We can’t skip over Spooktober without thinking of writing a thriller! We must give the people what they want!
Now, there’s a million and one sub-genres and other avenues for writing a thriller, but we are just going to stick to the basics. Just like a good witches brew, there are main ingredients a thriller must have.
Choose a fitting theme.
Death, good vs. evil, courage and heroism, war, individual vs. society. You know what I mean! All good stories have themes, so pick one and stick to it!
Open up with a bang!
You can go into the biographical stuff later on in the book. Make chapter one the time to introduce the crime and the action. Don’t sacrifice your writing style, but bring on the action!
Multiple points of view.
Allowing the reader to go deeper into character minds builds more tension and can thicken a plot. We want to know who these characters are.
Emotional change.
The protagonist needs to show growth and even victory over time. We want to know their fears and desires and how they change from it.
Reveal something new in each scene.
We want to learn something new, no matter how small it may seem. We are on a ticking clock after all…
Avoid passive voice.
Show, don’t tell! Use action verbs to make the reader feel it.
Teach the reader something.
When all is said and done leave the reader with knowledge. About an animal, social issue, medicines, anything! We want to remember your book!
I hope you learned something new today. Now, start writing your best thriller book! There are many more tips and tricks out there- use them to your advantage.
And don’t forget to share your work with us and view our other posts for more writing tips.
Happy Writing!
