Why Every Plot Needs A Ticking Clock

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Sometimes, characters need a little boost to get them moving so the plot doesn’t stall.

I tend to procrastinate, especially when I already have a lot that on my plate. My to-do list fills up, and any task that won’t get me into trouble if I ignore it falls lower and lower on the list until it’s forgotten.

This can be problematic in life, but it’s deadly for a plot.

If the novel’s problem can be resolved “whenever” and it doesn’t matter when that happens, there’s no sense of urgency to the story. No urgency lowers tension, and low tension makes it harder for readers to care. And a lack of caring means the book will probably wind up forgotten at the bottom of a to-read list.

How a Ticking Clock Reveals Character and Propels Your Plot

By Sarah Skilton, @Sarah_Skilton

Part of the How They Do It Series

JH: There’s no greater motivator than a hard deadline (right writers?), and that’s just as true for our characters. Today, Sarah Skilton visits the lecture hall to share some tips on using a ticking clock to keep your plot and characters moving.

Sarah Skilton is a book blogger with Barnes & Noble as well as the author of two young adult novels, Bruised and High & Dry. Her first adult novel, Club Deception, was published by Grand Central in 2017. Last year she participated as a judge on the juvenile committee for the 2019 Edgar Awards.

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Take it away Sarah…

Tick--Tick--Tension: Setting the Clock

By James R. Tuck, @JamesTuckwriter

Part of the How They Do It Series (Monthly contributor)

Story is about tension.

Conflict, its resolution, and the build up to that. Sometimes your story is about the tension between characters, sometimes it is the tension between a characters actions and the oncoming consequences, sometimes the tension comes from the circumstances the plot has put your characters in.

Tension occurs when you inform the reader that something is going to change, to be revealed, or even be destroyed. As the author you set a ticking time clock on the story and that knowledge will keep your reader turning pages.