Writing a Killer Thriller

by Jodie Renner

  Character arc: how a character (usually the protagonist) changes from the beginning to the end of a story as a result of the story events and their experiences throughout the story. In popular fiction, most protagonists go through a noticeable character arc by the end. (Not so much for the tough heroes in action-adventure novels.)

  Characterization: The author’s depiction of a character’s personality through the use of action, dialogue, thought, or commentary.

  Cliché: A trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse; a trite or hackneyed plot, character development, etc.; anything that has become trite or commonplace through overuse.

  Cliffhanger: A suspenseful situation occurring at the end of a chapter, scene, or episode; an exciting, suspenseful end to a scene or chapter that makes readers want to continue reading.

  Climax: The moment of greatest intensity in a story, usually the point where the central character/protagonist faces and deals with the consequences of all his/her actions.

  Cozy mystery: A mystery where there is little or no violence; the emphasis is on solving the crime. The protagonist is often an amateur detective.

  Crucible: See Cauldron. Heroine can’t escape the situation or turn around and go home. She must continue to confront the villain and try to defeat him to restore justice.

  Dénouement: The resolution of the story, where the main conflict is resolved and the main story question is answered. The protagonist is usually victorious and the villain is usually defeated.

  Deus ex machina: A Latin term meaning “god out of the machine.” It refers to an unexpected, artificial or improbable character, device or event introduced suddenly in a work of fiction to resolve a situation or untangle a plot. Considered a weakness and last-minute, lazy plotting.

  Dramatic irony: This is when your readers know something vital the protagonist or other main character is not aware of.

  Epiphany: A sudden, intuitive, significant realization or discovery; a revealing scene or moment, usually by the protagonist.

  Flashback: A sudden, vivid reversion to a past event. It is used to surprise the reader with previously unknown information that provides the answer to a mystery, places a character in a different light, or reveals the reason for a previously inexplicable action.

  Foreshadowing: The presentation of details, characters, or incidents in a narrative in such a way that later events are prepared for (or “shadowed before”). A hint of events that may and usually do follow later in the story (the poker lying by the fireplace in the first paragraph will turn out to be the murder weapon later in the story). Foreshadowing is often used to create suspense.

  Genre: A type of literature. A novel, story, or other literary work belongs to a particular genre if it shares at least a few conventions, or standard characteristics, with other works in that genre. The main genres of fiction are mystery, romance, thriller, western, fantasy, historical, speculative, and horror.

  Hard-boiled mystery: A mystery containing at least some violence and tough private eyes or cops.

  High concept: A storyline that can easily be described in one sentence and seems to be especially unique and commercially viable.

  Historical fiction: Any fiction set in the past.

  Hook: A narrative trick in the opening paragraph of that grabs the attention of the readers and keeps them reading.

  Horror story: a story, movie, etc., that entertains or fascinates by shocking or frightening, especially by an emphasis on bloodshed or supernatural forces.

  In medias res: Beginning the story in the middle of the action.

  Literary fiction: Fiction that is devoted to the literary aspects of writing, with the emphasis being on the style of writing rather than on the art of storytelling.

  Mainstream fiction: Realistic stories of people, the tragedies and joys they may experience, and the decisions and choices they may face throughout life.

  McGuffin: A common plot device used in films and novels, especially mysteries. Basically used to distract the reader from the real issues. It’s an image or object or place that is referred to occasionally to spark interest, but which ultimately turns out not to be significant or relevant to the plot.

  Mystery stories: stories in which the main character is trying to solve a crime, usually a murder, and apprehend the criminal. Can have varying levels of violence and suspense, depending on the sub-genre.

  Narrative: A collection of events that tells a story, which may be true or not, placed in a particular order.

  Narrator: One who tells a story, the speaker or the “voice” of an oral or written work. The narrator is not usually the same person as the author. The narrator is most often the protagonist or other important participant, but can be an observer ( ) or even a non-participant.

  Omniscient narrator: Non-participant, third-person, all-knowing narrator who sees into the minds of all the characters. Like the author talking to the readers about the characters and story. Rarely used in current popular fiction.

  Plot: The story line or pattern of events in a story; the basic idea of the story, the action that moves the story from the beginning to the end.

  Plot arc: story arc. The main events of your story, connected by cause and effect.

  Plot device: a means of advancing the plot in a story, often used to motivate characters, create urgency, or resolve a difficulty. This can be contrasted with moving a story forward with narrative technique; that is, by making things happen because characters take action for well-motivated reasons. As an example, when the cavalry shows up at the last moment and saves the day, that can be argued to be a plot device; when an adversarial character who has been struggling with himself saves the day due to a change of heart, that is dramatic technique. (Wikipedia)

  Plot hole: A gap or inconsistency in a storyline that goes against the flow of logic established by the story’s plot, or constitutes a blatant omission of relevant information regarding the plot, sometimes even contradicting itself. A plot hole is a major gaffe or oversight that is essential to the story’s outcome, and includes: unlikely behavior or actions of characters, illogical or impossible events, events happening for no apparent reason, or statements/events that contradict earlier events in the storyline.

