On to part two! In case you couldn’t already guess, this one is all about
writing thrillers. So let’s get right to it!
#1. Tension Builders
The building blocks of tension are more than just action
scenes. Setting, character, and structure can be great ways to introduce tension
as well. Mention a place a couple of times before the character goes there to
create suspense. Or create a character who brings trouble with him every time
he walks into the room. Pacing is another great way to add tension, but we’ll
get more into that next. Even if nothing scary ends up happening at your
setting or with that certain character, it could still get readers on the edge
of their seats. What could happen can
be just as scary as what is happening.
Just make sure that something is
still happening in your story. J
#2. Rogue Treadmill
If any of you are masochistic psychos like me, you’ve
probably tortured yourself before by running on a treadmill. Some people prefer
to keep the pace slow, while others like to run the whole time. I usually
prefer to mix it up a bit, but no matter what your preference, you’re always in
control of the speed. Now picture being on a treadmill where you have no idea
what the speed will be and it could change at any time. One minute you’re
walking nice and slow and then BAM! You’re running at full speed and it’s all
you can do to keep up! When it slows down again, do you think you’re going to
be able to relax? No! You’re going to be nervously waiting for the next
unexpected bout of speed.
Your book should be written the same way. Lull your readers
into a false sense of security with some beautifully-written narrative scenes
(not too long though. We don’t want to put them to sleep.) Then crank up the
speed with short, clippy sentences and life-threatening action scenes! If you
set a good, unexpected pace for your story, your readers will be thrilled the
whole time, even during the slower sections!
*Also important: Make sure not to slow down the action
scenes for narrative. Explain before or after the action, not during. That’ll
just feel disruptive and unnatural to your readers.
#3. Hook, Line, and Sinker
This one applies to all stories, but especially to
thrillers. Grab the reader from the first two pages, and don’t let go. That may
not sound like much time. You probably wouldn’t have even introduced all of
your main characters yet. But if you don’t give readers a reason to keep going
in the first two pages, they’ll put the book down and walk away. The best way
to give a solid hook is to use voice. No matter what POV you write in, develop
a strong story-telling voice in which to relay your tale. Give the narrator a
unique perspective on seemingly simple things to spark curiosity.
Here’s a great example of strong voice in the first line from
a well-known book called “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger.
“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll
probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was
like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that
David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you
want to know the truth.”
And, since I’ve got a picture for everything else, here’s a
picture of a great beginning in a little movie some of you may have heard of
called Jurassic Park.
 |
| Raise your hand if you weren't the teensiest bit curious about what could possibly be in the big metal box that was eating people? That's what I thought. |
#4. Make it Personal
Picture yourself walking down the street when you see
someone pass by in a clown suit. You’d probably think ‘Wow, what a weirdo’ and
then just keep walking without giving him a second thought. But what if you
found out later through a friend that he worked as a clown at birthday parties
because it was the only job he could get since getting laid off. And not only
that, but he had to sell his car to pay for his son’s medical bill, so he had
to walk to each of his jobs. He suddenly just got a lot more interesting right?
 |
| If only I still had my car. And my job. And a healthy son. = ( |
That’s kind of an extreme example, but my point is, add
emotion! It’s not enough to just create an odd or unique character. Give the
reader a reason to care. Oh, your good guy is a monkey with a college degree
who is trying to be the first animal president? That’s great but why should I
care? The fact that he’s a monkey with a college degree will only hold my
interest for so long. Why does he want to become president so badly? What does
he hope to change? Did he have to go through torturous procedures to become
smart? Is he trying to get revenge on what was done to him by taking over the world?
Is he going to become Commander in Chief of an ape army? This is getting to be
too much like Planet of the Apes here. Moving on!
 |
| For my first order of business, I will eat this banana. |
#5. I’m late! I’m late! For a very important plot
resolution!
Nothing gets my heart racing like a deadline. The closer I
get to the last minute, the bigger that ticking clock appears in my head. All I
can think about are the seconds going by, and everything seems to speed up. Put
this same effect in your book by giving the protagonist a slim window to complete
his or her goal. Then, take that time window and shorten it! Make sure the
stakes are high if the protagonist doesn’t succeed. Will his failure result in
losing his dreams? His loved ones? His own life? You decide, but bring him
close to the end of that clock so that your readers are genuinely unsure
whether he’ll succeed or not.
#6. Confounded Conflicts
In addition to time limit, your characters should have a
whole slew of conflicts that are getting in their way. Make it as difficult as
you can for them to succeed. The higher the stakes, the more curious readers
will be to see how your character manages to succeed.
Keep in mind that there should be two threads of conflicts
running through your story: internal and external. Internal involves the
character’s development as a person throughout the novel and how he or she
feels about each situation. External involves the physical conflicts that can
be seen without being in the reader’s head. Some examples are natural
disasters, kidnappings, deaths, etc.
 |
| This |
is a lot more
exciting than
 |
| this. |
*Bonus Tip!*
The last thing your readers will read is your ending. Make
it a good one. Do I need to put the Toy Story image on here again to drive this
point home?
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