Mastering Suspense, Structure, and Plot - by Jane K Cleland (Paperback)

About the Book

"Suspense is one of the most powerful tools a writer has for captivating readers--but it isn't just for thrillers. From mainstream fiction to memoir, suspense creates the emotional tension that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Mastering Suspense, Structure, & Plot is your hands-on guide to weaving suspense into your narrative. Award-winning author Jane K. Cleland teaches you how to navigate genre conventions, write for your audience, and build gripping tension to craft an irresistible page-turner."--Back cover.

Book Synopsis

Using case studies, exercises, and dozens of examples from best-selling authors, learn how to write compelling stories that leave your readers wanting more.

Suspense is one of the most powerful tools a writer has for captivating readers - but it isn't just for thrillers. From mainstream fiction to memoir, suspense creates the emotional tension that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Mastering Suspense, Structure, & Plot is your hands-on guide to weaving suspense into your narrative. Award-winning author Jane K. Cleland teaches you how to navigate genre conventions, write for your audience, and build gripping tension to craft an irresistible page-turner.

Inside, Cleland will teach you how to:
- Implement thirteen no-fail techniques to construct an effective plot and structure for your story
- Use Cleland's Plotting Road Map to add elements of suspense like twists, reversals, and moments of danger
- Write subplots with purpose
- Improve your descriptions, character development, sentence structure, and more

"Indispensable! For newbie authors and veterans alike, this terrific how-to is your new go-to. Don't write your book without it - it's a treasure."
- Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony, Macavity and Mary Higgins Clark award-winning author

Review Quotes

"Award-winning author Jane Cleland has crafted an insightful and entertaining page-turner about crafting page-turners. Mastering Suspense, Structure, & Plot belongs on every writer's shelf." --Wendy Corsi Staub, New York Times best-selling author

"Unputdownably indispensable! For newbie authors and veterans alike, this terrific how-to is your new go-to. Don't write your book without it--it's a treasure." --Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony, Macavity and Mary Higgins Clark award winning author

"Masterful! I love this book. Oh, how I wish I'd had it when I was struggling with my first crime novel. This is a gold mine of information, of insight on how to structure and pace the novel. Brilliant. And even as I write my current book I find myself reflecting on her insights, and using them. This isn't about being formulaic. It's about first understanding the structure, and then making it your own. Mastering Suspense, Structure, & Plot is an absolutely extraordinary resource for anyone serious about writing not just a crime novel, but any book. --Louise Penny, #1 New York Times best-selling author

"Jane Cleland had drawn a detailed road map for navigating the suspense-writing journey. In a well-thought-out and artfully constructed way, she concisely covers it all. I wish I had read Mastering Suspense, Structure, & Plot before I ever started writing mysteries, but I sure am glad to have this book now." --Mary Jane Clark, New York Times best-selling author

"Leave it to Jane Cleland, the reigning queen of the traditional mystery, to reveal the secrets of suspense--and to take the sweat out of writing today's hottest genre!" --Paula Munier, senior literary agent at Talcott Notch Literary Agency and author of Plot Perfect