How to write a thriller

Thrillers are dark, high-stakes, suspenseful stories. The thriller genre often includes unexpected twists and turns, a nasty villain, and page-turning tension. Thriller writers have a laser-focused expertise in keeping a reader interested. Here are some tips on how to write a thriller.

1)     When you write a thriller: complexity is key

Characters in thrillers are usually complex. The good guy may not be the model citizen, and the bad guy may have a justification and conviction for everything he does, at least in his mind. The rivalries between these opposing forces are what will give rise to the action that propels your story, so you need to give each of your characters a clear motivation.

2)     Be afraid

A thriller is often about a nefarious scheme that must be stopped at all costs or about murders that must be prevented. Usually the protagonists are innocent people in danger. Remember that the verb to thrill means to frighten. Thus, a thriller is based on fear. If you want to write a thriller, make sure that the dominant emotion is fear.

3)     Write everybody’s whereabouts

Think of a violent crime. Then locate all your characters in relation to the crime scene: where were they during the event, with whom? This will allow you, even before you start writing the novel, to imagine the alibis of each one. This will help you avoid placing the same character in two different places at the same time. You will also avoid contradictions and implausibilities.

4)     When you write a thriller: destroy all certainties

Create a real atmosphere by choosing your vocabulary and writing style. A little phrase slipped into a description or an insidious threat hidden in a dialogue between two characters can have a big effect. Establish certainties in your hero before you shatter them.

5)     Mind the quest

In a thriller, the hero’s quest is of course to stop the “bad guy’s” plan. But in reality this quest is often twofold. Your hero’s personal quest can be their struggle against his inner demons: alcoholism, loneliness or guilt. It is this personal quest that will allow you to flesh out your character and make him heroic in the eyes of the reader.

When you write a thriller, get rid of all superfluous elements from a visual or narrative point of view. It is all about rhythm, fear and keep reading, or in your case, writing.