  Plot twist: A change in the expected direction or outcome of the plot of a novel, film, television series, etc. It’s a device used to keep the interest of the readers or audience, usually surprising them with a revelation. Some “twists” are foreshadowed.

  Point of view (abbreviation: POV): The viewpoint in which the story is told (first, second or third person; close point of view, omniscient, etc.). First-person POV: The story as told by one of the characters in the story: I ran across the street. Third-person POV: As seen through the eyes of one of the characters in the story: She ran across the street. Second-person POV (rarely used) is as seen through the eyes of the reader: You run across the street.

  POV: Abbreviation for point of view or viewpoint

  Premise: The question or problem that is the basic idea of a story.

  Protagonist: The main character or hero of a story whose actions and goal drive the plot.

  Red herring: A literary device that leads readers or characters toward a false conclusion, often used in mystery or detective fiction.

  Revelation: Something that is revealed in the course of your story, something your characters or readers discover that was hidden, and which usually affects the plot by changing the course of decisions, actions and events.

  Reversal: The situation at the end of a scene or chapter is the opposite of what it was at the beginning. Can apply to characterization or plot points.

  Setting: The time, place, physical details, and circumstances in which a situation occurs. Settings include the background, atmosphere or environment in which characters live and move, and usually include physical characteristics of the surroundings.

  Sho
w versus tell: “Show” puts us there with the character in real time, with action and dialogue. Shows what characters experience through their five senses. “Tell” is the author’s narration, or a character telling another character about an event after the fact.

  Storyline: Plot or plotline – the main events of the story, told in order, with cause and effect.

  Style: Individual traits and characteristics of a piece of writing; a writer’s particular way of managing words, the language a writer uses, length and complexity of sentences, habitual use of imagery, patterns of sound, etc.

  Subgenre: A category within a genre of fiction. Some subgenres of thrillers are psychological thrillers, legal thrillers, romantic suspense, medical thrillers, and historical thrillers.

  Subplot: A secondary story within a novel, complete and interesting in its own right, that reinforces or contrasts with the main plot.

  Subterfuge: In fiction, an evasive tactic or device used to conceal or hold back information for a while.

  Theme: The central meaning or dominant idea in a literary work. It is the unifying point around which the plot, characters, setting, point of view, symbols, and other elements of a work are organized.

  Thriller: A broad genre of literature, film, and television programming that uses suspense, tension, and excitement as the main elements. Thrillers heavily stimulate the reader’s or viewer’s moods, giving them a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, surprise, anxiety, and/or terror. Thriller films tend to be adrenaline-rushing, gritty, rousing, and fast-paced. (Wikipedia)

  Thrusters: “Thrusters are structural devices that push the story ahead, move the action forward, and raise questions or cause curiosity about unanswered issues or things to come.” (Jessica Page Morrell)

  Tone: The author’s implicit attitude toward the reader or the people, places, and events in a work as revealed by the elements of the author’s style; the author’s choice of details, character, event, and situations, and words that lead us to infer an overall attitude for the book or a particular scene: amusement, anger, affection, sorrow, contempt, hate.

  Tropes: conventions and devices found within creative works; a common or overused theme or device: cliché “the usual horror movie tropes”; a figure of speech using words in nonliteral ways, such as a metaphor.

  Twist: in fiction, a turn of events that is totally unexpected, used to surprise and/or shock readers.

  Unreliable narrator: A narrator who, as we discover by a twist revelation at the end of the story, has manipulated or fabricated the preceding story, thus forcing the reader to question their prior assumptions about the text. This motif is often used within noir fiction and films, such as the films The Usual Suspects and Shutter Island.

  Viewpoint: point of view

  Voice: The author’s style, the quality that makes his or her writing unique and conveys the author’s attitude, personality, and character; also: the characteristic speech and thought patterns of a first-person narrator or of a viewpoint character. Randy Ingermanson: “I’d define voice to be the ‘attitude’ you bring to your writing. This can be separated into the voice of each of your characters plus the voice you bring in as author.”

  Western fiction: A genre of fiction and films set in the American Old West frontier and typically set from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century.

  Back to TOC

  THRILLERS – LIST OF SUBGENRES WITH EXAMPLES

  I’ve compiled a list of many of the subgenres of thrillers, and novels that fit (sometimes loosely) into the categories. Of course, many of the greatest thrillers defy subcategorizing, so don’t worry about slotting in your thriller – just write a captivating, intriguing story! If you do decide to write a particular kind of thriller, however, be sure to do lots of reading in that subgenre to find out what’s been done to death, and also the essential components of that subgenre. This list is primarily concerned with novels, not movies or TV shows.

  Note that this list is by no means exhaustive. I’ve just named a handful of writers or titles under each category as good examples of the genre. If I’ve placed a book or author under the wrong category, please let me know, as I haven’t read all these books! Also, if you feel there’s a thriller that really must be included because of its superior quality and entertainment value, please pass that along and I’ll try to add it. Thanks!

  Also, you’ll notice that some thrillers and thriller writers often overlap two or three subgenres.

  First, a tip of the hat to these pioneers in the thriller genre:

  EARLY THRILLERS (groundbreakers):

  Homer’s Odyssey, one of the oldest stories in the Western world, is considered an early prototype of the thriller.

