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Postcards From the Streets

by Debra R. Borys

            Chris sits on the silver guardrail at the side of the parking lot exit. Bowed forward, his head droops so low he looks like he would tip face first with a push from one finger. The long black coat he wears sucks up all light from the nearby lamppost. He has shaved his head again.

*

The paragraph above is actually taken from a journal I kept while volunteering on the streets of Chicago with homeless youth and adults.  It is also one of the scenes I witnessed that influenced my suspense novel, Painted Black.  In the novel one of my main characters actually finds himself similarly posed, not only physically but in personality as well.  Melodrama was Chris’s way of communicating emotions too strong to express outright. When immersed in the depth of his darkness, he used flagrant outward displays of despair to disguise a very real fear and vulnerability.

In my years of  meeting street people in Chicago and Seattle, I was struck by how their lives could seem like fiction, their world some dystopian underworld, if you didn’t actually experience it physically like they do.  We prefer it that way.  We enjoy being readers and observers of the dark and scary, but prefer them in the form of a noir detective novel, perhaps, or a gritty action movie.  By doing that, we can remain, for the most part, untouched by the reality of the darkness.

The fiction I like best is that which not only shows me the darker side of life, but makes it so real I want to step inside and do something about it.  Authors do this by drawing from within, either by extrapolating on emotions that touched them somewhere in their lives, or by twisting real life experiences enough to make them universally understandable.

For me, being inspired by real life wasn’t difficult.  I have memories in my mind and my journal dropped like postcards from the streets, mementos of a journey I took.  Take the scene below, for instance, also taken from my journal.

*

            The blue couch on the Night Ministry bus is built above two storage units.  The fabric covering the solid perch is discolored and stained from many years of dripping jackets, spilled coffee, and cookie crumbs ground into the fibers by damp rear ends.  There is a ledge behind it where I put my water bottle.

John leans forward, obscuring my view of the water bottle. Crumbs spill from his mouth as he speaks. “You knows what I’m talking about, don’t you?”

I do not know what he is talking about. His black face shines from the oil on his skin except for the patches that are gray and flaky from wind burn. He forms words and uses language in a way that would be condemned as stereotypical if written into a script.

“Shore you do,” he tells me despite my denial. “You know, down there on Belmont. All them kids hangs out there. You know that.”*

John, combined with other people I met in similar situations, became Samuel Walker in my novel.  I do this not only because it makes my work more authentic, but in an attempt to tell the stories of these people I met, to make them more real.  Yes, that’s right, my goal is to make real people more real through fiction.

There are a lot of people out there who aren’t willing to take a good look at that homeless guy with a paper cup in front of the coffee shop.  They dismiss homeless people as less than human, as worthless, as deserving of their fate.  But that is not the reality.  By framing the reality as fiction, I hope to reach people who normally could care less about street people.  If I can hook the reader with a fast paced plot and twisted mystery, they might not even stop to think about how the characters they are rooting for are just like that kid on the corner they cussed out to get a job.  And maybe next time they see that kid, they’ll think, “Hey, he reminds me of Chris in that novel I read.  I wonder what his story is?”

Former Chicagoan DEBRA R. BORYS is a freelance writer who spent eight years volunteering with homeless on the streets of both Chicago and Seattle.  She is a freelance writer and the author of several published short stories.  She is currently working on a second novel in the Jo Sullivan series which reflects the reality of throw away youth striving to survive.

It’s interesting how quickly one goes from “Hey, everything’s great” to “AAAAHHHH! I’m spiraling out of control!!!”

And then, after a bit of trauma, one bounces back.

That’s kinda how my last year has been. I left my day job to take a screenwriting assignment and write novel number three. I rolled the dice on the notion that I could support a family of four on my writing income alone. I hedged the bet by cashing out my 401k. Things looked so good that I took that trip to Ireland with the wife and kids, all the while thinking there’d be opportunities to come. There was another screenwriting assignment or two in the wings. And that TV option for my novels would soon become a network sale, really, it was just a matter of time. And I’d finish that third novel and it would be a six figure acquisition. Yep, it was glory days ahead, for sure.

All the while watching the numbers in my bank account dwindle away.

And then, boom, there it was. Last dollar. Rock bottom. Permission to flip out.

Oh my God…did I leave my day job for this? Was I really going to have to dredge up that old resume and start over again? And how would I revise it? I had been the vice president of a national lighting company–that’s the gig I left when I left. I had written both my novels when I had that job. And yet I couldn’t complete my third novel when I had all the time in the world. Maybe I needed the pressure of not having any time, maybe that’s how I worked.

Well, I didn’t have a choice anymore. Writing would have to take a back seat again.

But how would I sell myself? Would I mention that I was a best-selling author? List all the panels I’ve been on, the awards I’ve received, the reviews? What kind of message would that be to my potential employer? “So you left your last job to pursue a career in writing, and now you expect us to believe that your writing is a hobby?”

I would have to face that question when it came, and I hoped I would be ready.

I decided to de-emphasize my creative side. I wrote my new resume as a two-page story of success in the lighting industry, and I included the period of time I spent as a development executive for film director Wolfgang Petersen. That little bit of “creative” content focused on the success of the films I helped develop. It didn’t really relate to my own creative aspirations. I was working for someone else.

At the very bottom of the resume, under “Special Interests,” I noted that I was an L.A. Times bestselling author. I felt I was taking a chance, but I wanted to land at a place where they understood my creative passion. I hoped they would see my creative drive as an asset.

It takes months to land an executive position; even longer during uncertain economic times. My resume went into circulation, but things weren’t happening quickly enough. I had waited too long, stepped too close to the edge. I didn’t have time to wait things out.

Things got desperate and I found myself taking embarrassing interviews at local restaurants and grocery stores, temp agencies, and even a dog grooming salon. As if any of those options would support my family. I invested time and money into getting a taxi driver’s license, thinking it would be the perfect job for a writer. All that time alone in the car, thinking of ideas, mapping character studies of the strangers I met. I saw Travis Bickle in the mirror, pissed off and ready to set the world on fire. I’ve had just about every crap job in the world and I figured I won’t “make it” until I’ve spent some time behind the wheel of a taxi.

I took all the tests, paid my dues, went through drug-testing and background checks (the most trustworthy guys you’ll ever meet are taxi drivers – no drugs or alcohol and they haven’t been convicted of a felony for at least three years) and then, finally, found a car owner to lease me his vehicle for $350 a week.

