tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post5915291692691465177..comments2024-03-27T10:02:56.747-04:00Comments on Fiction University: How the Setting Raises Tension in Your NovelJanice Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-83385968049137156622022-11-11T08:57:51.925-05:002022-11-11T08:57:51.925-05:00Thanks! Thanks! Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-70859536301251182802022-11-10T13:33:56.578-05:002022-11-10T13:33:56.578-05:00good post and oh so truegood post and oh so trueRaynaydayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01280020755371174066noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-20464746021769827922022-11-02T14:20:41.889-04:002022-11-02T14:20:41.889-04:00Thanks! Nice. Sounds like a lot of good details th...Thanks! Nice. Sounds like a lot of good details there that could be normal or actual threats (like the fairy feet). Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-47327032641912980222022-10-31T15:39:09.851-04:002022-10-31T15:39:09.851-04:00This post is extremely helpful. Everything in a sc...This post is extremely helpful. Everything in a scene can be used to create tension.<br />In my Jealousy of a Viking, my protagonist is running for her life from her home, with her 2 small children. It's raining and the cold rain drips down her neck. The sound of the raindrops on the leaves of the trees sounds like the pattering of the feet of fairy folk. (The Vikings believed in such folk.). A wolf howls in the distance, etc. <br />I hope I managed to convey Helgha's fears (and pass them to the reader).V.M. Sanghttp://aspholessaria,wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-18369510261258716532013-12-18T07:44:04.212-05:002013-12-18T07:44:04.212-05:00I do love that about his work. Simple things can b...I do love that about his work. Simple things can become sinister just because of the mood of the character. Great example! <br /><br />That "something's not right" feeling is also great. That works especially well in non-traditionally scary or tense moments when you don;t expect things to be "wrong." And yet it is...bwahaha. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-17463792138745224402013-12-17T16:19:53.354-05:002013-12-17T16:19:53.354-05:00Hi Janice
Great post, thanks.
I think Stephen Kin...Hi Janice<br />Great post, thanks. <br />I think Stephen King is particularly good at this, probably because he is so good at describing things in the particular manner in which his characters see the world. They create the tension for themselves by noticing all those little details (lace curtains etc). It could be obvious, but somehow he makes it so natural it really ups the tension.<br />For myself, I think keeping it short and sweet is the key. Things have to breeze past, almost as an aside, but just enough for the readers subconscious to start chewing on it :)<br />cheers<br />MikeMichael Cairnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05180863661655365561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-82394851240440873132013-12-17T07:53:48.513-05:002013-12-17T07:53:48.513-05:00Try dropping details the reader will pick up on, b...Try dropping details the reader will pick up on, but the POV just glosses over or blows off. You might look for things that symbolically hint at the trouble--such as a broken vase of flowers on the floor when he gets home, or trouble for a neighbor, or things are off or wrong in small ways. Things small enough that he'd say "Psh, it's nothing," but readers knows it's not nothing. <br /><br />Instead of reflecting the protagonist's mood, try looking for things to reflect the antagonist's mood. See if that's easier to find setting details to work with. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-35914610644937757072013-12-17T07:46:37.537-05:002013-12-17T07:46:37.537-05:00Thanks! There's so much in the archives, it...Thanks! There's so much in the archives, it's nice to let them out to play once in a while. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-4829956873702882102013-12-16T23:49:58.692-05:002013-12-16T23:49:58.692-05:00Minor details and others' moods...thanks, Jani...Minor details and others' moods...thanks, Janice!<br /><br />On a related note, how can I use setting to convey trouble's brewing when my overconfident protagonist dismisses the idea that he could be in trouble? I'm using first-person.Rachel6https://www.blogger.com/profile/15138745237488029817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-15927075727151241282013-12-16T21:17:19.920-05:002013-12-16T21:17:19.920-05:00thanks for reposting. This is great stuff!thanks for reposting. This is great stuff!Carol Baldwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10444182118975929045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-6146187128410489132010-04-30T10:40:00.642-04:002010-04-30T10:40:00.642-04:00I loved that Bones episode! And casting Robert &qu...I loved that Bones episode! And casting Robert "Freddy Kreuger" England as the janitor was just genius. <br /><br />Henya, what you might try doing is putting more of the mood into the POV, so it's what they think, not simply description. Things a character says or thinks is often given more weight as being important, and exposition and description is sometimes seen as less important. The action is rarely in that part of the story. Then you can still do what you enjoy doing, and use it to better hook the read at the same time.