TCK Publishing Videos

Suspense is the worry or anticipation that you feel when reading and you don’t know what’s going to happen next. It’s one very effective way to hook a reader’s attention. Make them anxious. Make them worry. Make them curious. The end goal is to keep them flipping through the pages of your story to discover the ultimate outcome. Even if you’re not writing a mystery or thriller novel, suspense is still a powerful ingredient for creating an engaging story. Key Elements of Suspense in a Story In order to generate suspense in your story, there a few things to keep in mind. Read on below to learn the most effective ways to create suspenseful narratives. 1. Reader Empathy Give your character something that the reader can identify with. Get them injured. Make them scared. Have them struggle. These are all things most of us tackled in real life, so it’s easy to relate to. The more human your characters feel (even if they’re not humans at all), the more your readers will relate to them...

Craziness has always been a popular element in literature; it’s a dependable way of adding chaos and suspense to the narrative. After all, who knows what will happen next when someone crazy is leading the action? Depending on how you portray it, “crazy” can encompass anything from the odd and quirky, to downright mentally unhinged. And sometimes these characters are only perceived to be insane, but they’re actually the only reasonable ones around. Crazy Characters in Literature Crazy characters aren’t necessarily evil, though this kind of portrayal does dominate much of literature. Mental instability is just too good a reason to explain a person’s wrongdoings. We didn’t limit this list to just villains, though. Check out the best characters in literature who embody craziness—from the vaguest sense of the word to its most extreme. 1. Humbert Humbert from Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov Lolita is a novel about obsessions. Our unreliable narrator , Humbert Humbert is a middle-age...

If you like reading dystopian books or novels that are not afraid to be countercultural, Kurt Vonnegut should be high on your list. Best known for Slaughterhouse-Five , he’s a key part of the postmodernist literary movement.  Throughout his more than 50 year-career as a writer, he made bold and honest attempts to confront the injustices of the 20th century. By the time he died in 2007, he had published fourteen novels, five plays, five nonfiction books, and three short story collections, mostly in the satire , science fiction, and gallows humor genres.  10 Kurt Vonnegut Books to Add to Your List  If you haven’t read any of Kurt Vonnegut’s works before, here are some of the best ones to start with to get a taste of his unique writing style. Or, if you’ve already a fan, check out this list to see if there’s anything else you may have missed:  1. Slaughterhouse-Five  Considered an American classic, this book is a good choice as your first foray into Von...

You’ve probably heard of Neil Gaiman (if you’re not living under a rock, that is). He’s up there with Stephen King when it comes to pop culture relevance. Most of his works are popular and frequently adapted for the big screen, or referenced by mainstream media. He’s written novels and short fiction, stage plays, film and tv scripts, comic books and graphic novels, nonfiction—anything you can think of, really. What’s truly awesome about his works is that the majority of them have won many awards. Quite prestigious ones too! Best Books by Neil Gaiman Neil Gaiman is one of the few people who can write in any genre and form, and leave his readers wanting more. There’s just something about his writing that satisfies the audiences cravings no matter what style or approach he uses. I have to confess that I’m one of those who consider all his books excellent, which makes writing this article all the harder. If I could, I’d list down his entire bibliography, but I’ve tried to provide yo...

Having written more than 225 romance novels, Nora Roberts is considered one of the genre’s greatest influences, which may be why the Romance Writers of America gave her a lifetime achievement award. In fact, they renamed this award, starting from 2018, as the “Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award.”  The interesting thing about Nora Roberts is that she writes in many romance subgenres. For example, some of her books are contemporary suspense romance, while others have a strong home renovation theme. She also writes under a different pen name for more suspenseful, borderline sci-fi reads.  11 Best Nora Roberts Books to Add to Your List  If you’ve never read Nora Roberts books before, here are some of the best places to start. Or if you’ve already enjoyed her work, check out this list to see if you’ve missed any treasures: 1. Black Hills  This contemporary suspense romance novel follows Cooper Sullivan, who heads back to the South Dakotan Black Hills where...

I know what you’re thinking. You’re a writer! What does Instagram have to do with you? Well… it has a lot to do with your success, actually. In this era, you’re not just a writer, but also the face of a brand. And it’s not just Instagram, but the entirety of social media. But ignore the others for now. In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at what you can do to develop your brand through one of the largest and most popular social media platforms. Instagram Tips for Writers Instagram, despite its emphasis on the visual, is still a great place for people of letters. Below are a few tips for setting up your Instagram account as a writer. 1. Write an interesting bio. Screenshot from Jon Krakauer’s Instagram An Instagram bio is a short summary of who you are and what you do. It’s located on your profile page, just below your username. Think of it as a short introduction of yourself to your followers. Jon Krakauer, author of bestsellers Into the Wild and Into Thin...

Both employers and employees seem to know that a positive work environment is better for everyone in terms of team-building and productivity, especially thanks to recent research on happiness and job satisfaction. Yet, you may have daydreamed at one point or another about quitting your job, or finally getting your dream job so you can leave your current one. With any occupation, there are good days and bad days. And even if you’re already working your dream job, wouldn’t you like to know what you can do to make those bad days a little less gloomy? In this post, we’ll take a look at four areas you can focus on to make your time on the clock more enjoyable. Finding Happiness at Work: The PERK Formula Dr. Emiliana R. Simon-Thomas and her colleague, Dr. Dacher Keltner, have been teaching a course on happiness since 2014. In it, they specifically examine happiness at work, and introduce what they believe are the four key pillars to finding happiness on the job: Purpose, Engagement, R...

David Baldacci is one of the best known names in crime fiction, with his novels having been translated into more than 45 languages in over 80 countries.  Did you know that he gave up a prospering career as a lawyer to pursue writing? He shares about this journey in his Masterclass on writing fiction, where he also encourages detailed research, along with many of the tips that have proven effective for him.  Best Books by David Baldacci to Read Right Now If you haven’t tried any of David Balacci’s books, here are some of his best works that you might want to add to your list:  1. No Time Left  Frank Becker is a highly sought-after assassin. His latest assignment is a mysterious task that forces him to take a deeper look into his past. He’s determined to push past obstacles, but what if his success in the assignment has the power to change his future forever?  2. The Winner LuAnn Tyler is a beautiful but dirt-poor 20-year-old who wants the best for...