After two miserable seven-day weeks, ten hours a day, I ended up making a couple hundred dollars (went right into groceries) after paying off the lease (I still owe the car owner $50). I quit immediately, before I could rack up another $350 debt. I would’ve made more money working part-time at Starbucks.

And it’s not like it was exciting. There was no danger involved. I spent all that time taking little old ladies to their eye appointments. My passengers were the perfect cozy demographics. Although I’ll always relish the ride I had with the narcotics dealer whom I picked up at the Torrance Police Station. I milked him for everything I could. I still can’t believe he’d never seen “Breaking Bad.”

Days of panic, disillusion and depression followed. Borrowing money from friends, family, business associates. Taking an early payment on the screenwriting assignment (foregoing the production bonus that would have come if I had waited), eking out a little more time, a rent payment, an insurance payment, groceries, then back to the bottom again.

And all the time spent on my computer–Monster.com, Indeed.com, Careerbuilders.com, Linkedin…and all the lighting industry head-hunters, and the shylocks with their promises, and the scheisters with their schemes, consultants wanting me to pay for their job-hunting services…

I sent out hundreds of resumes. I called execs I knew from different companies, put the word out that I was looking, looking, looking.

Then all at once a few hits. Phone calls that turned into Skype interviews. I had to pull that suit out of storage. I had to buy a tie. And I faced those question about my writing.

“Writing screenplays and novels sounds so glamorous. Why are you coming back to this industry?”

I had dust off an old joke – “Do you know the difference between a writer and a pizza? A pizza feeds a family of four.” Rim-shot. It took the edge off. I’d continue – “I’m fine writing evenings and weekends. I wrote two novels with a full-time job. No problem.”

Skype interviews led to interviews at corporate headquarters in Florida, Arizona, Ohio, New York.

And then, just a month ago, the right one came through. They looked at the whole package, saw the writer and the salesman as one.

They told me I could lose the tie.

“Really?”

“And the suit.”

“What about…the hair?”

“You can keep the hair.”

They made their offer and I accepted.

Sometimes the magic happens. A good job, good pay, good products, good people. They were out there looking for me, and I was out there looking for them.

It’s a tough balance, making a living and struggling as an artist. I’ve spent much of my life living one or the other, hiding one from the other. When I wrote “Inside the Space Station” for the Discovery Channel I had a full-time day job. I couldn’t tell the day job that I was writing for the Discovery Channel and I couldn’t tell the Discovery Channel I had a full-time day job. I had to live two lives. I don’t ever want to live such a lie again.

And, now that I actually have a good job, with health insurance (it’s been over a year), 401k, expense account, car allowance, company credit card…I can’t just up and leave it for another writing gig. Which means I’m going to have to fit all my writing into that small window of after-hours time. It’s not hard to do if I’m writing a spec novel on my own time. But what if I’m offered another screenwriting assignment, with producers expecting my attention and an immediate turn-around? When I was young I would leave whatever job I had for an opportunity like that, and it would’ve been worth it. That was when I could live on $30,000 a year. Those days are gone.

So I have to make prudent decisions now. And I’ll have to pass on opportunities that don’t meet my needs. Thankfully, I’ve earned a little credit. I don’t have to chase things down as much as I did when I was young. I have work that producers can read–my novels and screenplays–and they can decide if they want to work within my time frame, with my restrictions. They’ll have to accept that I have responsibilities to another employer, and that I value the day job at least as much as I value the opportunity to write on assignment.

Because the truth is, the day job saved my ass.

What’s great about the whole thing is that I’m writing again. I had trouble working on the novel when I was looking for a job. It felt like my writing was taking time away from my search for a job. I began to resent it. My writing, my passion, became the thing that was keeping me from finding a way to support my family.

And now that I’m working, I’m writing. The pressure is off. I don’t have to try to anticipate the market; I don’t have to write something commercial enough to pay all my bills. I can write what I want. Which is how I wrote Boulevard. And how I wrote Beat. Which is not how I’ve been writing my third novel, worrying all the time if it’s commercial enough to “launch my career.” But the truth is that most authors don’t support their families with their writing until they’ve published a half-dozen books or more. Often many, many more.

So, I’m looking at a different time-line now. I’m seeing what I managed to accomplish with just two novels. I’m recognizing how far I’ve come.

Accentuating the positive.

I’ve got a lot to be thankful for. Things are good. I might not be Michael Connelly, or Lee Child, or Dennis Lehane, but then again, I’m not Joe Schmo. I’m in the game, I’m on the journey. I’m paying the bills and I’m practicing my art.

I think this is the sound of happiness.

On another note, if you’re coming in for the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC this weekend, I’ll be speaking on a panel with Jerry Stahl, April Smith and Ned Vizzini, moderated by John Sacret Young, on Saturday, April 21, at 10:30 am, in the Andrus Gerontology Center. The panel is called “Page and Screen.” They left my name out of the on-line schedule, but it’s in the printed schedule. I’m also signing Saturday at the Mysterious Galaxy booth at 2:00, the Sisters in Crime booth at 4:00, and on Sunday at the Mystery Ink booth at 11:00, with Gar Anthony Haywood. There will be a ton of talented authors present, so get your books and get ‘em signed! Thanks!

This blog is being published with permission from Stephen Jay Schwartz.

This article was published in the March 2012 Issue of Suspense Magazine:

Writers in the eye of a storm

by Andrew Peterson

The crew chief checks my four-part harness and issues a crisp thumbs-up. He hustles into the front compartment, plants himself behind a .30-caliber machine gun, and checks its action. On the opposite side of the cabin, the second crew chief is doing the same thing. They’re now door gunners and their collective job is to suppress enemy ground fire. A few seconds later, the engine noise intensifies. The eight-ton machine shutters for an instant before literally jumping into the air. Forty yards distant, a second helicopter also lifts off—they always travel in pairs.

Ninety minutes away, our destination is Forward Operating Base Mehtarlam near the Pakistani border. My fellow passengers are Clive Cussler, Sandra Brown, Kathy Reichs, and Mark Bowden. There’s a certain amount of irony in the moment as I make eye contact with Mark and smile. We’re both thinking the same thing: Are we really doing this?

Exhilaration blocks reality. We’re in an active war zone. We’re wearing forty pounds of body armor. And we’re flying across several hundred miles of rugged terrain laced with Taliban who’d love to shoot us down. Any questions?

Our ride is an Army UH-60 Black Hawk and it’s carrying the author of “Black Hawk Down.” For Mark, this has to be especially thrilling. He spent five years researching and writing the book. Although he was present for most of the filming, he never had an opportunity to take a ride. If he’s nervous or concerned, it doesn’t show. In fact, he’s grinning bigger than I thought possible!

