Increasing Tension in First Person

Everything I had read about tension had been about third person. And in my experience, most of the suspenseful books I've enjoyed have been told in third person. So why then did I attempt to write a suspenseful book in first person?? Why would I even attempt such a feat?

When I started writing The Ethos (working title only) I just wrote. I didn't think about genres and I didn't really outline. Sure, I'd daydream about what would be the most awesome thing to happen, and many of my ideas actually came from songs. And I'm not here to say this was a good approach--this is just what I did. It was fun! Actually the most fun I've ever had!

So then I started to categorize my book. I told another writer about it (rather embarrassingly) and she said, "Oh, yeah, you've written a Fantasy). I blanked my face, smiled and nodded, but then thought to myself, "Fantasy! Are you kidding me! I hate those dragons and swords book! Is that really what I wrote?"

Of course there are many types of Fantasy. The paranormal, the high and low (but I'm new to this writing world and thought a lot about genres in a whole new way). But when I submitted to WiDo, I classified my book as Suspense with strong doses of romance and fantasy. I still didn't really know how to classify it, but that was the best I could do.

Well. When they sent the contract, they called it Suspense. And when they wrote to say what they'd like fixed with the book, they said they wanted more "mystery us, thrill us." AND that my story "wandered and floundered." Ee-gads! Was it really that bad?!

But they were willing to work with me so I rolled my sleeves up and went to work. I bought a few plot books (major good move here). They REALLY helped me know what to toss, what to keep.

But then my editor said he didn't like one of things I'd done (but loved other moves). I actually added another view point, a suggestion from a fabulous book, The Power of Point of View. Well, I'm sure it has worked for others (I'm actually quite jealous, really) because I guess it didn't work for me.

SO then I thought... if we're nixing this viewpoint (it was the antagonist's by the way) how can I up the ante for tension?

I ran back to the bookstore, desperate for some answers. And God must have had his highlighter out for me, because I found just what I needed!!

A few things... anything I will continue to say will sound like.--duh!--anyone knows that! But try writing a book! That's all I can say. We do our best then discover how to make it better. And what I found was, as I told a friend, oh so revelatory and oh so applicable.

1. The first thing I learned was to threaten the life of a friend with a story told in first person. Wait. Rewind. I'm not going to threaten my friend--Olivia's friend (she's my protagonist). I need to threaten her friend!

CHECK. Done that. Hopefully my editor likes it. But I think this is a perfect idea because you typically know the narrator is going to live when the story is told in first person.

2. Try pop goes the weasle instead of the Big Bang.

Confession. I did The Big Bang. In a really bad way, but didn't know how to do it otherwise. Need clarification? Okay, so in my first draft my bad guy popped in into the picture just when the writer expected him to. Why was I so pathetic? Well... this is a process, what can I say. So then a seasoned writer (which I know many of you out there are and I am not so stop laughing!) knows you must string the reader along, set up clues, and then smack the reader with the attack when they least likely expect.

Easier said than done. Still haven't mastered that.

3. Setting up those clues

I liked what one author said in one of those how-to writing books I was reading. He said in one well written Suspense told in the first person, the narrator was fleeing from her ex-husband--actually hid from him for a few years. He was really bad and also OCD. Well then she started to notice her towels were perfectly hung, and her canned goods were perfectly stacked. EEK! She knew he was around, but didn't know how or where. Very cool.

4. Last one. Do the "If I had known then what I know now" line. I'm trying that one too, but don't want to spoil it. We'll see if it works.

Well, that's it. I know most don't want to share tricks of their trade. But what can I say? I'm just a novice learning along the rest of you. And loving it oh-too-much and am much more than stoked that WiDo publishing is willing to work with me!