  The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas (1844)

  The Woman in White, by Wilkie Collins (1860)

  The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by R. L. Stevenson (1886)

  Dracula, by Bram Stoker (1897)

  The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells (1898)

  The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1902)

  The Thirty-Nine Steps, by John Buchan (1915)

  CATEGORIES OF THRILLER NOVELS, IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY SUBGENRE:

  ACTION-ADVENTURE THRILLERS

  Emphasis on conflict and action rather than a complex plot or deep characterization. Usually feature a race against time, lots of violence and weapons, obvious villains, and practically nonstop action, with explosions, chase scenes, etc. Includes military or combat thrillers, which involve some branch of the military, usually special operations, and emphasize military tactics, combat, and weapons.

  Pioneers of this subgenre:

  Rogue Male, by Geoffrey Household (1939)

  The Guns of Navarone, by Alistair MacLean (1957)

  First Blood, by David Morrell (1972)

  The Bourne Identity, by Robert Ludlum (1980)

  Some popular action-adventure thrillers:

  Shadow Divers, by Robert Kurson

  Many of David Morrell’s novels

  Clive Cussler’s series featuring character Dirk Pitt (also classified as techno-thrillers)

  Many of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher stories, such as: Killing Floor, Die Trying, Tripwire, Running Blind, 61 Hours, and Worth Dying For

  Tom Clancy’s books: Clear and Present Danger, The Hunt for Red October, and more.

  The Lions of Lucerne, by Brad Thor

  Dan Brown’s books: The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, etc.

  Stieg Larsson’s books: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire

  Black Hawk Down, by Mark Bowden

  BIOLOGICAL THRILLERS

  A biological agent, such as a doomsday virus, is the major element in bio thrillers. Includes tales of biological warfare, biological disasters, or science-related thrillers. There is usually an outsider struggling against a powerful, sinister corporation or even the government to try to avert a cataclysmic disaster, which could be caused by a madman or by science going tragically awry.

  A sampling of biological thrillers:

  Jurassic Park, The Lost World, and Prey, by Michael Crichton

  Neanderthal, by John Darnton

  Mount Dragon, by Douglas & Lincoln Child

  Bloodstream, by Tess Gerritsen

  Whiteout, by Ken Follett

  Ill Wind, by Kevin J. Anderson and Doug Beason

  The Devil’s Workshop, by Stephen J. Cannell

  The First Horseman, by John Case

  Vector, by Robin Cook

  The Experiment, by John Darnton

  Plum Island, by Nelson DeMille

  White Plague, by Frank Herbert

  The Blood Artists, by Chuck Hogan

  CRIME THRILLERS

  A less cerebral, more adrenaline-fused version of the “police procedural” of crime fiction. Often involve a police detective or, for more freedom and autonomy, an “off the leash” police officer/detective or an ex-cop or ex-agent. All about committin
g crimes. Protagonists include present and retired or ex FBI agents, police homicide detectives, etc. Features a wide array of novels about revenge, blackmail, serial killers, forensic experts, psychologists, victims and criminals.

  Some key authors, crime thrillers (in alphabetical order):

  Ace Atkins, David Bowker, Allison Brennan, James Burke, Lee Child, Richard Condon, Robert Crais, Charles Fleming, Tess Gerritsen, Alex Kava, C.J. Lyons, James Patterson, Mario Puzo, J.D. Robb, Dan Simmons, Michael Walsh, and Stephen White

  Popular crime thriller titles:

  James Patterson’s Alex Cross novels

  J.D. Robb’s Lieutenant Eve Dallas stories

  C.J. Lyons’ Lucy Guardino FBI thrillers

  Out of Sight, by Elmore Leonard

  The Apprentice, by Tess Gerritsen (2002)

  Still Life with Crows, by Lincoln Child & Douglas Preston

  Mafia Summer, by Vincent E. Duke

  Dark End of the Street, by Ace Atkins

  Godfather series, by Mario Puzo

  Joe Kurtz series, by Dan Simmons

  Hammerheads, by Dale Brown

  Hostage, by Robert Crais

  And All the Saints, by Michael Walsh

  Midnight Runner, by Jack Higgins

  Godfathers Revenge, by Mark Winegardner

  ESPIONAGE OR SPY THRILLERS

  Older spy thrillers made heavy use of the Cold War, the KGB, CIA, the British Secret Service and other international agencies. These days, political intrigue and heavy use of current events, such as the rise of terrorism, are the defining elements of these thrillers.

  Pioneers in the subgenre:

  Above Suspicion by Helen Macinnes (1941)

  Casino Royale, by Ian Fleming (1953) (Secret Agent James Bond)

  From Russia, with Love, by Ian Fleming (1957) (James Bond)

  The Ipcress File, by Len Deighton (1962) (Set in the Cold War)

  The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, by John le Carré (1963)

  Smiley’s People, by John le Carré

  Berlin Game, by Len Deighton (1983)

  The Brotherhood of the Rose, by David Morrell (1984)

  Some popular spy thriller titles:

  The Unlikely Spy, by Daniel Silva