Has the interest thread on your novel slackened? Does your novel suffer from "middle age syndrome" by sagging in the middle? Here's a few tips for tightening it.
1) Beat the Clock: Add a challenge with an expiration date.
2) Betrayal: a friend becomes a foe.
3) Danger: Introduce elements that put characters at risk of harm.
3) Flashbacks: Memories that add snippets of knowledge crucial to a better understanding of the character and his past that will also impact his present and/or future.
4) Foreshadowing: Throw out shadows of approaching trouble.
5) Frustrate the Goal: Keep it out of your character's reach.
8) Rivalry: Have two characters bid for the same prize.
10) Subtext: Implication adds mystery and draws the reader in.
11) The Unknown: Keep your character (and your readers) guessing.
12) Villains: Add one or more to challenge your character and give him something to fight against, even if the villain is simply the "man in the mirror."
1) Beat the Clock: Add a challenge with an expiration date.
2) Betrayal: a friend becomes a foe.
3) Danger: Introduce elements that put characters at risk of harm.
3) Flashbacks: Memories that add snippets of knowledge crucial to a better understanding of the character and his past that will also impact his present and/or future.
4) Foreshadowing: Throw out shadows of approaching trouble.
5) Frustrate the Goal: Keep it out of your character's reach.
6) Raise the Bar/Stakes/Personal Involvement: The more bigger the goal, the harder your character will try to attain it, and the more readers will root for him.
7) Revelation: New information or comprehension that changes a character's or plot's course.
8) Rivalry: Have two characters bid for the same prize.
9) Threaten a Loved One: And make your character fight to save him.
10) Subtext: Implication adds mystery and draws the reader in.
11) The Unknown: Keep your character (and your readers) guessing.
12) Villains: Add one or more to challenge your character and give him something to fight against, even if the villain is simply the "man in the mirror."
