In this episode, Fable and the Verbivore return for a third time to the question “What makes a book a page turner?” Join us, as we dive into how writers use pacing, action, and suspense to keep us (as readers) engrossed in their novels.

We discuss such things as creating a sense of tension through planting questions in the mind of the reader, using the framing of your words and whitespace on the page to create and maintain pacing, and keeping action sequences taut and clear to keep the tempo. This conversation also unpacks the importance of a good edit that ensures all of the words pull their weight in the story.

As with our previous page turner episodes, we reference many different works of fiction as examples to reinforce our points, but we try not to give away any spoilers so that everyone can enjoy the episode even if you haven’t read the books.

We hope you enjoy this week’s conversation about page turners, and that you find it helpful in your own writing (or reading) journey as well.

Keep reading, writing, and putting your voice out there!

Into the woods,

Fable & The Verbivore