Sandy Paull's Blog
July 21, 2017
How I write an action suspense novel
Anyone with a creative mind knows it doesn’t take much to get the brain cells multiplying, especially when a challenge comes their way. For me, writing an action/crime/suspense novel is my happy place, and I am pleased to have found it after all these years of raising a family and working various jobs. All it takes to get me started is a word, a sentence, or an observation, and the rest is history. There are many paths to take when outlining a plot, or plots, and so many characters to create, but sometimes, there just aren’t enough hours in a day to rattle my keyboard.
My initial plan is to jot down plot points in a notepad, sometimes compiling pages and pages of notes during a couple of hours, and then draft a manuscript on my laptop. I develop characters and traits, and timelines of the crimes being committed, but sometimes it doesn’t work out as first planned. My mind might have been stuck on a thought, and while it’s there, I concentrate all my efforts on creating dialogue to go with the scene. From there, I can work either way, and sometimes find myself back at the beginning adding something new. For me, there is no rule of thumb when it comes to writing. It’s not imperative for me to start at the start with every story.
Mystery movies, and authors like Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock, have always intrigued and inspired me and, to this day, I analyse movies in my head for many hours after watching them. I like to know the where’s and how-to’s of a supposed crime that has been committed, and fully expect my audience to do the same when reading the twists and turns in my novels.
I draw on my accomplishments in life, whether it be gymnastics, various sporting activities, martial arts, or one of the many things of little or no consequence to anyone else but me, when thinking up a believable storyline. And sometimes it’s good to think outside the square so that my characters’ actions surprise the reader.
In my stories, you will find all kinds of weapons, and there’s nothing like getting first-hand experience, feeling the recoil of a shotgun on your shoulder, or lining up a target with a shanghai and releasing the elastic band. It gives you a new perspective and appreciation for how to describe action scenes. Several years ago, I discovered my enjoyment of archery but as yet haven’t found a way to weave a bow and arrow into an inner city crime scene.
Short sentences help create suspense and anticipation, and I employ them whenever there is confrontation, which is typically every other page in my novels. My goal is to have my readers empathise with the protagonist, and at the same time despise the antagonist. The result I’m looking for is to have the reader wanting to keep turning page after page, seeking resolution.
I tend to model some of the traits of my leading lady on myself, knowing what it feels like to step out of my comfort zone, and to be able to multitask when under pressure. As for the male roles, I picture well-known actors playing their parts, and envisage how they would deal with a situation, whether it be good or bad.
Several months later, the story is usually completed, and the next leg of the journey starts with editing, proofreading, cover design, and publishing. It’s generally during this process I feel a sense of satisfaction tinged with a little sadness that it is all nearly over. The best thing of all is when the first carton of print books arrive at home, and I can physically hold my new creation.
The sense of achievement continues every single time I receive reviews and/or feedback from anyone who has read the book. But the work isn’t over just yet as marketing and promotions need to continue… but that’s another story!
My initial plan is to jot down plot points in a notepad, sometimes compiling pages and pages of notes during a couple of hours, and then draft a manuscript on my laptop. I develop characters and traits, and timelines of the crimes being committed, but sometimes it doesn’t work out as first planned. My mind might have been stuck on a thought, and while it’s there, I concentrate all my efforts on creating dialogue to go with the scene. From there, I can work either way, and sometimes find myself back at the beginning adding something new. For me, there is no rule of thumb when it comes to writing. It’s not imperative for me to start at the start with every story.
Mystery movies, and authors like Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock, have always intrigued and inspired me and, to this day, I analyse movies in my head for many hours after watching them. I like to know the where’s and how-to’s of a supposed crime that has been committed, and fully expect my audience to do the same when reading the twists and turns in my novels.
I draw on my accomplishments in life, whether it be gymnastics, various sporting activities, martial arts, or one of the many things of little or no consequence to anyone else but me, when thinking up a believable storyline. And sometimes it’s good to think outside the square so that my characters’ actions surprise the reader.
