FINISH THE BOOK, THEN ENJOY THIS

DYING BREATH Read along Day 5

You've made it to the end, and I hope you were surprised by the killer’s identity. It’s always difficult for me, when I’m writing a book, to gauge whether or not it’s suspenseful enough; whether the twists and cliffhangers are effective.

Remember, being an author is not like being a performer on a stage. Performers can tell, based on applause or tossed tomatoes, whether they’re tanking or not. Authors don’t necessarily get reader feedback unless someone happens to be reading the book right under their nose.

Whenever I’m fortunate enough that someone is reading my latest book in my presence (cough–my husband-cough), it’s all I can do not to hang over his shoulder asking, “Now who do you think dunnit? Did you rule out any suspects? Did you like that scene on the boat? Huh? Did you? Huh? Huh?”

As you can imagine, that doesn’t go over big around here.

So I’d really love to know your impressions of DYING BREATH, now that all is said and done. Don’t say it in the forum–I don’t want any spoilers posted here–but you can email me and let me know whether you figured out whodunnit, and if so, when–what tipped you off? And which red herrings effectively led you in the wrong direction?

Whenever I reach the final chapters of a book, it’s typically writing itself at breakneck pace–no more laboring over phrasing, setting, plot details. I careen along, and so do the scenes–you’ll notice that they are much shorter, with more of a staccato pacing that reflects the action itself.

This is always my favorite part of the writing process. I can’t wait to see what happens next. I mean, I know what happens next...but I want to see it. I want to make it happen. This is when my book becomes as much a page-turner for me as it is for my readers.

I’ll confess that a germ of an idea for the plot of DYING BREATH came from a Little House on the Prairie episode called “My Ellen.” Both my editor John and I had been huge Little House buffs years ago--as kids, obviously long before we ever met--and we had both been struck by the uncharacteristically creepy gothic elements of that episode. When I conceived the premise for DYING BREATH, John said, “Oooh, it kind of reminds me of that Little House episode where Laura...” And I said, “Yes! Exactly!”

We both also loved the idea of the dusty old Christmas decorations and the staged holiday celebration. Don’t you think there’s something disconcerting about Christmas decorations when it’s not Christmas? I wanted to use that eerie scene to show the reader–and poor Tess--just how deluded the killer really was.

It’s never easy to pinpoint just the right moment when the killer should officially be unmasked. Sometimes, I’ll write the “big reveal” over and over, moving it around until it feels right.

Here, while I come right out and say the killer’s name at the very end of chapter 18, I drop the definitive clue in earlier, when Tess opens the present and discovers the starfish and lighthouse charms. That serves as a sort of teaser for attentive readers.

There are always a lot of loose ends to wrap up at the end of a thriller, and it can be tricky to explain the killer’s motivation without creating an unrealistic, Scooby-Doo-ish expository scene. You know what I mean: where the mild-mannered amusement park owner turns out to be the funhouse villain who’s been sabotaging all the amusement park rides–or something like that--and the action stops at a pivotal moment so that he can give a complete explanation for his actions and snarl, “I would have gotten away with it, too, without you meddling kids,” just before he’s led away in handcuffs.

While I can’t go that route, I can’t leave the reader hanging, either, at this point–wondering why the killer was motivated to do what he or she did. You’ll notice that I needed to layer in just enough of this information not to stall the plot–but to satisfy the reader’s curiosity.

Here, I also had to explain what happened to Brenda, Cam’s mother. She is certainly a flawed character–as is Ike–but I believe, in the end, that the actions of both are believable and motivated.

Did you notice, however, that the questions involving Ava’s death aren’t resolved? Or that Lucinda seems intrigued by it all?

Hmm. That might not be an accident.

Tune into DYING LIGHT to find out what happened in the past...and what’s about to happen next!

I promise it won’t be dull–not with Lucinda Sloan as the heroine. We’ve already established that she has an affinity for things that aren’t good for her. Like Randy. And junk food.What is Lucinda eating when we first meet her in DYING BREATH? The first person to post the correct answer below will win that treat...along with a $10 Borders Gift Card so that you can buy a copy of DYING LIGHT when it goes on sale next spring!(Remember only members can enter.. So if you're a member make sure you're signed in. If you're not a member, click here to join the Wendy Corsi Staub Community and take part in this and other great experiences!)

Leave a comment below, or meet and comment with other members at the DYING BREATH forum