Fourteen hours earlier, we were leaving Kyrgyzstan in a C-130J Super Hercules, along with a platoon of Marines. We landed at Bagram Air Field just after 1 a.m. As we unbuckled our harnesses, we felt stiff and sore, especially our backsides. We’d just spent four hours strapped into canvas jump seats, jammed knee-to-knee with Marines, their rifles, and their backpacks. There wasn’t any spare real estate. Zero. Getting up for a casual stroll down the aisle simply wasn’t possible. Although I tried, I couldn’t sleep during the flight. Dozing off on a C-130J Hercules wasn’t easy to do.

We staggered down the plane’s ramp and waited for the loadmaster to free our bags from a huge aluminum pallet. Our Army liaisons were waiting on the tarmac and introduced themselves over the drone of the idling engines. We all turned as a fighter roared down the runway. Twin cones of blue-white fire erupted from its black form as the pilot lit the afterburners. It was beyond loud. Thirty seconds later, a second fighter followed its friend into the night. I looked at Kathy and smiled. No words were necessary.

We climbed aboard a white van for the drive over to our lodging. Bagram is a huge base, but thankfully our journey wasn’t more than five minutes. We ended up in a B-hut (short for barracks hut.) It’s a plywood structure about the size of a one-car garage with eight double-deck bunks.  There were six of us sharing the accommodations. Myself, Clive Cussler, Mark Bowden, Jeremy Wilcox (our USO tour producer,) Mike Theiler (our official photographer,) and Lieutenant Colonel Budjenska (who volunteered to accompany us once he learned Clive was on the tour.) Needless to say, LTC Budjenska is a huge Cussler fan.

B-huts don’t have plumbing, so using the latrine involved a hundred-yard walk. One saving grace: we weren’t disconnected—our B-hut had an internet-ready, DOD computer terminal so we could check e-mail. Regulations put Sandra and Kathy in a separate room. We’re all friends, but rules are rules! We set our alarms for 5:30 a.m. and went lights-out around 2 a.m.

I only got three hours of sleep and was beginning to feel the effects of sleep deprivation. Over the last three days, I’d slept for less than eight hours. There’s a tenet of military life: Sleep when you can. I never really understood that until then. After a shower and a latrine call, we all met in front of our B-hut at 6:30 and boarded the van for the drive to the dining facility (DFAC.) Upon entering, we’re required to wash our hands and sign the register. I was surprised at the wide selection of food available. The DFAC was huge, probably an acre in total square feet—big enough to serve as many as six hundred people at the same time. It was a self-serve buffet setup where everyone used cardboard trays as plates. The silverware was plastic and disposable. In the background, a college football game entertained the troops on a huge projection TV. Service members, civilian contractors, and local Afghans were constantly coming and going.  It’s a 24/7 facility. Everything was free, no money was needed. Walking out without paying seemed a bit strange, but I eventually got used to it.

I have to say that all of us were singularly impressed with the professional and polite nature of our service members. By this point, we’d already met and interacted with hundreds of troops and we never saw a single unkempt uniform or so much as a thread out of place. These soldiers were consummate professionals and it’s quite obvious they took pride in their work. It was inspiring to see service members who were so dedicated and committed to doing the best job they can. During breakfast, I shared a table with some Air Force mechanics who worked on C-17 Globe Masters. It was clear they liked their jobs and liked talking about their work. They missed their families, but said the internet made it easier to stay in touch.

After breakfast, our group drove over to the Armed Forces Network (AFN) building to do live radio interviews. We met the AFN staff and I introduced our group to Melissa, an Air Force DJ who manned the morning shift. Each us had a three-minute interview between songs. Melissa told us the troops tended to favor hip-hop music. The studio wasn’t large, maybe ten-by-fifteen feet, but we all fit inside. In the neighboring studio, we recorded “shout-outs,” fifteen-second clips about anything we wanted to say to the troops. Our prerecorded messages will be broadcast across the AFN once a day for the next week or so. All of us used our shout-out time to thank the troops for their service and to wish them a safe return home.

On the way back to the B-hut, we stopped at a small bazaar near the base’s PX. A PX is an all-purpose grocery and supply store, similar to a convenience store in the states. Clive and I were treated to coffee at a Green Bean coffee house by LTC Budjenska, who insisted on paying! He wouldn’t take no for an answer. As we walked through the area, I was surprised by the presence of local Afghan venders selling their wares. We learned from our Army escorts that nearly 5,000 people enter and leave the base on a daily basis.

With few exceptions, all service members are required to carry their weapons everywhere they go. Officers have sidearms while enlisteds tend to carry M4s and M16s. Near the PX, I introduced our group to a sergeant who was carrying a squad automatic weapon (SAW) and asked if we could take our picture with him. He heartily agreed and told us about his job and how the various functions of his rifle worked. It’s a heavy weapon, I guessed around twenty pounds. Since we were wearing 5.11 Tactical clothing with large USO patches on our shirts, we were instantly recognized as a USO tour group.

The troops were always friendly and glad to see us. At organized events, many of them brought books for us to sign. All of us found it rewarding to personalize the books and say thank you to them. It’s difficult to quantify the experience in words, but the word fulfillment comes to mind. We felt a deep sense of satisfaction being able to meet these brave individuals in person and convey how much we appreciated their sacrifices.

We made a quick stop at our B-hut before heading out to the flight line where the Black Hawks were waiting to take us to Mehtarlam. Once we lifted off and left the airspace of Bagram, we were able to see the Afghan landscape. It looked like a place time forgot. A vast beige-colored desert extended to the base of a weathered and scoured mountain range. Snow capped peaks contrasted the earthen tones. It was beautiful, but it also felt menacing.

When we first climbed aboard, one of the crew chiefs offered me a headset so I could listen in on the communication with cockpit. Thirty minutes into our flight we were maneuvering through a tight canyon where the cliff faces were no more than a hundred feet away. The pilot asked if we’d like to see what the Black Hawk can do. “Absolutely,” I said into the boom mike. I knew what the pilot intended to do, so I reached across the cabin and tugged down on Kathy Reichs’ shoulder straps to point where she couldn’t move. She didn’t know what was coming, she wasn’t plugged in. I motioned for Clive and Sandra to the do the same thing. Mark had a headset, so he was already tightening his harness.