In my stories, you will find all kinds of weapons, and there’s nothing like getting first-hand experience, feeling the recoil of a shotgun on your shoulder, or lining up a target with a shanghai and releasing the elastic band. It gives you a new perspective and appreciation for how to describe action scenes. Several years ago, I discovered my enjoyment of archery but as yet haven’t found a way to weave a bow and arrow into an inner city crime scene.
Short sentences help create suspense and anticipation, and I employ them whenever there is confrontation, which is typically every other page in my novels. My goal is to have my readers empathise with the protagonist, and at the same time despise the antagonist. The result I’m looking for is to have the reader wanting to keep turning page after page, seeking resolution.
I tend to model some of the traits of my leading lady on myself, knowing what it feels like to step out of my comfort zone, and to be able to multitask when under pressure. As for the male roles, I picture well-known actors playing their parts, and envisage how they would deal with a situation, whether it be good or bad.
Several months later, the story is usually completed, and the next leg of the journey starts with editing, proofreading, cover design, and publishing. It’s generally during this process I feel a sense of satisfaction tinged with a little sadness that it is all nearly over. The best thing of all is when the first carton of print books arrive at home, and I can physically hold my new creation.
The sense of achievement continues every single time I receive reviews and/or feedback from anyone who has read the book. But the work isn’t over just yet as marketing and promotions need to continue… but that’s another story!
July 11, 2016
No one-hit wonder!
Before my first book came out, I was apprehensive and excited all at the same time with the thought of finally being published, and since then I have produced another, and another. I mightn’t have been as emotional this time, but I still have to pinch myself when I see my three books sitting side by side, each with its own unique cover design and my name in bold print. I suppose it is like an anti-climax now that the publishing is all done and dusted, and part of me still doesn’t believe it has really happened. If I had known, way back in my childhood, where my imagination could really take me, I probably would have found my happy place a lot sooner.
Story-writing takes me away from real life dramas and allows me to give you, the reader, the chance to do the same. It is therapeutic, and at times very absorbing, but a worthwhile occupation.
When people learn that I am a published author, I often get comments like, “I wish I could write a book,” or “I want to be a writer,” and my response is always the same… pick up a pen and start writing! Let your mind wander. The process starts with a thought, or a single sentence, and it would be a shame to leave this earth with a story waiting to be told.
During the past year, I finished 2 x 100,000 word manuscripts and started 2 more stories, one of them being the sequel to ‘Clouds of Grey’, and no, this one is not set in a rainforest, although it does have one in it.
‘Witness Protection’, my third release, was first written many years ago as a 7000 word short story, and once I got my teeth into it, I expanded it to 96,000 words. The bad guys were a joy to work on, not too over-the-top, but hopefully menacing enough to make the reader take an instant dislike to them. Don’t get me wrong, I love the good guys as well – they all have heart, and have equally important roles to play.
As usual, there are twist and turns, and several fight scenes that will have you turning the page to see who makes it out alive.
I will be doing spin-offs from ‘Witness Protection’, so be prepared for more action/suspense in 2017/2018.Witness Protection
Story-writing takes me away from real life dramas and allows me to give you, the reader, the chance to do the same. It is therapeutic, and at times very absorbing, but a worthwhile occupation.
When people learn that I am a published author, I often get comments like, “I wish I could write a book,” or “I want to be a writer,” and my response is always the same… pick up a pen and start writing! Let your mind wander. The process starts with a thought, or a single sentence, and it would be a shame to leave this earth with a story waiting to be told.
During the past year, I finished 2 x 100,000 word manuscripts and started 2 more stories, one of them being the sequel to ‘Clouds of Grey’, and no, this one is not set in a rainforest, although it does have one in it.
‘Witness Protection’, my third release, was first written many years ago as a 7000 word short story, and once I got my teeth into it, I expanded it to 96,000 words. The bad guys were a joy to work on, not too over-the-top, but hopefully menacing enough to make the reader take an instant dislike to them. Don’t get me wrong, I love the good guys as well – they all have heart, and have equally important roles to play.
As usual, there are twist and turns, and several fight scenes that will have you turning the page to see who makes it out alive.
I will be doing spin-offs from ‘Witness Protection’, so be prepared for more action/suspense in 2017/2018.Witness Protection
March 25, 2016
Author’s Inspiration
Hello everyone, hope you have all had an enjoyable summer or winter, wherever you are in the world. I don’t know about you, but I want to 2016 to be a year of learning new things and one of those things will be blogging.
