With the blessing of TV Tropes, the Snarkology is pleased to host a blog series based on the Periodic Table of Storytelling.
Enjoy!
The story molecule for “Dream Student”, the first book of the Dream Series, consists of five elements.
Plucky Girl (Pg) & Dynamic Character (Dyn)
The main character, Sara Barnes, is a Plucky Girl (Pg), who’s also a Dynamic Character. She’s
a college student, bookish and shy when we first meet her, until she
begins to experience strange dreams every night (and until this point,
she’s never been able to remember her dreams). It’s not long before she realizes the dreams aren’t hers – she’s stepping into other people’s dreams every night. Although
she has some rough moments, she faces up to the challenge of the dreams
– and the danger they put her in, which is the very essence of a Plucky
Girl. And the experience
changes her (even more so as the series goes on); she’s not at all the
same person by the end of the book as she is when we meet her.
Hero (H):
She’s bonded to the Hero (H), her boyfriend (and, in later books, her husband) Brian. He’s not the protagonist, but he’s got all the other aspects of a proper Hero.
Romance Arc (Rar) & They Fight Crime (Tfc)
They’re linked in a Romance Arc (Rar) -
they go from strangers, to lovers, to an engaged couple by the end of
the novel, and, since the biggest threat that Sara discovers in her
supernatural dreams is a man who just might be a serial killer,
naturally They Fight Crime (Tfc).
Chekov’s Gun (Chk):
They’re also linked by Chekov’s Gun (Chk); throughout the book, there are seeds planted that pay off during the hunt for the killer. All
the clues that Sara and Brian need to figure out who the killer is and
where to find him, are there as the story progresses, even if their
importance isn’t obvious at the time.
Together, all these elements combine for a romantic, suspenseful start to the Dream Series.
Title:
Dream Student
Publisher:
Writing Dreams
Date
Published: 3/20/2013
Genre:
Paranormal Suspense
Word
Count: 94,000
What
would you do if you could see other people's dreams?
What if
you could watch their hidden fantasies?
Uncover their deepest, darkest secrets...without
them ever knowing?
Sara
Barnes is about to find out. She thought that all she had to worry about was final
exams, Christmas shopping and deciding whether she likes the cute freshman in
the next dorm who's got a crush on her. But when she starts seeing dreams
that aren't hers, she learns more than she ever wanted to know about her
friends, her classmates...and a strange, terrifying man whose dreams
could get her killed.
Are you
ready for a paranormal roller-coaster ride of a page turner? You won't
want to miss Book One of the Dream Series.
Excerpt:
I’m
staring at my clock radio. According to the big green digital numbers, it’s
exactly 3:14 AM. I think it might be off by a minute or two, but that’s not
really the point. The point is that I’m awake to know it’s somewhere in the
neighborhood of 3:14 AM.
This is
not by choice. Actually, it sort of is, I guess. I’m awake because I don’t want
to fall asleep. And why I don’t want to fall asleep? It’s a fair question. I’d
ask, if it were someone else.
The
answer sounds stupid, even to me. If I’m honest, I have to admit I’m just being
a baby about this. I don’t want to fall asleep because of the dreams I’ve been
having. “Nightmares” is a better word. I don’t think even that really gets the
point across, though. Is there a word for dreams that are worse than
nightmares? There should be.
It’s
been the same the last four nights, exactly the same. The people in it are the
same, the places are the same, everything happens exactly the same way, in the
same order, and the worst part is that it all feels so real. There isn’t any of
that weird imagery that people always talk about–talking rabbits or losing your
teeth while flying naked behind trains through long dark tunnels or whatever
else. Everything that happens in this nightmare could come right out of the news.
It could all really happen.
Oh,
God. That’s a horrible thought. What if–maybe it is really happening?
Buy
links:
Amazon (Kindle or Paperback)
Book #1 in the Dream Series, DREAM STUDENT is currently on sale for just $0.99!
Author
Bio:
J.J.
(James) Dibenedetto's fans would swear he's got a sixth sense when it comes to
seeing into the minds of others and often wonder if his stories could possibly
be fiction. He enjoys suspending disbelief with suspenseful paranormal tales
that are a perfect blend of reality meets fantasy.
His
popular Dream Series continues to delight readers with each and every exciting
installment.
Born in
Yonkers, New York, he currently resides in Arlington Virginia with his
beautiful wife and a cat he is sure has taken full advantage of its nine lives.
When it comes to the cat, he often wonders, but then again it might just be his
imagination.
Author
Links:
JJ, What a fascinating premise! And I LOVE your cover!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Beth!
ReplyDeleteGood morning, James. Thank you for visiting with me today and sharing your story with my readers. I love your dreamwalker premise. It's orginal and interesting.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the opportunity, Melissa! I can't wait to see what the other authors have got to share in the next few days.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to get this party started! I've been waiting for this to start. *waves to JJ* Thank you Melissa for such an awesome idea.
ReplyDelete