To create excellent prose
you need to use the five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. But to
create amazing suspense and horror, you need to also use the sixth sense: your intuitive
hunch, or more precisely, your character’s intuitive hunch.
Letting your readers know your MC's thoughts can help them identify with your character and
understand his/her motives. It can also add depth to your story. And including
the sixth sense can heighten the suspense in your story, which is always a
plus!
When a character senses
something dangerous is close, but doesn’t know what it is, then the reader’s
anticipation and fear grows too. If a character has a hunch that something bad
is about to happen, your readers will become as anxious as your character. What is it? What’s going to happen? How bad
will it be?
Here are 3 tips on how to use a character’s sixth sense in your
story:
1. Give your character a reason
to use his/her sixth sense.
You can do this by creating a suspicious character who gives your
protagonist an odd feeling, writing about an event that leads him/her to
believe something isn’t right, or by putting your character in a place or situation
that gives him/her a reason to suspect danger is close.
 |
| Oh my gosh! What is behind me? Giving me . . . antennas? haha |
2. Add suspense!
The best way to make the most out of a character’s sixth sense is
to add a great deal of suspense to your story. In turn, your character’s sixth
sense will become a major part of the suspense.
Suspense can be created with something as small as a frightening
sound that your protagonist hears, or as big as seeing headlights in his/her
rear-view mirror and thinking it belongs to a car of someone who is following
him/her.
3. Make your protagonist’s
fear/hunch real.
When your MC’s sixth sense is in full swing, don’t just brush it
off as an overactive imagination. Let the fear/hunch be real, to some extent.
If your protagonist senses he/she is being followed, perhaps it’s not a stalker
but a friend who is trying to catch up to him/her. When you want the action to
start though, that is when the person will be a stalker.
For a great flash fiction piece by
Yolanda Renee that demonstrates the use and effectiveness of the sixth sense Click Here!
SHARE: Your tips to using a
character’s sixth sense.
QUESTION: Has your sixth sense ever
helped you?
And now...a peak into A Dragon's Lament, Book Two of the Jewels of Chandra series by my friend, River
Fairchild!
Title:
A Dragon's Lament
Series:
Book 2 Jewels of Chandra
Author:
River Fairchild
Genre:
Fantasy
Format:
Ebook and Paperback
Published:
April 16th 2014
BLURB:
Magic is real. So is
betrayal.
David enters the Fire
Kingdom and events shift from bad to worse. He learns a shocking truth about
the dragons, a truth destined to block his efforts to retrieve the lost magic
of Shaylar from the ruling Council. After a cave-in and injuries
force a rescue, David finds himself more isolated than before as personal
concerns scatter his trusted advisors and the wizard who led him there abandons
him.
The head of the dragon
Council negotiates separate deals with both David and his father, sowing
further discord between them. David's close friend, Lothan, disappears into the
caves and doesn't return. A group of dissidents kidnap Wilks, the child empath
David is sworn to protect. With no options left, he accepts the Council's
demands to help them in their centuries-old conflict, risking a war which might
kill them all.
Even if David manages to
win, there's no guarantee the dragons will let him leave the region alive. They
don't want the Kingdom of Shaylar to rise again and will stop at nothing to see
it remain a pile of dust.
BOOK
LINKS:
BIO:
River Fairchild is somewhat odd, brandishes a dry sense of
humor, owned by several cats. Lives in a fantasy world. A fabricator of magic.
Makes stuff up and spins tales about it. Believes in Faerie crossings and never
staying in one place for very long. Speculative Fiction wordsmith. The secret
to her stories? Spread lies, blend in truths, add a pinch of snark and a dash
of tears. Escape into her world. She left the porch light on so you can find
your way down the rabbit hole.
AUTHOR LINKS:
QUESTIONS: So, what do you think of the cover for A Dragon's Lament? And the blurb? You liked it, right? ;)
Hi Chrys. Great post. I love using a sixth sense for my characters and for creating tension. But sometimes I like it when I've seen writers pull off having a character who doesn't know they should be worried, but the reader does know. :-) I like it both ways.
ReplyDeleteDeb@ http://debioneille.blogspot.com
Both ways are certainly good! I like tricking my readers too, and surprising them by having something happen suddenly that they and my characters don't expect. ;)
DeleteCongratulations, River!
ReplyDeleteI probably need to use the sixth sense more often.
It could be useful, Alex. :)
DeleteThanks so much for highlighting my book, Chrys!
ReplyDeleteYes, there is so much added with a sixth sense...especially if a shadow with antennas sneaks up on you...LOL!
You're so very welcome, River. Any time, any book! :D
Deletelol You have to watch out for those shadows with antennas. :P
The sixth sense can be played with well, sure much more fun than smell lol
ReplyDeleteSmell can get tricky . . . and disgusting. haha
DeleteEvery time I read the BLURB I imagine myself as David.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to River she does a great job!
She sure does!
DeleteRiver's cover is freaking gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI like the sixth sense, assuming the character has one. :) I have one character who relies heavily on his, while another one who is almost oblivious.
Isn't it? It blows me mind. The cover for Diamonds and Dust is also gorgeous.
DeleteI hope all characters have one because most people have a sixth sense, some are just more powerful than others. :)
Great post! I think using a character's sixth sense can add depth or excitement to any story, even if you're writing women's fiction.
ReplyDeleteAnd my own has served me very well, but all the resulting stories are pretty creepy. Let's just say it's kept me out of some bad situations.
I agree. The sixth scene could be used for every genre. :)
DeleteWell, then that's good!
Yay, I like seeing this book around.
ReplyDeleteI believe in a sixth sense and enjoy it when characters have it too.
So do I. Just like I loved seeing your book around. :)
DeleteI totally believe in the sixth sense. I love to see it in books. These are great tips, Chrys.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kelly!
DeleteI enjoy it when an author pulls off a 6th sense aspect well--it does take time and care to weave it into a story though. I think that is where your #3 is important.
ReplyDeleteI do belief there is something beyond what medical science tells us there is. When I worked in uniform, there were several times when I felt the need to do something that worked out well for all in the end.
Keep up the good writing Chrys.
It does take care to make it effective.
DeleteThank you! I will. ;)
Great tips!
ReplyDeleteThe cover for Dragon's Lament is gorgeous.
Thank you! I know . . . I'm in love with it. :)
DeleteWow, that cover is freakin' gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteThe MC of my WIP actually has a notorious overactive imagination, so her 'sixth sense' is always getting her in trouble. :-)
Isn't it?!
DeleteThat's great! :P
Thank you for your kind support, much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Carole! :)
DeleteMany writers neglect the sixth sense in their characters. I might need to use it more often for mine, too. Great cover and blurb. Congratulations to River on the release!
ReplyDeleteThey do and it is an invaluable tool. :)
Delete