I just thought I would give you a preview into an author’s mind, plus a little background behind the setting of my first novel, Clouds of Grey.
Finch Hatton Gorge and Eungella Rainforest are two of the Mackay region’s most visited tourist attractions and they provided the perfect settings for ‘Clouds of Grey’. I was able to mentally lose myself in my surroundings and come up with an action-packed story, which has been well received by my readers. I enjoyed putting myself in Cassie Hart’s shoes and hiding in the huge buttresses at the base of the trees and wandering along the walking tracks. Boulders, huge and small, littered the hillsides amongst varying vegetation and no rainforest would be complete without the smell of decaying mulch. There are layers and layers of fallen leaves over the forest floor and no-one knows what’s hiding beneath them. Rainforests are such a quiet environment and at times the only thing you can hear is the high-pitched chatter of insects and bird calls, but of course, the moment you hear the rustling of leaves, you’re immediately on the lookout to see what kind of animal could be heading your way. Mosquitoes are a given in the tropics and they seek me out with no remorse, and it’s worse after rain, so if you ever intend to visit a rainforest, always take the insect repellent.
In other news, I’m working on a handful of stories at the moment which are all independent of each other – but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for a prequel, a sequel or a series. My next book, ‘Witness Protection’, could definitely provide a few spin offs and I’m hoping to have this one published in July this year. It is based on a good cop/bad cop scenario with plenty of action and suspense – I know, what a change for me!
My days are still full of writing, and the good thing is… I never know where my thoughts will take me.
Feel free to drop me a line or ask a question. I would love to hear from you.
I just thought I would give you a preview into an author’s mind, plus a little background behind the setting of my first novel, Clouds of Grey.
Finch Hatton Gorge and Eungella Rainforest are two of the Mackay region’s most visited tourist attractions and they provided the perfect settings for ‘Clouds of Grey’. I was able to mentally lose myself in my surroundings and come up with an action-packed story, which has been well received by my readers. I enjoyed putting myself in Cassie Hart’s shoes and hiding in the huge buttresses at the base of the trees and wandering along the walking tracks. Boulders, huge and small, littered the hillsides amongst varying vegetation and no rainforest would be complete without the smell of decaying mulch. There are layers and layers of fallen leaves over the forest floor and no-one knows what’s hiding beneath them. Rainforests are such a quiet environment and at times the only thing you can hear is the high-pitched chatter of insects and bird calls, but of course, the moment you hear the rustling of leaves, you’re immediately on the lookout to see what kind of animal could be heading your way. Mosquitoes are a given in the tropics and they seek me out with no remorse, and it’s worse after rain, so if you ever intend to visit a rainforest, always take the insect repellent.
In other news, I’m working on a handful of stories at the moment which are all independent of each other – but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for a prequel, a sequel or a series. My next book, ‘Witness Protection’, could definitely provide a few spin offs and I’m hoping to have this one published in July this year. It is based on a good cop/bad cop scenario with plenty of action and suspense – I know, what a change for me!
My days are still full of writing, and the good thing is… I never know where my thoughts will take me.
Feel free to drop me a line or ask a question. I would love to hear from you.
July 16, 2015
Innocent author beginnings
An author’s ultimate goal is of course not to disappoint their reader, but sometimes the reader’s expectation becomes a little too high and they boldly voice their opinion as to what should or shouldn’t have happened to make a story better.
18years ago I suffered from foot-in-mouth disease when I criticised the book I was reading at the time and my husband issued me the ultimate challenge … write something better! I had two choices ‒ shut up, or write, so I dragged out the typewriter and went to work. It was so good when he finally bought me my first computer. No more white ink/liquid paper. Anyway, I didn’t know where this would lead, but I was more than a little surprised at where my imagination took me. I soon became addicted to writing, and Bryan and I would joke about him being my manager if I ever became a published author. Years later, I realised this was where my passion lay, and I became a full-time writer in 2014, with plenty more to learn!