A few seconds later, we picked up speed and the pilot began a series of steep turns, climbs, and descents. Our stomachs were in our throats as the helicopter screamed through a tight chasm of rock faces and vertical walls. We pulled at least four Gs as the helicopter banked through an extended sixty-degree turn. Out the window to my right, the stream at the bottom of the canyon became a blurred white ribbon. I tightened my stomach muscles to keep my vision from winking out. My two-hundred-pound body now weighed eight hundred pounds. The ship leveled before starting a high-G climb up the side of the mountain. We skimmed a small peak and began a near-weightless descent down the other side. Kathy looked like she was ready to blow a fuse, but her smile was priceless—exhilaration mixed with surprise.  This was better than any roller coaster we’ve ever ridden. Our zigzagging continued for another half-minute. At this point, we’ve yielded all hope of maintaining sanity and control. We were simply along for the ride and it was a wild one!

We shot out of the canyon and found ourselves above another desert landscape. I’m pretty sure I saw a small mountaintop outpost back in the canyon, so I ask the pilot.  Yes, he confirmed, there are many of them dotting the area. Manned by the Afghan National Army, (ANA) they’re strategically located to help keep the area secure.

For the rest of the flight we stayed at 1,500 feet above the ground, outside the effective range of small-arms fire, and continued heading east toward FOB Mehterlam. Once over our destination, the helicopters rapidly descended and landed on a one-acre area of gravel. Along with our Army escorts from Bagram, we climbed out. Above our heads, the main rotors sliced through the air in loud whoops.  Even idling, the sound was impressive. Half a minute later, the helicopters lifted off and left the area.  An eerie silence ensued. There was a certain comfort in having the helicopters standing by.

I looked around and sized up our new environment. Surrounding the base were Hesco walls. Hesco barrier walls are constructed of prefab heavy-mesh units with a canvas liner. About the size of large produce crates—around four feet square and six feet high—they’re filled with dirt and rocks and stacked two high. They designed to protect the base from small arms fire and vehicle intrusions. The tops are lined with antipersonnel razor wire. There are literally miles of Hesco barriers surrounding the facility. As we walked to the headquarters building, we passed some small booths where local venders were selling all kinds of crafts and trinkets. There was a casual feel to Mehtarlam, but I reminded myself we were in an active war zone and that things could change in a hurry.

At the HQ building, introductions were made with some command officers and enlisted. We exchanged gifts before heading to the dining facility (DFAC) for an informal meet-and-greet. Because the USO limited us to two bags each for the tour, we were only able to bring a dozen books into Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan to give away as gifts. Luggage space was limited. Each of us brought hardcover books for the gift exchanges with the various commanders and their staff. In a longstanding tradition, the base commander shook our hands with a unit coin in his or her palm—that’s how it was given to us. About the size of a silver dollar, the coins are minted with the unit’s nickname and logo.

It’s important to note we weren’t there to promote ourselves or our books. We didn’t hand out business cards. This was a goodwill tour. We were there to thank and acknowledge our troops for their incredible sacrifices to America. As chairman, it was my job to make the introductions, but I purposely made them brief and always steered the discussions toward the troops, asking them what their military occupation specialties were. They enjoyed talking about their jobs and were grateful for the opportunity to share their experiences with us. It’s ironic that we traveled halfway around the world to say thank you to them, but everywhere we went, the troops constantly thanked us for visiting them.

After several more meet-and-greets, we made our way back out to the flight line and waited for the helicopters to return. It wasn’t long before they sweep in from the west. We donned our ear protection and individual body armor and watched the Black Hawks approach. I remember thinking, I’m really glad these machines are flown by the good guys! The door gunners looked intimidating.

Once the pilots learned the author of “Black Hawk Down” was aboard their ship, they asked Mark to sign the helicopter! Which he did, on the inside door panel. We all got a big kick from that. Mark Bowden actually autographed a Black Hawk helicopter!

Our next flight took us to FOB Gamberi, just outside Jalalabad, where we met with Army service members of Oklahoma’s 45th Infantry Brigade, the Thunderbirds. We shared some refreshments in a briefing room used by the command staff before taking a driving tour of the base. We saw the new Afghan National Army (ANA) garrison. FOB Gamberi is manned by both coalition forces and the ANA. We traveled in armored SUVs for the ride around the facilities. The doors and windows made it seem as if we were in a presidential limo.

We did a final meet-and-greet with an Army engineering company that goes out and disarms improvised explosive devices (IEDs.) We took a look at a huge mine-resistant-ambush-protected (MRAP) class of vehicle that is used outside the wire. The hardware and equipment inside the vehicle were state-of-the-art, super high-tech. We were singularly impressed with Oklahoma’s 45th Infantry Brigade.

We said our good-byes to the Thunderbirds and drove out to the flight line for our return trip. After arriving back at Bagram, our Army escorts gave us a perimeter tour. We saw some old Russian mine fields that haven’t been cleared yet, so they’re delineated with warning signs and fences. There are also ancient ruins here and there, mud and rock walls, could be hundreds of years old, thousands maybe.

We took a break in the action and headed back to our B-hut. By this time—early evening—we’d been on the move for more than fourteen hours and we needed some down time. Clive and I decided to skip dinner tonight and smoke cigars in front of our B-hut—right next to the No Smoking sign! Hey, arrest us, okay? Besides, LTC Budjenska joined us and said he’d pull rank on anyone who challenged us. Apparently rank does have its privileges!

By the time our group returned from dinner, it was after 10 p.m. Jeremy suggested we should crash early because tomorrow would be another long day at FOB Salerno. We needed no other prodding. Half an hour later, we were all asleep.

This Suspense Magazine article can’t begin to do justice to the amazing experience we shared—it would take 20,000 words. I’ve only described a single day. Clive, Sandra, Mark, Kathy, and I went on a once-in-a-lifetime event that was both rewarding and enriching. Being able to say thank you—in person—to America’s deployed service members in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan will remain valued memories for the rest of our lives.

All of us enjoyed hearing about the various jobs and military occupation specialties our troops do on a daily basis. Again, their professionalism is second to none.

A USO tour embodies the essence of goodwill—an exchange of kindness and support.  We saw it in their eyes, when they said thank you to us, it made them feel better.

The USO’s mission statement is the following: To lift the spirits of America’s troops and their families. I can say with 100% certainty: mission accomplished!

Author’s note:

A huge thank-you is owed to Andy Harp, not only for his service in the Marines, but for making the USO Operation Thriller tours possible in the first place. In 2010 and for the first time in its seventy-year history, the USO sent an exclusive group of authors on an overseas tour: David Morrell, Douglas Preston, James Rollins, Steve Berry, and Andy Harp. Because Operation Thriller I was so successful, it paved the way for Operation Thriller II. Andy Harp’s tireless effort and dedication to ITW and the USO is greatly appreciated.

