Wait for the twist

I am really pleased that this week I am starting the third draft of my latest Enda Osin mystery novel.  I have not written the last 3 chapters though. The problem is that whilst getting the plot down on paper is vital before re drafting you never know with a thriller what the ending is going to be - at least I never do because I love inventing plausible twists. So I write the book up to the last 3 chapters and finish the book once I am satisfied to that point. This is the point at which I start looking at descriptive work especially - characters and surroundings. My editor told me that the reader needs to see the character and discover their mannerism's. How do they dress? What are they thinking. Whilst working on these areas am I moving the story along? It can be a frustrating process but I learned to be patient and most importantly, how to cut out something that I love because the story got stuck on poetic pros. It is for that reason that I tend to set my scenes at the beginning of a chapter and concentrate on the characters and the plot in the body of the text. I also start checking my research on the third draft too. In my latest novel I had to read an awful lot about the security services, both British, Russian and East German in two time periods. Nothing is worse than a reader telling me I got the name of an organisation or a particular date wrong. To create belivability  the reader must get the feeling that the writer has been 'there' not because he has all the facts and figures correctly noted but little everyday things that the reader can go and see for themselves. For example below. - type of tree - bus route number - cafe name - station description - length of escalator etc etc. Anyone can check these things out so they have to be correct. Added to the real correct information on Russian and British security, the story comes alive and the reader can 'see' and 'hear' ....and at the end of the story, wait for the twist.

example one - It was on his return from the United States that he was first contacted by a colleague of his father’s, offering him ‘an interesting position in the service of Queen and country.’

A small gust of wind greeted Nigel as he stepped out onto the pavement, blowing a few yellow leaves in circles about his feet. More swirled down from the tall Plane tree, some landing in puddles while others, caught in an updraft, shot back up skywards. Nigel dug his hands in pockets and waited to cross the road as a 176 bus passed him on its way to Leicester Square.

example two - By the time he arrived outside the station, he could see Dewsbury standing just inside the entrance. Without any sign of recognition, Dewsbury moved inside and took the long escalator down to the platforms. At the bottom Nigel trailed him across the white tiled floor and followed the signs for Northern and Piccadilly lines. A blast of cold dirty air, signalling the imminent arrival of a train, caught him full in the face as he reached the platform. He wiped his watering eyes and sat on a bench next to Dewsbury as the train rattled out of the tube. It came to rest with screeching brakes and rumbling doors, spewing office workers out onto the platform.

example three - That night in July 72’, as the train pulled into Rosenthaler Platz, the only crossing point into the east, the East Germans were waiting on the platform. Unable to warn Picasso, traveling in another carriage, Nigel watched as they pulled him from the crowd and dragged him away. He later learned that Picasso had been tortured and shot that night after giving information on two other Russian informants working for MI6. It was one of the worst moments in his career. Despite that, Whitehall insisted he stay and manage the desk in East Germany for six months before returning to London.

The trick in research is to check the history of institutions and their administration. MI6 and MI5 merged into SIS but I could not call them that in the time period that Nigel remembers. These three paragraphs are short but full of information that makes up part of the Prologue. The research for this took about a week but it was time well spent in trying to get the story as authentic as possible. It only remains to be seen if editing agrees.
It should be remembered that this is the 2nd draft so it will have errors and some show don't tell alterations. This article is about research and the importance of getting the facts right. When I have started the next draft I will repost these examples.