100,000 words is nothing for me to come up with. The daunting part for me is having the final story read by an editor, and then seeing my creation in print for public consumption. OMG … talk about nerve-racking! You become paranoid, vulnerable and open to criticism. Yay! The very things a private person wants to avoid. But I obviously felt the need to do it all over again with this 2nd novel, having been fortunate to publish my debut novel just over 6 months ago...I can report the feelings of insecurity did indeed resurface.
‘In the Dead of Night’ was the very first manuscript I wrote all those years ago and I am nervously excited about putting it out there for you all to enjoy. The title has changed somewhat since the early days, and now fits the storyline better. It’s no longer a sexy romance, but an action/suspense plot, spiced up with desire and intrigue. My first novel published, ‘Clouds of Grey’, was in fact the seventh book that I penned.
English was never my forte, but the one thing I’ve always been gifted with was a good imagination. What I don’t want to do is to die with the music still in me. Daydreaming can be a time for creativity. You never know where it will lead you. Be who you were meant to be and not what others think you should be. Enhance your inner self and be happy. Now pick up that pencil or keyboard and get to it!Sandy PaullIn the Dead of NightClouds of Grey
18years ago I suffered from foot-in-mouth disease when I criticised the book I was reading at the time and my husband issued me the ultimate challenge … write something better! I had two choices ‒ shut up, or write, so I dragged out the typewriter and went to work. It was so good when he finally bought me my first computer. No more white ink/liquid paper. Anyway, I didn’t know where this would lead, but I was more than a little surprised at where my imagination took me. I soon became addicted to writing, and Bryan and I would joke about him being my manager if I ever became a published author. Years later, I realised this was where my passion lay, and I became a full-time writer in 2014, with plenty more to learn!
100,000 words is nothing for me to come up with. The daunting part for me is having the final story read by an editor, and then seeing my creation in print for public consumption. OMG … talk about nerve-racking! You become paranoid, vulnerable and open to criticism. Yay! The very things a private person wants to avoid. But I obviously felt the need to do it all over again with this 2nd novel, having been fortunate to publish my debut novel just over 6 months ago...I can report the feelings of insecurity did indeed resurface.
‘In the Dead of Night’ was the very first manuscript I wrote all those years ago and I am nervously excited about putting it out there for you all to enjoy. The title has changed somewhat since the early days, and now fits the storyline better. It’s no longer a sexy romance, but an action/suspense plot, spiced up with desire and intrigue. My first novel published, ‘Clouds of Grey’, was in fact the seventh book that I penned.
English was never my forte, but the one thing I’ve always been gifted with was a good imagination. What I don’t want to do is to die with the music still in me. Daydreaming can be a time for creativity. You never know where it will lead you. Be who you were meant to be and not what others think you should be. Enhance your inner self and be happy. Now pick up that pencil or keyboard and get to it!Sandy PaullIn the Dead of NightClouds of Grey
April 5, 2015
Background to 'Clouds of Grey'
I decided to recreate some fun/challenging instances from my childhood days and confront my leading lady with them, taking her out of her comfort zone and forcing her to adapt to her surroundings, no easy task for someone who enjoys being alone and would hardly be described as ‘adventurous’. I'm very confident the readers will get a kick out of the plot twists.
This first novel has something in it for everyone ‒ fast-paced adventure, intrigue, a hint of romance and simmering revenge that will keep you turning the pages to reveal what happens next. Lose yourself in our heroine’s dilemma as she lives life on the edge and plunges headlong into a journey of survival and improvisation in order to stay alive.
An innocent trek through the rainforest becomes a battleground of deceit and mayhem, where one woman faces the quandary of amnesia to defy the odds and save her life and that of the man she loves.Clouds Of Grey
This first novel has something in it for everyone ‒ fast-paced adventure, intrigue, a hint of romance and simmering revenge that will keep you turning the pages to reveal what happens next. Lose yourself in our heroine’s dilemma as she lives life on the edge and plunges headlong into a journey of survival and improvisation in order to stay alive.
An innocent trek through the rainforest becomes a battleground of deceit and mayhem, where one woman faces the quandary of amnesia to defy the odds and save her life and that of the man she loves.Clouds Of Grey
