Plots: Writers Love Espionage

What you don't know about me is that I love to read and watch anything that has to do with espionage. This season, I'm watching Cinemax's "Hunted", which stars Melissa George as Sam Hunter. Good writing is what makes this genre work. If there is no plot, there are no characters. The show is produced by X-Files writer, Frank Spotnitz. His production partner, Stephen Garritt worked on the BBC's MI5 series (which I also loved). Spotnitz wrote the majority of the episodes this season and he is known for complicated plot lines. Apparently, the BBC has decided not to renew the spook series which is a shame. Melissa George played a spook in JJ Abrams' ABC series, Alias. Her character Sam Hunter is slightly similar to Syndney Bristow's Season 3 nemesis, Lauren Reed.

I'm reading a thriller by author, Jerry Jenkins. His Paul Stepola, is a stereotypical double agent, which sets up predictable chaos. I read Soon and now I'm reading Silenced. My Nook has come in handy. In a writing class taught by Neal Chandler, we had to practice writing for plot. I failed miserably. It has taken me over a year to write again because of the criticism I received. My classmates didn't know that I've been trying to write science fiction all of my life. They would like me to stick to non-fiction. I'm not going to listen to them.  Back to Silenced.  Jenkins knows how to race against his own clock and I need to learn that craft. People loathe Jenkins' work because he's a Christian writer, but I love his books. They are page turners, and I started reading them because of the Left Behind Series, whether you agree or not with their religious beliefs, were captivating. How do you learn how to write plots? 

Jenkins has written over 150 titles, the most famous of which are the 16 titles in the Left Behind series. Tim LeHaye and Jenkins revolutionized Christian fiction, which I had never bothered to read. I had preconceived notions about the genre based on the poor quality of Christian music. My niece Carol had given me a copy of the first title in the series and surprisingly, I read it in a day. I was hooked. My niece dropped off the next two books and I finished them each in record time. I didn't really understand Christian eschatology, however, I did know espionage and the protagonist, Rayford Steele and his team of resistance fighters were good.  Admittedly, I laughed and cried with journalist, Buck Williams and his wife, Chloe Steele-Williams. They fought their nemesis, Nicolae Carpathia to the death. After I read the last book, I had realized that I  was reliving my childhood. 

I remembered the Happy Hollisters mystery books that I got in the mail each month. Plot-driven and page turners. I remember hiding under the steps in the basement and reading my new book--we fought over books in my family. Like it or not, I'm going to keep reading Jerry Jenkins' work because I enjoy it and there is espionage involved. Right now, Paul Stepola is in Switzerland and I'm spending Thanksgiving with my Nook.  I have to learn how to write plots.

Later tonight, the next episode of Hunter. Sam now knows about "Hourglass".