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-19289373167964405322010-04-30T09:45:29.660-04:002010-04-30T09:45:29.660-04:00Thanks for the great post Janice! I feel like this...Thanks for the great post Janice! I feel like this is one of the easiest things for me to forget but it really makes a difference.Flint Oryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03683994129831536173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-79110797823382985752010-04-29T07:17:38.362-04:002010-04-29T07:17:38.362-04:00Using descriptions to set the mood of your charact...Using descriptions to set the mood of your characters, or as an atmospheric backdrop is one of my favorite thing to do. But I get criticized for overusing it. Oh well....Henyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14218132405687448085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-78721793812843590262010-04-28T10:18:42.842-04:002010-04-28T10:18:42.842-04:00This reminds me of an episode of Bones I caught a ...This reminds me of an episode of Bones I caught a few weeks ago. Booth and Bones had gone to check out a murder near her old high school, just in time for her class reunion. Every time they see the creepy janitor guy, there is spooky lighting and music around him to indicate the way Booth sees him. Meanwhile Bones is all bright and cheery and chatting away in contrast to the spooky music. He was the only person from her high school who had ever supported her. I won't give away the ending for those who haven't seen it. But that contrast kept me guessing right until the moment of reveal.<br /><br />Mood and setting can either enhance or play counterpoint to keep people guessing, depending what you are going for. Now if only I can figure out the words to get mine across as effectively.Jaleh Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04942272578488986874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-31072531174449618392010-04-27T17:05:53.106-04:002010-04-27T17:05:53.106-04:00Tension can be tough. Not everything causes the s...Tension can be tough. Not everything causes the same amount of tension for everybody.<br /><br />Readers of a different subculture or background than the writer won't always follow how the writer intends, because those readers understand things with different connotations and makes different connections. I mean, consider the red dress: usually that's sensual in the Western world, but some cultures use those for WEDDINGS.Carradeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-42741592525643736962010-04-27T07:48:08.956-04:002010-04-27T07:48:08.956-04:00Love the basement tip :) That's so true. And I...Love the basement tip :) That's so true. And I was on my laptop, i the basement (no axe murderers that I know of), running on battery so I was safe, hehe. I grew up in FL so I'm so used to thunderstorms I barely notice them anymore.<br /><br />Jaydee, I'm like you with description. I always have to go back and find places for it. I'm finally getting better at it during first drafts, but so many of my scenes take place in white boxes first time out.<br /><br />Hmmm... I wonder if that's why I've come up with all these tricks to work it in there in different ways? Because I just don't like writing it.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-91985663671402978192010-04-26T16:01:55.629-04:002010-04-26T16:01:55.629-04:00These last two post are really helpful. Addressing...These last two post are really helpful. Addressing right where I am at! Thank you. I remember hearing about The Shifter a while ago. I had thought about it since not sure where I had heard about the book and how to find it. So exciting to have found you today.Tina Laurel Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04482757085942311091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-74233082036125745902010-04-26T14:59:29.049-04:002010-04-26T14:59:29.049-04:00I think I'm pretty good with mood atmosphere, ...I think I'm pretty good with mood atmosphere, but this post definitely gives me something to think about as far as scarier scenes go.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-9769346755761102052010-04-26T14:32:56.799-04:002010-04-26T14:32:56.799-04:00Using a computer during a thunderstorm. My, you a...Using a computer during a thunderstorm. My, you are brave.<br /><br />I like Phyllis Whitney's advice. She said that if you have the heroine in the basement folding laundry and thinking about her problems, you should be sprinkling hints that the heroine isn't picking up but the reader is that there's a man with an ax sneaking up on her.Marilynn Byerlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16720129999636676998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-80327904890402583432010-04-26T09:13:25.819-04:002010-04-26T09:13:25.819-04:00I'm one who has trouble with writing descripti...I'm one who has trouble with writing description but this post will definitely help me in that area. This will be very helpful in knowing when, where and how to add the important stuff. Thanks!Jaydee Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01069805915071090479noreply@blogger.com