Social media, SEO, marketing and writingDemystifying The Thriller Genre
Previously I’ve blogged about the many different types of novel genres. One of them is the thriller, a popular category in the world of fiction. Before you hunker down in front of your laptop to pound out your own thriller, you should determine if you have the passion and talent to write fiction. It’s not as easy as it looks! Assuming you have what it takes to be a bestselling author, you’ll want to delve into deeper into the thriller genre.
Author Mary Higgins Clark is a master of the suspense thriller. In ‘Pretend You Don’t See Her,’ a young woman is in the wrong place at the wrong time and gets caught up in a murder investigation. In her book, ‘Where Are You Now,’ a man disappears without a note or a goodbye, yet he still calls home every Mother’s Day. What happened to him?
Sharon Kaye’s ‘Black Market Truth’ is a new thriller about ancient texts, Dionysian cults and Aristotle. It’s not hard to imagine someone paying millions for an ancient scroll with the only known version of Aristotle’s arguments, or to think that someone else would be willing to kill for it.
A novelist’s own life may yield good ideas for a thriller. Tap your memory for story ideas. The places you have been, scenes you have observed, even bits of conversation can all lead to a novel. Interesting people you have met, seen, or know about, from all walks of life, might lead to the beginning of a novel. Think well about your own life and past as well as what happens each present day.
In recent years, the legal thriller has been very popular both as novel and motion picture. ‘The Associate,’ ‘The Rainmaker,’ ‘Runaway Jury,’ ‘The Client’ and ‘The Firm,’ by John Grisham, have done well.
The variety found in the thriller category is fresh and appealing. ‘China Doll’ tells the story of a seven-year-old girl who is kidnapped from the side of her American parents while all three are visiting Vatican City in Rome. The parents enlist the help of a security person who solves such cases but can only be reached and communicated with via computer. This security person learns that eight other blond, blue-eyed children have vanished in the same way within 16 months.
Another exciting thriller is Michael Crichton’s ‘Airframe,’ which poses the question of why a plane on its way to America from the Far East goes through a series of sharp up-and-down movements just before crashing.
Asking intriguing questions is a key way to launch a thriller. What if Dr. Jekyll had a maid servant? This question led to ‘Mary Riley,’ which became a book and motion picture with Julia Roberts in the lead.
What if a young lawyer wished to be a photographer, and after killing his wife’s lover (who was one), assumes the identity and vocation of the victim? This premise by Douglas Kennedy, an Australian author, became ‘The Big Picture.’
An increasing number of thrillers involve computers and biotech. Stephen Cannell’s ‘Final Victim’ is about a serial killer who uses secret computer technology to trap his victims. And then there is Ken Follett’s ‘The Third Twin’ which centers around the premise of the genetic manipulation of human embryos.
Keep in mind that a number of thriller novels go on to become very successful blockbusters. Whether you’re a new author or veteran pro interested in breaking into the thriller category, stay alert to the fact that publishing has become more and more like Hollywood. Both publishers and Hollywood are looking for big books that have the potential to become mega blockbuster properties. Turn one of these out and place it with the right publisher and you could skyrocket to success as an author.
