine. Danika Morales is a border patrol agent in McAllen, TX. She’s a widow, and her four-year-old daughter is hearing impaired. Every breath is a risk in her career, and the authorities have yet to find out who murdered her husband. So how does a doctor with activist sentiments fit into her life?

Pursuit of Justice delves into the life of an FBI agent sent to solve a series of murders in an area of Texas to which she swore never to return. What she thinks is an easy case explodes in her face when the accused killer is found innocent, and a nearly four hundred year old legend about lost Spanish treasure is still claiming victims.

New Release Attracted to Fire shows the life of a secret service agent. Definitely a tough career choice for a woman. The heroine is assigned to protect the vice president’s rebellious daughter. She’s teamed up with another agent who doesn’t like women agents. And the sparks fly.

Yep, I like a gutsy women who can work alongside a man, and a hero who appreciates her abilities, wit, dedication–and her beauty.

We all have favorite novels, rich stories that send us back into a setting where the characters are real-and even become our friends. We’re right there with them, sharing their joys and sorrows, weaknesses and strengths. But how were we ushered into their lives?

By the carefully crafted words of the first line.

The first sentence in your manuscript can reel in your readers and keep them hooked to the page, or it can sink your story. I want to help you bait your hook so a reader snatches your book off the shelf and clutches it to her chest while she races for the check out.

When you walk into a book store to purchase a new adventure, what is your pattern of selection? I bet it’s much like mine. You read who wrote the book. You look at the cover and make a snap decision as to whether it is appealing. You flip the book and read the back cover copy. You check the endorsements. If the book has passed all of those tests, you turn to the first page: chapter one, line one – the HOOK. And if the hook doesn’t snatch your attention, you move on.

All of that in about what? Thirty seconds? Not much time when you consider the hours and hours spent on writing the book and polishing it for publication.

The opening line should be in the middle of action – arousing your reader’s curiosity to find the answer to a question. But this is merely the opening, a taste of the conflict to come. The writer has carefully chosen the bait to hook your reader.

The reader is now excited about what was said in that critical first sentence. “Come along with me on this adventure. I promise you that every word and sentence will be as thrilling as the first line.” None of us want to disappoint our readers. In actuality, the writer may never receive another opportunity to bring that reader along on another adventure.

What can be incorporated in a good hook? A quote? A Bible verse? A song title? A universal phrase, possibly misquoted? Dialogue? It’s not so much the method as the words used to draw attention to your story.

Think about the following opening lines.

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times … Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents.” Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charms as the Tarleton twins were. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

So what does the writer need to know before a dynamic hook is crafted?

1. The genre.
2. The characters and their strengths, weaknesses, and goals.
3. A plot.
4. The writer has set the stage with: who, what, where, when, and why.
5. The writer understands the value of sensory perception and setting the stage.

Hooks, lines, and sinkers … How does your story measure up?

That’s it for now. Me? I’m going fishing. Got a bucketful of bait and I’m going to hook some readers.