Researching the Thriller: When Ten Percent is Enough
By Andrew PetersonIn conversation, the subject of "research" often comes up. After offering a quick snapshot of my novel's plot and its protagonist, I'm often asked, "Is that what you used to do for a living?" My answer is always the same. No, I've never been a sniper or a covert CIA operative. And although they don't put their next question into words, I know what they're thinking: Then how can you write about it?
I always smile and answer the unasked question like this: "As far as I know, Anne Rice has never been a vampire." This usually brings a chuckle, but I also see the light go on behind their eyes.
It's a work of fiction, not an autobiography.
When I sold my debut novel to Dorchester Publishing, Executive Editor Don D'Auria paid me a nice compliment. He asked what branch of Special Forces I had served with. To me, that was the highest form of praise possible, and I attribute that reaction to one thing: research.
How much research did I do for FIRST TO KILL? In a word, tons. How much of it went into the book? Less than ten percent. Did I really leave ninety percent of all those countless hours of reading, traveling, interviewing, and internet browsing out of my book? In a word, yes.
As a thriller writer, there's an important point to remember here. You're an entertainer, not an educator.
It wasn't my intent to write a text book on the intricate art of shooting rifles at extremely long distances, or to educate the public on the nuts and bolts of how plastic explosives work. Those books already exist. My intent was to provide hour upon hour of top notch "entertainment" for my readers, not bore them to tears with meaningless filler to show off my vast knowledge on the factual theme of the book.
I'd rather hint at a juicy morsel of information than come out and say it. And the very best outcome of research may be the way it informs the reader on how a character (hero, villain, or other) thinks, reacts, plans, and so on. If your research helps you understand your character's particular way of seeing the world, then your hard work will be rewarded.
Please don't get me wrong, there are no absolutes. Ten percent may be too lean. In some techno thrillers, the research and technical aspects of the story become -- in essence -- a "supporting character" and require much more page-space. Can you educate and entertain at the same time? Yes, absolutely. But it's a fine line and you need to be careful. What may be interesting to you, as the author, may not be interesting to your reader.
For the vast majority of thrillers, too much data input grinds the action to a halt, and in the thriller genre, it's the kiss of death. If a thriller stops entertaining me, I stop reading it, and I doubt I'm alone in doing so. But the truly hideous question becomes: How can debut novelists expect readers to buy their second book, if those same readers couldn't get through their first one? Scary question, isn't it...
When I'm editing manuscript, I'm constantly asking myself. "Do I really need this in here?" Note I said need, not want. As a conscientious writer, you have to know the difference.
Work your precious ten percent into the story at key points here and there. And don't try to cheat by forcing it into the story through dialogue; your readers will see right through it. Has an "info dump" through dialogue ever fooled you?
In your travels, you've probably heard the expression, "less is more." Take it to heart. It will make you a better "entertainer."
Discover more about the world of the thriller and FIRST TO KILL by visiting Andrew at his website: www.andrewpeterson.com.
It's a work of fiction, not an autobiography.
When I sold my debut novel to Dorchester Publishing, Executive Editor Don D'Auria paid me a nice compliment. He asked what branch of Special Forces I had served with. To me, that was the highest form of praise possible, and I attribute that reaction to one thing: research.
How much research did I do for FIRST TO KILL? In a word, tons. How much of it went into the book? Less than ten percent. Did I really leave ninety percent of all those countless hours of reading, traveling, interviewing, and internet browsing out of my book? In a word, yes.
As a thriller writer, there's an important point to remember here. You're an entertainer, not an educator.
It wasn't my intent to write a text book on the intricate art of shooting rifles at extremely long distances, or to educate the public on the nuts and bolts of how plastic explosives work. Those books already exist. My intent was to provide hour upon hour of top notch "entertainment" for my readers, not bore them to tears with meaningless filler to show off my vast knowledge on the factual theme of the book.
I'd rather hint at a juicy morsel of information than come out and say it. And the very best outcome of research may be the way it informs the reader on how a character (hero, villain, or other) thinks, reacts, plans, and so on. If your research helps you understand your character's particular way of seeing the world, then your hard work will be rewarded.
Please don't get me wrong, there are no absolutes. Ten percent may be too lean. In some techno thrillers, the research and technical aspects of the story become -- in essence -- a "supporting character" and require much more page-space. Can you educate and entertain at the same time? Yes, absolutely. But it's a fine line and you need to be careful. What may be interesting to you, as the author, may not be interesting to your reader.
For the vast majority of thrillers, too much data input grinds the action to a halt, and in the thriller genre, it's the kiss of death. If a thriller stops entertaining me, I stop reading it, and I doubt I'm alone in doing so. But the truly hideous question becomes: How can debut novelists expect readers to buy their second book, if those same readers couldn't get through their first one? Scary question, isn't it...
When I'm editing manuscript, I'm constantly asking myself. "Do I really need this in here?" Note I said need, not want. As a conscientious writer, you have to know the difference.
Work your precious ten percent into the story at key points here and there. And don't try to cheat by forcing it into the story through dialogue; your readers will see right through it. Has an "info dump" through dialogue ever fooled you?
In your travels, you've probably heard the expression, "less is more." Take it to heart. It will make you a better "entertainer."
Discover more about the world of the thriller and FIRST TO KILL by visiting Andrew at his website: www.andrewpeterson.com.
From The International Thriller Writers:
