The Art of Patience & Timeless – Giveaway & Cover Reveal
Reading can sometimes be a curious thing. I can’t say I spend a lot of time analyzing the books I read, at least not as I’m reading them. But what strikes me a lot in the stories I love are how patient they are.
When I started off in the land of writing novels, I rushed everything. I wrote 150 page “novels” back then, to give you an idea of what I mean. Even though things are much better now and I’ve stopped writing like a rabid dog is chasing me, I’m still struck by how patient some writers are. How complete the endings are. How thought out and detailed everything is. How even the seemingly mundane day to day of the character’s lives are so fascinating and building up to something great.
One reason this is so fascinating to me is that I don’t write heart-pounding action novels. I’m what I like to call “a slow burn” kind of writer. There might be some action peppered here and there, but most of my stories build up to a crescendo. To that final swell in the music. Of course, you can’t just end the song there. You have to come down from that, even if the coming down is only you slowly regaining your hearing after being rendered temporarily deaf.
I’ve gone through a spell of time in which I thought that slow burn kind of writing was boring. That I had to throw more pulse-pounding action (or more blood) into the story in order for it to be interesting.
But in thinking about the last couple of long fiction pieces that I’ve read (novellas and novels) and a couple of suspenseful movies that I love, I’ve learned that I can be on the proverbial or literal edge of my seat, and absolutely “nothing” is going on in the story. Someone is just driving down the road and thinking or walking around the neighborhood and literally sniffing flowers. And I’m engaged and interested and sometimes even a little unnerved and frightened or wildly excited (for no apparent reason.)
As a paranormal writer, I’m starting to see just how perfect patience and slow burns are for driving people mad (in a good way). 😉
Just some thoughts. 🙂
And speaking of interesting paranormal — it’s Shiny Cover Reveal & Giveaway Time!! 😀
Time traveler Alexia races against her own clock and the birth of her child to stop the Soulless from existing.
In 1771, Alexia had everything: the man of her dreams, reconciliation with her father, even a child on the way. But she was never meant to stay. It broke her heart, but Alexia heeded destiny and traveled five hundred years back to stop the Soulless from becoming.
In the thirteenth century, the Holy Roman Church has ordered the Knights Templar to exterminate the Passionate, her bloodline. As Alexia fights this new threat — along with an unfathomable evil and her own heart — the Soulless genesis nears. But none of her hard-won battles may matter if she dies in childbirth before completing her mission.
Can Alexia escape her own clock?
8 Comments
Tonja Drecker
An amazing writer can make drinking tea into an inspiring moment. Patience is not my strong point, but I’m trying to learn. Tell me when you figure it out 😉
Congrats, Cyrstal! I loved the first two books in the series and am really looking forward to this one.
authorcrystalcollier
Yay! I’m so glad, Tonja. It’s a good one.
Krystal Jane
Will do! LOL! 😀
authorcrystalcollier
Krystal! Thank you so much for sharing my cover today!
My mantra a few years ago became “tension all the time.” Doesn’t matter if that tension is emotional, plot driven, or just a lingering question. As long as there’s something that the reader needs answered, and you don’t serious anger them along the way, they’ll read on.
Krystal Jane
Always happy to! ^_^
Tension is good. As long as I can keep something lingering in the background. 🙂 I’m learning from people who know what they’re doing. ^_^
authorcrystalcollier
That’s the only way to do it.
Sunflower Michelle
I don’t know if I’m a patient writer, but I’ve caught myself writing in the past where there’s no conflict–like, I completely missed that part of the memo.
Krystal Jane
That’s probably better than conflict that doesn’t make any sense. I’ve had that problem in the past. I’m more patient than I realize though. I think. 🙂