Writers Tips #81: 11 Tips on Writing Thrillers

When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you’ve done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These writer’s tips will come at you once a week, giving you plenty of time to go through your story and make the adjustments.

These come from James Frey’s excellent guide to writing a d*** good thriller. If you can’t get your hands on a copy of the book, at least own these:

1. Commit yourself to creating strong conflicts in every line of every scene
2. Have fresh, snappy dialogue and not a single line of conversation
3. Write quickly when drafting.
4. Have production quotas of at least a thousand words every day. three-four thousand is better
5. Have no bland, colorless characters
6. Trick your readers
7. Dump your characters into terrible trouble from page one
8. Have powerful story questions at all times
9. Have a hook at the end of each chapter
10. Be fresh in your writing
11. Keep the clock ticking and the excitement mounting

Jacqui Murray

http://structuredlearning.net