Andrew Peterson is the author of “First to Kill” and “Forced to Kill,” featuring Nathan McBride, a trained Marine scout sniper and CIA operations officer. Both books are available in either audio or e-book format.  For information about the author and the Nathan McBride series, please visit www.andrewpeterson.com, or connect with him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AndrewPetersonBooks or Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/APetersonNovels.

Character Motivations and Behavior

by Ian Walkley

Coming up with fresh storylines is a tough part of the business of writing fiction. But publishers and readers are always looking for fresh ideas. After all, there is a limit to how often people want to read about a hero whose wife gets murdered so he can chase the bad guy, the alcoholic, divorced cop who redeems himself when his daughter is kidnapped, or the terrified victim creeping through a dark old house, too curious for their own good.

In suspense or mystery novels much of the reader’s enjoyment is derived from tension and conflict in the interplay of characters. Who did it? Why? Who’ll be next? Will the hero solve the mystery before the bad guy gets the stakes character? Apart from contrived delays in revealing information, suspense often comes about from the decisions made by the protagonist, the antagonist and the stakes character(s) about what actions they will take. Such decisions are mostly determined by the character’s background, judgment, or motivations.

So, how can character motivations and behavior be used for creating new kinds of suspense?

Firstly, we can associate the character responses to the motivations that underpin them in ways that create tension and arouse the reader’s emotions. In The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Lisbeth Salander essentially wants the freedom to be herself and live undisturbed. Much of her behavior is driven by her reaction to the actions of others. If she must have a guardian, she wants one who will let her be, not one who controls her. After her guardian Bjurman rapes her, one possible reaction would have been for Salander to kill him. But Stieg Larsson chose to maintain the suspense by continuing the relationship. Deciding to control him, rather than kill him, Salander chooses to blackmail him with a video so he will allow her access to her money, and leave her alone. Her motivations for her actions fit her character perfectly, and the method she uses also fits her character. But her actions are still a huge surprise to the reader.

Introducing a motivation that results in a particular type of response helps to bring out the character dimensions. Let’s consider two basic human responses—fight or flight. There are many behaviors between the two extremes. Fighting can be anything from strong words, sarcasm, ridicule, or verbal abuse through to pushing and shoving, or killing someone. Flight can be anything from stony silence or folding arms and turning away, through to physically fleeing. Finding the right response on the scale for our character gives the writer enormous scope. Linking the response with the character’s motivation does not require long flashbacks about some terrible past experience, but can often be accomplished with simple dialogue, such as: “I put up with that for too long at home. Not any more.”

Secondly, situational factors can be manipulated to force our character into a predicament that is unfamiliar, where their skills and judgment are less tested, and surprise the reader with an unexpected outcome. A weak character might choose to fight, while a braver one might appear to submit to the inevitable. In Thomas Harris’s Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal Lecter, the brilliant cannibalistic killer offers to help Clarice Starling, the FBI agent who of course is not as fragile as her name suggests. Hannibal has a number of motivations for helping Clarice solve the Buffalo Bill case, including wanting to escape his unpleasant surroundings and to demonstrate his superior intellect. Ultimately, he is drawn to Clarice, and becomes protective of her, showing he still has enough humanity to reciprocate respect she shows to him. Harris uses Lecter’s strength to maintain situational suspense by having him drip feed what he knows to bargain something in return. Clarice was tested in an environment that was unfamiliar and uncomfortable.

Thirdly, other characters can be used to force our character into behaving in a way that is unexpected. Some characters cause positive responses, others bring out the worst. For example, the serial killer who doesn’t kill a potential victim because she reminds him of his dead sister, or the rude shop assistant that causes a character to lose patience. Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, has physical and personal traits that complement a largely formulaic storyline driven by the behavior of other characters. Reacher finds trouble in some small town; punches some local heavies, befriends (or alienates) the local cop, gets into trouble, narrowly avoids romance, and manages to rescue the stakes character while bringing some rough justice to the bad guys (who are usually abusing positions of power). Reacher’s motivations stem from a deep sense of justice and well-founded mistrust of authority. But it is his judgment and contacts with other influential characters from his past that enable him to solve problems others can’t. Although we know the outcome based on the formula, we still wonder how Reacher is going to react in each situation. It’s a formula that sells.

Finally, there is inner conflict. Having the character agonize about what action to take provides further scope to ramp up the tension. Some books have characters considering for a number of pages what action they might take in response to a situation.

What comes first, the motivations or the behavior? Certainly, we don’t have to have the motivations decided at the first draft. But if the motivations are part of the fundamentals of character formulation they may well determine the direction the story takes. My feeling is that more writers develop character motivations in later drafts, for example through flashbacks, timeslip or backstory.

Writers are allowed to cheat, because it makes for a better story.

In real life, Police spend a great deal of time examining possible motives to a crime, based on the rationale that if they understand the motives, they will be better placed to find the perpetrator. Where motives are complex, subtle or unclear, crimes are harder to solve.

Motivations are the playground of the fiction writer. The development of more subtle motivations and corresponding behavior help writers develop suspense and tension. Who has really done it, and why didn’t we see that coming?

Ian Walkley is the author of No Remorse, an action thriller getting great reviews. His website and contact details are at http://www.ianwalkley.com

CREATING A WORTHY ANTAGONIST

by Jodie Renner

You’ve outlined a plot and created an appealing, complex protagonist for your thriller or other crime/action fiction — great start! But what about your antagonist? According to James N. Frey, “the villain is your best friend, because the villain creates the plot behind the plot — the plot that has to be foiled by the hero.”

The hero or heroine of your suspense novel needs a worthy opponent who is standing in his/her way and threatening other innocent people. As James Scott Bell says, “Without a strong opponent, most novels lack that crucial emotional experience for the reader: worry. If it seems the hero can take care of his problems easily, why bother to read on?”

And thrillers and other crime fiction need a downright nasty bad guy — but not a “mwoo-ha-ha” caricature or stereotype. If your villain is just a wicked cardboard caricature of what he could be, your readers will quickly lose interest. As Hallie Ephron says, “Characters who are simply monstrously evil can come off as old-fashioned clichés.”

To create a believable, complex, chilling villain, make him clever and determined, but also someone who feels justified in his actions. Ask yourself what the bad guy wants, how he thinks the protagonist is standing in his way, and how he explains his own motivations to himself.

