The 30-second Commercial Test

Has your novel, book, script, or short story taken the 30-second Commercial test?

If not, don't write another word until you read the rest of this article. It's that important. Bestselling writers know something that other, less successful writers don't: they know how to craft mind-tingling stories that readers crave. They are literary drug dealers selling high moments of fear, love, anger, disgust, tension, horror, jealously, and more.

They know about the 30-Second Commercial test.

Now you will, too.

How to Take The 30-Second Test

1. Have a specific story, book, novel or screenplay in mind.
2. Set a clock or timer for 30 seconds.
3. Start the timer.
4. As fast as you can, write down the big scenes of your story, the one's you would put in a commercial, only the biggest, boldest scenes of the entire work.
5. Stop writing at the end of 30 seconds.

Go ahead and stop and take the test now. Really. Go ahead. I'll wait.

OK, if you took the test, you now have a list of the high moments in your story.

Secrets From the Test

Now let's look at what the test results tell us. Here are a few things to consider from the commercial test experience.

How hard was it to come up with this list? If it was very difficult and you didn't finish in time, that might tell you that you might not have a clear picture of your story. I suggest that you put in some time fleshing out the story, especially the high moments, those scenes that are most memorable, often involving violence, conflict, and love.

How many high points do you have listed? If you have at least ten, you are doing well. If you have less than ten, I strongly encourage you to examine your story with this question in mind: "How can I squeeze more high points into this part of the story?" Often the answer will include adding another layer of conflict, a new twist or obstacle that prevents your main characters from reaching their goals. If you have 20 or more high points, you are either writing an epic fantasy novel or you might be trying to cram too much into one novel. Consider breaking your story into two or three parts and writing a trilogy or series.

*Hint: In the end, each story, and sometimes each genre, dictates the number of high points.


Additional miscellaneous tips about the 30-second Commercial Test

1. Stop and think about the commercials you see on TV (or your computer, smart-phone or other new advancement in technology.
2. Commercials cram as much information, visuals, movement, humor, etc. as possible into the shortest amount of time possible. Seconds equal money.
3.Visualize a commercial or movie trailer for your story. What events are included? those are your high points or major scenes.
4. An additional benefit of taking this test is that now you have an outline of your story, an a good primer for your query letter and synopsis. You might even be able to parlay this information into a back cover blurb or use it on promotional materials in your book marketing.


Enjoy your writing!

CK

The Boo Radley Factor

Boo Radley.

Boo is the mysterious and unforgettable character lurking in the background of the perpetual classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. As a highschooler, I fondly remember this book as one of the first that ignited my passion for reading. The story is fast-paced, funny and utterly suspenseful. It's so good that I still can't believe they call it homework.

Many of the best stories I've read, or seen played out on the silver screen, include what I call the "Boo Radley" Factor. There is this element of suspense that hangs over the entire length of the book, mysterious and threatening. Often, we readers don't find out the "truth" about this element until the end (or near the end) of the novel.

In the movie, The Terminal, Tom Hanks carries around a small box for the entire movie, only occasionally referencing it, just a note of added suspense to a good movie. This small extra element increases interest, engagement and adds another layer of suspense to the story.


Note from both of my examples that the element you use for suspense can be a character (a person, animal, the weather, creatures, etc) or a physical object (box, bomb, etc). The possibilities, as they say, are endless.


In what way can you add the "Boo Radley" factor to your current or next story? Is there some small element of suspense you can use to ratchet up the thrills?

To consider this issue deeply, here are some final thoughts and questions to ask yourself:

1. Is there a character in your story that naturally fits the "Boo Radley" mold?
2. If so, how can you maximize the suspense with this character? How long can you hide him or her before you make the big reveal? (hint: the longer, the better)
3. Is there an object in your novel that naturally creates suspense? How can you increase the suspense level? How can you make your readers wait longer to understand what the object is or what it means?
4. How can the character or object reveal new plot information, double as a reversal or reveal a new side of a character? How many ways can you think of to use the character or object? Try to come up with at least two.

The Sound-Secrets of a Bestseller

What does "sound" have to do with writing bestsellers?

Maybe everything. Before I stumbled upon this sneaky little writing secret, I wrote "OK" stories. My writing was sub par, good but not great, trapped in that thorny cage of perfect sentence structure and grammatical correctness. Not until I read about these "sound secrets" did I truly understand the depth and complexity of the art of storytelling, the hidden byways that transformed mundane writing into mesmerizing fiction (or non-fiction, as it may be).

If you'd like to make that same transformation in your writing, if you find yourself unable to move forward in your writing ability, if you regularly (like I did) bang your head up against the brick wall of rules and instructions about what makes a good sentence, then this is for you. Listen closely, fellow writer, and discover something I think is remarkable and perhaps life-changing.


You may never read another story the same way again.

