Reviews for How to Write a Damn Good Thriller are mixed. Some readers found it helpful, praising its practical advice and insights into the thriller genre. Others criticized it for being outdated, lacking depth, and containing too many examples of the author's own writing. Common complaints include the book's focus on formulaic writing, head-hopping, and the author's perceived arrogance. Several reviewers noted that while some tips were useful, the book's overall approach felt dated and not aligned with modern thriller writing techniques.
Create a Compelling Villain to Drive Your Thriller's Plot
Craft a Hero Who Embodies Courage, Cleverness, and Self-Sacrifice
Build Your Thriller on Seven Essential Pillars
Hook Readers with a Gripping Opening and Maintain Suspense
Develop a Step-by-Step Plot Structure for Your Thriller
Master the Art of Conflict-Driven Dialogue and Scene Writing
Craft a Thrilling Climax That Satisfies and Surprises Readers
The villain is your best friend, because the villain creates the plot behind the plot—the plot that has to be foiled by the hero—and that, my friend, is what thriller writing is all about.
Villain profile. A compelling villain should fit a specific profile:
Powerful and influential
Motivated by base desires (greed, revenge, ambition)
Often psychopathic or psychotic
Self-centered, narcissistic, and vain
Coldhearted, merciless, and ruthless
Determined, cunning, and clever
Seemingly unstoppable and relentless
To create your villain:
Develop a detailed backstory (physiology, sociology, psychology)
Give them a dark mission that drives the plot
Write in their voice through journals or diaries
Ensure they fit the villain profile while remaining unique
Remember, the villain's actions and motivations are the engine of your thriller's plot. Their dark mission creates the conflict that your hero must overcome.
Heroes are courageous. In comic thrillers sometimes they aren't, but in almost all other types of thrillers they are as courageous as a canonball.
Hero profile. A compelling thriller hero should possess:
Courage in the face of danger
Expertise in their profession
A special talent or skill
Cleverness and resourcefulness
A wound or vulnerability
An outlaw quality (making their own rules)
Self-sacrificing nature for others
Developing your hero:
Create a detailed backstory, including their wound
Give them a special talent that sets them apart
Ensure they're clever and resourceful in overcoming obstacles
Make them self-sacrificing, willing to risk everything for others
Consider giving them a flaw or vulnerability to make them relatable
Remember, your hero doesn't need to be likable or good, but they should be compelling and someone the reader can root for as they face seemingly impossible odds.
To create a damn good thriller, construct it on the following seven pillars. Leave any one out and you may fail.
The seven pillars of a damn good thriller:
High stakes: Lives, sanity, or the fate of humanity should be at risk
Unity of opposites: The hero can't escape the challenge
Seemingly impossible odds: It should appear the hero can't possibly win
Moral struggle: Clear right and wrong, with the hero on the side of right
Ticking clock: A deadline creates urgency and keeps readers engaged
Menace: Constant danger for the hero and other characters
Thriller-type characters: Clever and resourceful heroes and villains
When plotting your thriller, continually check that you're incorporating these elements. They create the tension, excitement, and moral weight that readers expect from the genre.
You may think that I'm focusing a lot of attention on the opening of the story. The reason is that it is the most important part. If you do not have a gripping opening to your thriller, it is unlikely that you will dazzle an agent and woo an editor.
Opening strategies:
Start with the villain's dark mission
Show a minor character in terrible trouble
Put the hero in immediate peril
Begin with the hero already on their mission
Key elements for a gripping opening:
Raise strong story questions
Create immediate conflict or danger
Introduce a situation of injustice
Use vivid, sensory details to draw readers in
Avoid dream sequences or extensive backstory
To maintain suspense throughout:
Keep raising new story questions
Introduce unexpected complications
Use cliffhangers at chapter ends
Gradually reveal information about characters and plot
Maintain a sense of constant menace or danger
Remember, your goal is to make the reader desperate to know what happens next, compelling them to keep turning pages.
To simplify things, I'll break up my step sheet for Peace Day into the five movements we already discussed so that it will be easier to follow.
Five-movement thriller structure:
The gripping opening: Introduce characters, raise story questions
The evil plot unfolds: Hero fights defensively, gathering information
The turning point: Hero goes on the offensive
Confrontation and climax: Hero faces villain in final showdown
Resolution: Wrap up loose ends, show impact on characters
Creating a step sheet:
Break your story into these five movements
Under each movement, list key plot points and scenes
For each step, include:
Character motivations and conflicts
Important story questions raised or answered
Key information revealed
Emotional impact on characters and readers
Benefits of using a step sheet:
Helps you visualize the entire story arc
Makes it easier to identify and fix plot holes
Allows for quick revisions and restructuring
Ensures you're maintaining suspense and conflict throughout
Remember to keep your step sheet flexible, allowing for changes as you discover new ideas during the writing process.
To write dramatic conflict dialogue and have information conveyed in it is not all that difficult. You just need to give characters an agenda.
Keys to compelling dialogue:
Give every character an agenda or goal in the scene
Ensure characters' goals conflict with each other
Avoid "on-the-nose" dialogue where characters say exactly what they mean
Use subtext to convey deeper meanings and emotions
Break up dialogue with action and internal thoughts
Techniques for conflict-driven scenes:
Start with a clear understanding of each character's motivation
Introduce obstacles that prevent characters from achieving their goals
Use "Show, don't tell" to convey emotions and reactions
Incorporate sensory details to bring the scene to life
End scenes with new complications or revelations
Avoid common pitfalls:
Back-and-forth dialogue with no conflict
Informational dialogue that serves only to convey facts
Scenes without clear character motivations or goals
Remember, every scene should move the story forward and reveal something new about the characters or plot. If a scene doesn't serve this purpose, consider cutting or revising it.
The opening of the story is the most important part, but the climax is the most exciting. A great climax (and the resolution that follows it) will leave the audience feeling satisfied.
Elements of a damn good thriller climax:
Hero nearly dies but ultimately prevails
Good triumphs over evil (except in some literary thrillers)
Incorporate surprising twists or revelations
Use fresh, innovative confrontation methods
Reveal character growth or insights
Consider including a significant loss for the hero
In rare cases, the hero may die (but usually after achieving their goal)
Steps to craft your climax:
Build tension throughout the climactic sequence
Raise the stakes to their highest point
Create a moment where all seems lost for the hero
Reveal the hero's clever plan or final burst of courage
Resolve the central conflict decisively
Provide an emotional payoff for the reader
Tips for a memorable climax:
Tie up major plot threads, but leave some mystery for the resolution
Ensure the hero's actions are consistent with their character arc
Use vivid, sensory details to make the scene come alive
Pace the action carefully, alternating between intense moments and brief pauses
Consider a dual climax structure for added excitement
Remember, your climax should be the most thrilling and emotionally satisfying part of your story, leaving readers breathless and eager to see how everything wraps up in the resolution.