How does your villain rationalize his actions? He may feel that he is justified because of early childhood abuse or neglect, a grudge against society, a goal thwarted by the protagonist, a desire for revenge against a perceived wrong, or a need for power or status — or money to fund his escape. Whatever his reasons, have them clear in your own mind, and at least hint at them in your novel. Like the protagonist, the antagonist needs motivations for his actions.

To give yourself the tools to create a realistic, believable antagonist, try writing a mini-biography of your villain: his upbringing and family life, early influences, and harrowing experiences or criminal activities so far. As Hallie Ephron advises us, “Think about what happened to make that villain the way he is. Was he born bad, or did he sour as a result of some traumatic event? If your villain has a grudge against society, why? If he can’t tolerate being jilted, why? You may never share your villain’s life story with your reader, but to make a complex, interesting villain, you need to know what drives him to do what he does.” Creating a backstory for your antagonist will help you develop a multidimensional, convincing bad guy.

Many writing gurus advise us to even make the antagonist a bit sympathetic. James Scott Bell says, “The great temptation in creating bad guys is to make them evil through and through. You might think this will make your audience root harder for your hero. More likely, you’re just going to give your book a melodramatic feel. To avoid this, get to know all sides of your bad guy, including the positives.”

Bell suggests that, after we create a physical impression of our antagonist, we find out what her objective is, dig into her motivation, and create background for her that generates some sympathy — a major turning point from childhood or a powerful secret that can emerge later in the book.

Not everyone agrees with that approach, however. James Frey, on the other hand, says “in some cases, it is neither necessary nor perhaps even desirable to create the villain as a fully fleshed-out, well-rounded multidimensional character.” Many readers just want to a bad guy they can despise, and are not interested in finding out about his inner motives or his deprived childhood. That would dilute our satisfaction in finally seeing him getting his just deserts.

Frey does feel it’s extremely important to create a convincing, truly nasty villain, one who is “ruthless, relentless, and clever and resourceful, as well as being a moral and ethical wack job,” and one who is “willing to crush anyone who gets in his way,” but doesn’t feel it’s necessary to give us a great deal of information on the villain.

As kids, we loved to see good prevail over evil, and the nastier the villain, the harder they fell — and the greater our satisfaction. Perhaps Frey’s “damn good villain” hearkens back to those times, and his ultimate demise evokes greater reader satisfaction. Forget analyzing the bad guy — just build him up, then take him out!

On the other hand, many readers today are more sophisticated and want to get away from the caricatures of our popular literary heritage… hence, advice from writers like Ephron and Bell to develop more multidimensional antagonists with a backstory and clear motivations.

I’d say there’s room for both approaches in modern fiction, and probably the thriller genre favors the “just plain mean and nasty” villain. Never mind the psychological analysis of the bad guy—we just want to see Jack Reacher, Joe Pike or [fill in your favorite thriller hero or heroine] kick butt!

What do you think? Make the villain nasty, evil and cruel through and through, or give him some redeeming qualities to make him more realistic? Show some of his background and motivations, or just stick with his current story goals and plans?

Resources:
Hallie Ephron, The Everything Guide to Writing Your First Novel
James N. Frey, How to Write a Damn Good Thriller
James Scott Bell, Revision and Self-Editing

Copyright © Jodie Renner, October 2011

Stephen Jay Schwartz is the bestselling author of “Boulevard” and “Beat” you can check out much more on his website: http://www.stephenjayschwartz.com/

“Easy Come, Easy Go”

I guess the first really serious bit of writing I did was a short story called “Yahrzeit Candle,” which I wrote when I was twenty years old. I wrote it in the months following my father’s death. My writing changed overnight–suddenly I had things to say that could not suffer poor writing. And out came this story about a little Jewish boy who comes home one night to find his father stooped in front of a large candle. The boy’s grandfather has just died. The candle burns for seven days and the boy watches his father fall apart before it. The boy doesn’t understand; he thinks the candle is hurting his father. But when he gets close to the candle, when the smoke gets in his eyes, he is overwhelmed with memories of his grandfather. In the end, he tries to snuff out the candle, to save his father. His father wakes and pulls him back. They hug for the first time in years. The candle, having done its job, flickers out on its own.

I was attending a community college when I wrote it, and I entered two national short story competitions that had ties to the school. The story won both competitions, and there was a cash prize, too. I remember the day I went to my professor’s office to get the check for the awards. I remember his words. “You might not write a story this good for many years. Don’t worry about it. Just keep writing, and understand that it’s part of the process.”

We stepped out of his office onto the second-floor terrace and he handed me the check and the award letter. As soon as I took them, a gust of wind came and took them from my hands. The letter and check fluttered down into the bushes two stories below.

“Easy come, easy go,” my professor quipped.

Words to live by.

It’s interesting how I thought that first story would be the beginning of so much. It was, but not in the way I imagined. At the time, I thought the story would open doors (Eli Weisel called it “Shining, evocative and penetrating”). I thought opportunities would suddenly materialize and I would spend the rest of my life employed as a professional writer and film maker.

This life we’ve chosen, it doesn’t come easy.

I’m beginning to take a long-term look at it. It’s not just a job. It’s not just a career. It’s a life. What we write is what remains. Taken together, it marks our journey. From my very first short story (“Sammy the Dinosaur” at age to this very blog post today. Every story, every screenplay, every poem, every blog. They are the atoms that define me. They are the things from which I evolve.

I might still end up supporting myself by my writing alone. It could happen. I could balance the load writing novels, screenplays and television episodes. Then again, it might not happen that way. I might have other jobs and write on the side. And maybe that’s not such a bad thing. As I’ve been told, “even Spinoza spun glass.” I haven’t done the research, but I take that to mean that Spinoza had a day job, in the circus or something.

If you think about it, precious few artists support themselves by their art alone. Even the ones we consider “great,” the ones who didn’t start living until they died.

I have a friend who is a Story Editor on a very popular cable series. He’s successful enough to be a showrunner now, for the spec projects he has sold. I told him that I would probably be writing a spec script for his cable show, to use as a writing sample in case Boulevard goes to series. (Boulevard has been optioned by a major TV producer). If I want a chance to write on the series (if a series gets off the ground) I have to show the producer a writing sample — a one-hour TV script for an existing series with a similar tone to my books. When I mentioned this to my friend he said, “Isn’t it amazing how we still have to write for free? It doesn’t matter if we’ve had books published or films made from our screenplays, we still have to write for free to prove to others that we can write.”