Here, then, are the "sound secrets" of bestseller writing:

1. Good writing is as much (and maybe more) about how the writing "sounds" than if it is technically correct.
2. After you write a sentence or a paragraph or you whole story, come back and read it out loud. Really, it's not a bad practice. You may "hear" your writing differently when it's brought up from the page or screen into the life of the verbal world. If it sounds choppy (and that's not your goal), fix it. If it sounds strange in any way (and that's not your goal), make some changes.
3. Writing for "sound" is part science and part art. Over time, you will develop better writing "ears." Be gentle with yourself and keep practicing. Compare your work to bestselling writers. Notice the cadence of their sentences, the musical quality to their paragraphs. Read good poetry and fiction.Dean Koontz is a good author to read for "sound." So is Stephen Hunter, author of the Bob Lee Swagger novel series. A recent author I discovered is Micheal Williams, author of Trajan's arch. (You can find this book at http://www.blackwyrm.com)
4. When editing your writing for "sound," consider combining sentences, or separating them, changing the structure or changing the length. Each sentence should flow naturally into the next, like waves rolling to the shore, or a current tugging your reader along. It is a subtle art of nuances, background shadows playing on the wall,unseen and unnoticed, but imminently important. It often makes the difference between clunky fiction and catapulting success.
5. Remember, as a general rule, vary your sentences structure and length. This is the start of "sound." Of course, at times you may want to write a string of short, choppy sentences. That creates mood. Tone. Atmosphere. You may also want to write a very long sentence, unbroken by the mind-stopping presence of a period, punctuated only by the occasional comma, a dance of words on the page to draw the reader further and further into the iron grip of your story. The point is to write on purpose, controlling the pace of the story. A slow Waltz here, a Quick-step there.
6. Word choice also matters. This will probably be the focus of a future article, but suffice it to say that poor word choices can ruin a perfectly good sentence. Choose your words wisely. Use a thesaurus. Steal cool words from other authors (just don't plagiarize, please!)

With these tools, you have what you need to "re-tune" your writing. Work on the sound, the cadence, the music of your stories, and watch them hypnotize readers, editors, literary agents and publishers alike.

The Heart of a Bestseller Part II

Welcome back, friend. Continuing with the last post, here are some additional writing secrets culled from Dean Koontz's Your Heart Belongs to Me.

Chapter 2

-The main character reacts and responds both physically, emotionally and mentally to the "episode" in the water (Don't know what I'm talking about? Review the previous post, Heart of a Bestseller Part I).
-The chapter is filled with wonderful sentences like, "The offshore breeze strengthened, blowing liquid smoke off the lips of the waves."
-The two main characters move from the beach to an apartment, where they eat and talk about Sam's (female main character) history with a certain family member. Talk is off death and dying, with a bit of Koontz humor drizzled in for flavor.
-The chapter ends with a short, powerful scene where Ryan (male protagonist) experiences another "episode" with his heart.

Chapter 3

-This four-page chapter details the "episode," detailing both the physical experience and Ryan's response to it.
-More beautiful language.

Chapter 4

-More response to the episodes. Ryan decides to have a doctor check him out.

Chapter 5

-Ryan at the doctor's office.
-The dialogue between doctor (who is a friend) and patient dominates this chapter. The doctor gives information, Ryan responds to it. After dumping the painful prognosis, the doctor and patient talk of common things, things having nothing to do with death and dying or heart problems. They talk about boats.
-The end of the chapter finishes with the twosome returning briefly to the painful prognosis.


What writing secrets can you learn?

*Craft memorable and vivid sentences that fire your reader's brains with delight. Study how bestsellers like Koontz pair words and structure sentences.
*Describe (show!) your protagonist reacting and responding to what happens in the story.
*Go one step further by showing how your characters respond emotionally, physically and mentally to the events of the story. This will add depth and realism to your novel.
*After characters discuss a painful or uncomfortable topic, have them briefly talk about mundane subjects, like mutual passions for boats, for instance. Then, right before the end of the scene or chapter, have the characters return to the painful topic. This will lend the often elusive quality of subtext to your novel or short story.

Stay tuned for the next installment, Heart of a Bestseller Part III.

The Heart of a Bestseller Part I

What makes a bestseller?
What hidden techniques do bestselling novelists like Dean Koontz use to pen blockbuster after blockbuster after blockbuster?
How can you apply those same tricks and secrets to your own fictional stories?

For the answers, read on, fellow writer. Read on.

Let's take a recent bestseller from Dean Koontz, Your Heart Belongs to Me, and analyze it, scene by scene.

