The Craft
A MAINSTREAM THRILLER:
Ten Tips for Writing Compelling Fiction
1) P.O.V. - Whose; But importantly: Why?
2) VOICE - Your unique style as a novelist. Much the same as a painter's brushstrokes.
How Bad Can Your Good Guy Be?
What is the definition of "hero?" A person admired for his achievements and noble qualities.
The mythological definition is slightly different: A legendary figure endowed with great strength, courage, or ability favored by the gods.
In memory of Michael Crichton, who died in late 2008 at the age of 66, last April, Writer's Digest Magazine asked me to share what I learned as a writer from reading my idol's books. Here's what I said:
Recently, during Thrillerfest in New York, the question was posed to me: What's the difference between a mystery and a thriller novel? Although my answer may have been a little pithy, I explained that in my opinion a mystery had a problem to be solved while a thriller had a problem to be dealt with.
By Jeremy Duns
I've been on Twitter for a while now, and have been enjoying it. The site has helped me interact with readers of my debut novel Free Agent, and I think find new readers for it, but it can be challenging for a writer. When you spend all day trying to fashion an exciting and coherent story in 80,000-plus consecutive words, Twitter's 140-character limit can take a little getting used to.
By Jeremy Duns
I'd like to briefly discuss some seminal texts in the thriller genre: The Cat In The Hat, Green Eggs And Ham and Fox in Socks.
Well, not really, and I'm sure it's just a writer's brain latching onto the closest available material, but I wanted to get down a few ideas that have been stirring around my head for a while, about the work of children's author Dr Seuss and what it has taught me about the construction of thrillers. I'm serious! My eldest daughter loves Dr Seuss, and as a result I've read many of his stories hundreds of times.
by Laura Benedict
Early last November, I was nearing the end of a seven-week of tour for Isabella Moon. When I finally returned home--after a week in Alaska, thirteen reading/signing events, twenty bookstore drop-ins, and four thousand miles of driving through Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and Missouri--I collapsed in a heap in my bedroom and could barely be dragged out of it for a week. My mind was so scattered and I was so distracted that I could hardly write. Laundry went undone, and we ate out way too much. But I recovered and my family recovered and we made it through the year just fine.
By Karen Dionne
Authors post them on their websites. They upload them to Google Video and YouTube. If they're particularly savvy, they search out display sites like Book Screening and Preview the Book. Even websites that aren't primarily intended to showcase trailers like the Backspace homepages have a section where users can upload them.
The jury's still out as to whether or not book trailers help sell books. But perhaps the bigger question is: Is anybody watching?
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?
By CJ Lyons
I know people often associate world building with science fiction or fantasy, but it's just as important in thrillers. In order to draw the reader into your story you need to create a universe where you both control the rules and where you make a promise to the reader to also follow those rules.
David Morrell:
A few years ago, there was a controversy when Jonathan Franzen's THE CORRECTIONS was chosen for the Oprah Book Club. He asked for his book to be withdrawn because Oprah's Book Club was directed toward a mass audience and Franzen felt that his work was part of the high-art segment of literature. I have a Ph.D. from Penn State and for many years was a professor of American literature at the University of Iowa. Naturally I wanted to look at Franzen's high-art novel. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that it was a genre novel -- specifically, a dysfunctional family novel. This only reinforced in me the believe that all novels ultimately fit into one or more categories. The categories themselves don't matter as much as how well each novel is written.
