Okay, so you want to get to work? I don't blame you! Jump right in! Probably you already have a dramatic moment in mind, a crucial moment in your future book. Time to transform it into a scene! If you remember from my earlier post "The Basic Recipe" each scene has three elements: action, dialog and description. Aim for between 1 and 3 pages. Here's the breakdown:
1) Begin in the middle of the action. (The car skidding, the gun pointing, the letter crumpling in the fist, the door slamming, the phone ringing.)
2) Think like a movie producer. Zoom in from a distance and get close with your details.
3) Get the main character right into the mess. Get those feelings, impressions and thoughts down. Let them use all their senses.
4) Take a breath and set the stage. Where is this taking place? Why is the main character here?
5) Dialog. Don't say a word that doesn't either foreshadow, reveal character or give essential information.
6) More action. Finish the action you started, and if possible, get something else brewing so you can end with a hook. (the car skids to a stop...on the edge of a cliff.)
Now, remember action isn't just car chases and cliff-hangers. You romance writers know that a good deal of suspense and action can be subtle and interpersonal. Sometimes the action is as quiet as character having a life-changing thought. Use what works.
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