Chapter 1

• The first thing that happens is that you find out the protagonists name (first two words in the entire book): Ryan Perry and that something is "broken" in him. This establishes the major point of view character and creates suspense. Not bad for a first sentence.
• Next, the first page of the book tells us a little about Mr. Perry. He is thirty-four, in good shape, likes to exercise, he has money (he has his own home gym and personal trainer), and the man likes to surf. This is almost strictly telling, detail after detail, but it is delivered quickly while we are still spellbound wanting to know about this "brokenness."
• We get more details, a phone conversation with his significant other, Samantha, drizzled with the brief recounting of their first meeting. Notice these details are quickly related and well-written.
• During their phone conversation, we learn more about Ryan and Samantha, notably an occasion when Ryan "rode a shark." Again, interesting. Back and forth goes their dialogue with nary a tag of "said" to be found. Koontz identifies the players up front and then lets their particular speech patterns orient the reader.
• After the phone conversation, we get a little action (dressing to go surfing) and some more details about Ryan's personal and business history.
• The next scene takes place at the beach. Some dialogue, intermingled with poetic descriptions of the sand and surf. Classic Koontz.
  
• Once out in the waves, wading and waiting for a ride back to the beach, Ryan experiences what seems to be a heart attack. At this point in the story, all we know as a reader is that something terrible is happening to someone we already like. The scene ends with everything now seeming formidable and oppressing, the sea rising up against our hero, nature conspiring for his death.

What secrets can you dredge up from this first chapter?

1. Introduce the main characters fairly quickly.
2. Give each character a distinct and memorable speech pattern (way of speaking, commonly used terms and nicknames).
3. Bridge backstory with small scenes and ongoing action.
4. Begin and end with suspense. Keep the reader wanting more, unable to put down the story. Do this by indicating something "broken" or wrong, but not precisely labeling the "brokenness" just yet. Hint at future danger looming in the horizon.
5. Take something familiar to your character (surfing and the ocean to Ryan in our example) and turn it against the character, make it the seeming enemy.



Check out the next installment of "The Heart of a Bestseller" very soon.

God bless you!

How to Open Your Novel Like a Bestselling Author

Great novel openings are as varied as the bestselling writers who write them. And most bestselling authors open differently with each book. Take Dean Koontz for instance. Sometimes he opens his novels with action, sometimes with description, sometimes with an introduction of a memorable character.

Let's look deeper into how Dean Koontz (and other bestselling authors) crafts unforgettable first chapters. Heck, first pages!

The third installment of Koontz's Frankenstein trilogy, Dead and Alive, begins with a description of the weather. In most author's hands, such a beginning would fail miserably. Koontz, however, is no ordinary author.

How does he get away with starting his novel with a weather forecast? Below are a few of his sneaky little secrets.

1. Koontz starts with "Half past a windless midnight," setting the ominous tone with striking imagery, beautiful language. He continues this throughout the novel.
   
2. Koontz uses vivid verbs. Rain does not fall, it "canters."
3. Koontz uses rhythm and cadence, a kind of musical poetry to entrance the reader.
4. Koontz describes how the setting is different. Clubs and restaurants that usually stay open late are closed.
5. Koontz explains (yes explains, this is telling folks!) that a hurricane is coming. This is not your average weather report. This is a problem on the horizon, danger looming loud and big.
   
6. Koontz doesn't write like Hemingway (not usually, anyway). Many of his sentences, including the first one in this novel is long, very long. However, he doesn't waste words: he pulls everything he can from each and every word.

In summary, the opening of this novel works because the language is poetic and suggests trouble, problems, change and perhaps even violence. The words draw you in, pull you down the page, unrelenting in their ability to keep you reading.

Avoid Backstory Bloopers

Stop dead in their tracks.

That is what readers will do if you begin your novel or short story with dreaded, boring backstory. If you want to ruin all chances of your novel breaking out, go ahead, be my guest. Dump all the details of your character's past and family history on page one.

Really. See how much backstory you can cram into the first couple pages. Who needs action, suspense or drama. Give me half a dozen paragraphs about how your hero came to be the person he is today. Better yet, describe in intimate detail his upbringing, complete with his favorite subjet in school.

Yawn!

OK, you may be saying. What about the novels, even bestsellers out there that seem to ignore this advice.

Truth is, once some authors prove to publishing houses and editors that they will pull in big bucks regardless of the quality of the story, you can only guess how quickly shoddy work gets pushed through the publishing presses. Fact: Sometimes current bestsellers are NOT the best teachers of how to write your own bestselling novel. It doesn't make sense on the surface. Not one bit. However, on deeper reflection it's sad, but true.

Here's how you can avoid backstory bloopers:

1. Avoid backstory in the first chapter of your novel, period.
2. Avoid backstory as long as you can. Drop it in as late as possible.
3. Now go back and move it farther back in your story. Move it one or two chapters deeper still.
4. If backstory IS essential, dole it out in bite-size sentences, not whopping paragraphs.
5. Condense the backstory as much as possible. Shorter is sweeter.
6. Mix backstory with current action, drama and suspense.
7. Make getting the backstory a scene goal, or somehow important to a character.
8. Surround the backstory with conflict and turmoil.
9. Make the backstory part of a shocking revelation later in the novel.
10. Now go back and move that backstory farther still in your novel!

Remember, the longer you delay giving backstory, the more interested the reader.