This is it, guys. This is being a writer. This is the commitment. If the stars align, we could all be millionaires. One book could do it. One spec script. It’s the dream I’ve lived on for years. Since “Yahrzeit Candle,” which wasn’t the most commercially viable project I’ve ever written.

But, you know what? It had heart. I wrote another heartfelt short story after that. And then my first feature script, which had heart. That project won another competition, and got me a film agent. And then I learned to write what I thought I was supposed to write. I wrote crafty, slick, commercial vehicles. And I lost my way. I lost my way all the way up to the point that I ditched it all and sat down to write my first novel, Boulevard. And that had heart.

I’ve spent the past year and a half writing my third novel. It was supposed to be bigger than Boulevard and Beat. It was supposed to be a commercial vehicle. I struggled and struggled and then abandoned it, to write something small and heartfelt. And, lo and behold, my voice came back. I just started writing the new piece when my wife begged me to go back to the other one, to reinvent it so that it wasn’t such an obviously commercial vehicle, to find my heart in the story. There was too much there to abandon. I agreed, and now I’m juggling both books. And looking for the day job that will support this passion of mine.

I’m writing what I want to write, what my heart tells me to write. It will take as long as it takes to do it well. I decided a while ago that novels are where I’ll put my best. In this one realm, I won’t compromise. It’s different than writing a zombie film, which, regardless of how much heart I manage to stuff into it, remains a zombie film to the end. It’s a commercial venture.  I know that going in.

My novels, however…well, I hope they are commercial successes. I really do. But if they aren’t, so be it. I write books to make me happy. If I’m not enjoying it, I shouldn’t be doing it.

Easy come, easy go.

this post was originally posted on Murderati, with permission to reproduce by Stephen Jay Schwartz:  http://www.murderati.com/

Twisted

By Andrew E. Kaufman

I’m just going to put this out there right now. I don’t write about puppies and rainbows. Far from it. My novels tend to lean toward the gritty, if not peculiar side of life (read, twisted). But here’s the thing: Just because I write it, doesn’t mean I live it—I don’t. After all, it is fiction, and therein lies a common misperception, that authors who write twisted stories are themselves twisted.

Case in point: at least once a week—maybe more—I’ll get an email from a reader that goes something like this: “You look like such a nice guy…but then I read your book.” Or this: “I’d hate to see what’s buried in your backyard.” But, what usually follows directly after that is something like this “So when’s your next one coming out?”

Hmm.

You see, comments like that always make me wonder why readers think suspense and horror authors actually live out that which they write. Are all romance writers great lovers? Do all historical writers live in the 1800s? Of course not. So why would folks question our sanity just because we write about those who don’t seem to have any?

I recently spoke with bestselling author Tess Gerritsen about this. The murders in her novels can be particularly dicey. She said, “Drew, well, I think I’m perfectly sane. As a group, horror and thriller writers strike me as a mild-mannered bunch, not at all prone to violence, and less combative than other genre writers. Perhaps it’s because we get out all our aggressions on the page!”

She makes a good point. While I hurt people on paper, I’d never harm anyone in real life. I’m a vegetarian, for heaven’s sake. And I don’t think I’ve ever met a knife-wielding, body-collecting horror or suspense author before. For the most part, they do tend to appear quite sane—except when they’re trying to finish a novel, that is. Another story, completely.

Robert W. Walker’s novels are about as twisted as they come. On whether his readers think he’s warped, he says, “I get it a lot, like at signings, people saying, ‘I thought you’d have horns.’ I continually ask readers ‘why do you pose the author with the villain when in fact most of us share much more with the hero or heroine?’”

He adds that, as writers, we’re similar to actors because, “You have to become the point of view character, so if you write scenes from the POV of the killer, then you have to play the part just as an actor, like John Malcovich, has to pretend twisted, pretend evil.”

I’d have to agree with him there. Good or bad, I need to get inside my characters’ heads in order to give them dimension, make them seem real, otherwise, they come across as forced, something the reader will pick up instantly. Not always easy for me to do, however, because it can take its toll on an emotional level. But it has to be done, and truth be known, I do tend to identify with my heroes more than my villains.

Bestselling author, Lisa Gardner, takes a more comical approach, as only she can do. She says, “I suspect I was dropped on my head a lot as a child. I’m honestly not sure where the ideas come from. They simply come to me, particularly creepy, scary ones. I guess it’s a good thing I can turn ideas into novels, because being an ax murderer doesn’t pay nearly as well.”

Andrew E. Kaufman is an award-winning journalist turned author. His novels, While the Savage Sleeps, a forensic paranormal thriller, and The Lion, the Lamb, the Hunted, a psychological thriller, are both number one bestsellers. He’s currently busy at work causing more mayhem and murder—on paper that is—with his third novel, a psychological thriller. For more info about Andrew and his work, please visit his website at: http://www.andrewekaufman.com

I’m very pleased to have guest blogger Jodie Renner be a contributor on the Suspense Magazine blog site.  I’m sure you will all find her blog very interesting and entertaining.  Enjoy!!!

Essential Elements of a Bestselling Thriller

by Jodie Renner

If you want your thriller or other suspense fiction to be a compelling page-turner, make sure you’ve included most or all of these elements:

1. 1.   A compelling opening. Don’t rev your engines with a lengthy description of the setting or background on the character’s life. Jump right in with your protagonist in a tension-filled scene with someone important in his world. See my article, “Act First, Explain Later.”
2. A protagonist who’s both ordinary and heroic. Rather than having a “Superman” invincible-type hero, it’s more satisfying to the readers if you use a regular person who’s thrown into stressful, then increasingly harrowing situations, and must summon all of his courage, strength and inner resources to overcome the odds, save himself and other innocent people, and defeat evil. Readers relate more personally to this type of main character, so bond with him better.
3. A likeable, sympathetic protagonist. The readers need to be able to warm up to your main character quickly, to start identifying with her; otherwise they won’t really care what happens to her. So no cold, selfish, arrogant characters for heroes or heroines! See my article, Creating Compelling Characters.
4. A worthy adversary for the protagonist. Your antagonist/villain needs to be as clever, strong, resourceful and determined as your protagonist, but also truly nasty, immoral and frightening. See my article “Creating a Worthy Antagonist.”
5. An interesting setting. Readers like to find out about places they haven’t been, whether it’s the seedy side of Chicago, glitzy Hollywood, rural Kentucky, the mountains of Colorado, or the bayous of Louisiana — or more distant, exotic locations. And milk your setting for all it’s worth.
6. An inciting incident. What happens to the main character to set the story events in action? Make it tense and compelling.
7. A great plot, with ongoing conflict and tension. You need a big story question and plenty of intrigue. And every scene should contain tension and conflict of some kind. If it doesn’t, delete it. See my 3 articles, “Tension on Every Page.”
8. Lots of suspense. Keep the readers on the edge of their seats, turning the pages to find out what’s going to happen next. See my 3 articles “Heightening the Suspense.”
9. Multiple viewpoints. Narrating the story from various points of view, including that of the villain, will add interest, complexity and suspense to your novel. But don’t head-hop within a scene! Wait for a new scene or chapter to change viewpoints. Deep Point of View is the most intimate and compelling. See my 3-part series: Deep Point of View.

