Monkey See, Monkey Do

photo courtesy of IMDb

I saw the movie Thor last night. Besides the fact that it stars Chris Hemsworth (whew, is it hot in here?), this is one fantastic two-thumbs-up movie. Drop what you're doing and go see it. What? You're still here? No, really. Go ahead. I'll wait.

You may be a bit skeptical as to why I'm shilling for Hollywood on my blog. No, I don't have an uncle in the biz. The thing is that this movie, as in any memorable book, employs the perfect balance of tension, action, and humor. Just when you think you can't take another horrific plot twist that ups the danger, bam! A one-line zinger makes you laugh, or a ridiculous scene sideswipes you and you can't help but smile.

Good reads are like that as well. Intense scenes are magnified via the light of a quirky character or some snarky banter. Dark isn't really dark unless it's compared to light. Tension isn't felt as acutely unless it's contrasted with moments of tranquility. The trick is to keep the reader breathing. You can't keep them holding their breath with danger or they'll pass out...but neither should you lull them into a coma with no action.

A motion picture is worth a thousand of my words. So, if you want to write a stunning story, set your writing down and go watch Thor like a good little monkey. Then mimic what you learn.