Yesterday I talked about building that essential element of sacrifice into the emotional journey of  your suspense novel.  It thought it would help to show some of the ways I’ve built this into my novels:

Here’s how I’ve used sacrifice: 

In Taming Rafe, Rafe sacrifices his trophies and everything he’s earned.

Rafe (Taming Rafe) would never turn his back on bull riding and his accomplishments. Not when it is the only thing he believes gives him value. Unless he believes that it doesn’t matter how much he’s worked for, it’s all gone. In that moment, he might even despise his past, and all that he worked for that netted him nothing.

            So, in a scene that exemplifies this, Rafe burns everything he’s worked so hard for.

In Finding Stefanie, Lincoln sacrifices his acting career

In Reclaiming Nick, Nick sacrifices part of his liver, but most of all, part of the land that he has always wanted.

These are all present sacrifices that I work into the story.

I also use the past sacrifice, recreated technique –

In Nothing but Trouble, the heroine sacrificed her future by leaving town 10 years earlier.  When she returns, she ends up sacrificing her dream of redeeming herself. 

The key is to find that piece of himself/herself that makes them who they are – Nick was a cowboy, his land was everything to him.  Lincoln was an actor. Rafe was an award-winning bull rider.  PJ dreams of earning the esteem of her hometown.

So, how we do we find the perfect sacrifice? We take a look at our Character: 

 What your hero’s greatest dream?  We use this question in developing their goal. But we can also use it to find that thing closest to their hearts.  Lincoln wants to be a respected actor – so to sacrifice his career would be closest to his heart.   Rafe wants to be a bull riding hero – so to sacrifice his trophies and his awards cuts to his very heart.  A character’s greatest dream is often wrapped up in something he wants to be, or do, something often stirred from childhood.  For example, in Nothing but Trouble, PJ is adopted, so her identity and reputation are very important to her.  Becoming “less” than the Sugar name cuts to her very heart.

ASK:

ü  What is the one thing that your character would never do?

ü  What would make him do it?

ü  What can your character sacrifice in the One Thing Moment?

How can he sacrifice his dream in some way in the story?    Maybe it happens before the story opens, and is revisited some way in the story.  Maybe is happens in the middle of the story, as a way to go forward, into a new life. 

In a recent book I wrote, my hero had a gift an old girlfriend gave him right before she died. He was never able to let it go – until the middle of the book when he realizes it’s become a weight to his going forward.  So, he trades it for something that can give him a future.  He sacrifices the memory of their relationship for a new relationship. 

Build sacrifice into your stories and you’ll have a story they can’t forget.

Next week I’ll show you a little plotting trick that has helped me widen my suspense plots!  Have a great writing week!

Susie May