10. A tight, generally fast-paced writing style. Streamline your writing to improve flow and pacing. Go through and take out all unnecessary words, sentences, and paragraphs, and any repetitive phrases, events or ideas. Thrillers are not the genre to wax eloquent or show off your erudition.

11. Internal struggling of the protagonist — Give her a moral dilemma; show his inner conflict. Make them complex and fascinating; never perfect, complacent, or overly confident.

12. Lots of emotions. Bring your characters to life by showing their fear, trepidation, panic, pain, worry, anger, determination, courage, satisfaction, relief, joy, excitement, elation and other emotions. See “Show Those Feelings — and Reactions!”

13. Vivid sensory descriptions. Put the reader right there in the scene by using all five senses wherever possible, plus emotion. Show what the character is hearing, smelling, feeling, touching and tasting, not only what they’re seeing. Appeal to the Senses — and Emotions!

14. Increasing danger. Keep raising the stakes and putting your hero in deeper and deeper trouble, to stretch his courage, determination, physical abilities and inner resources to the maximum — and increase the reader’s admiration and emotional investment in him! See my 3 articles on Writing a Killer Thriller.

15. A ticking clock. Your hero is racing against time to defeat the villain before innocents are killed — or even the whole world is imperiled. Adding ever-increasing time constraints increases the tension and suspense.

16. Troubles that hit home. Endanger the protagonist or someone close to her, to add a personal dimension and more stress to the threats and conflicts.

17. Critical turning points. Present your hero with life-or-death decisions and show his anxiety, tension, and indecision.

18. Obstacles in the way. Your heroine runs out of gas on a lonely road; your hero’s weapon falls into the river far below; he is wounded and can’t run; her cell phone battery is dead; whatever can go wrong does, and more.

19. Enough clues. Be fair. Use foreshadowing, and layer in clues and info as you go along, to slowly reveal the plot points and character backstory and motivation to the reader.

20. Twists and surprises. Write in a few unexpected plot twists, but make sure that, in retrospect, they make sense to the readers.

21. A compelling climax. Put the protagonist at a disadvantage in the final conflict with the antagonist, to heighten the stakes. Pile on the adversity the hero has to overcome at the end.

22. A satisfying ending. Leave the unhappy or unresolved endings for literary fiction. Let the good guy overcome the bad guy — by a hair.

23. Psychological growth and change in the hero/heroine. Adversity has made him or her stronger, braver, wiser — a better person.

Do you have any other essential elements to add, that would enhance a thriller or other suspense fiction?

Copyright © Jodie Renner, February 2012

Jodie Renner is a freelance manuscript editor, specializing in thrillers, romantic suspense, mysteries, and other crime fiction, as well as YA and historical fiction. Jodie publishes craft-of-fiction articles here and on five other blogs. Check out Jodie’s website at www.JodieRennerEditing.com . 

A series character vs. A stand alone

I’ve discussed this many times on our radio show, Suspense Radio.  I’ve always been one that loves a series character, BUT as long as the series doesn’t get stale.  In seeing more and more authors and publishers going the series route, I caution both of them to tread carefully.  Now I could name many authors that have written a series character that has gone its course.  Many times authors let the series go probably 4 or 5 books too long, losing fans and the ability to be creative and an author.  I’ve fallen on the side of a stand alone, for the simple reason that the author needs to be creative in every book.  Let’s look at it this way.  When you write a series, it is very important to progress the main character’s lives just as it is important to keep the plots and story lines fresh all the time.  Many times there are books in the series that fall flat, for a couple of reasons.  One reason would be because the author has to spoon feed the direction or expansions of the character, falling short on the plot of having them do the same thing over and over.  I read on the back of the book “This is the most ruthless killer, xxxxx, has ever faced, will they make it out alive?”  Now you can only write that so many times before it gets very old.  If you look at a TV show that had this problem, 24, they did it a different way.  You knew that with 24 all characters except Jack Bauer was safe within the series, but at the finale anything goes.  You never knew if Jack would actually survive.  When you write a stand alone novel, each time you have to bring in a full main character and sub characters, along with weaving a plot inside the story.  Now you have to create something new every time.  When you write a series, you already have the basis of the back story and character creation, that you simply must progress the character and try and put them in a new situation.  Two authors, off the top of my head, did something great with a series character; they had an end in sight, which builds the suspense of the final book wondering if anybody will be safe.  JK Rowling and Steven James are the two authors.  Now JK Rowling just came out and said her plan was to kill Ron Weasley, but if you remember the build up to the final book, nobody knew if Harry would survive.  That was the hook to get millions of people picking up the book.  What JK and Steven have in common is that you know where the ending of the series is.  With Steven he will end his Patrick Bowers series with “Checkmate” and I’ve had some conversations with Steven about the end, and he still hasn’t decided on which way to go.  Does he kill Patrick or keep him alive?  This is what natural suspense is all about, the build up that leaves you on the edge of your seat wondering, not only the story, but with the main character and their future.  You know when you see another series book without a hard ending; you are probably going to get the same thing that happened in the last ten books.

The main question is which is more satisfying for a reader.  For me I’m leaning towards books or series where I know they have a hard end.   I love the suspense build up and look forward to the next book in the series, especially when I know the end is coming near.  It is very difficult for an author that has spent so much time on a character to simply kill them off and start over, which I completely understand.  We have had many conversations on this and I will say that not everyone agrees with me.  Another argument is will the author hurt themselves with fans if they kill off the main character?  I feel that if you write that way and stop becoming an author and write just to please the fans, you fall stale.  Fans might be pissed at an author for a while, but when they bring out a new brilliant book that is brand new, they will come back and possibly respect you more for taking the huge risk and it is a huge risk, which is probably why none of the big authors have taken that plunge.  I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject, just simply leave your comments or email me at editor@suspensemagazine.com