Writing A Thriller

“A medium Vodka dry Martini — with a slice of lemon peel.
Shaken and not stirred.”
—Dr No, 1958
Ian Fleming, English thriller writer, 1908-64

The search for sophisticated action and adventure has equal allure for both author and reader. During a Commencement speech at Harvard, John F. Kennedy remarked that Thomas Jefferson was "a gentleman of 32, who could calculate an eclipse, survey an estate, tie an artery, plan an edifice, try a cause, break a horse, dance a minuet, and play the violin." In another era, Jefferson and James Bond, Ian Fleming’s legendary protagonist in his eponymous series of thrillers, would have had had a lot in common: a love of high stakes, action and excitement. These are the key attributes of the characters who populate not only novels in the genres of horror, crime and mystery but the world of thrillers as well. Part of the reason for the huge reader following of the genre is the diversity of skills and interests of the characters that feature in thrillers: occupations range from businessmen to lawyers, politicians and double agents; cops, art dealers, forensic scientists, firemen and CIA operatives — all are grist for the thriller writer’s mill.

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Writers Block?

If you are experiencing the proverbial writer’s block, get help from WordsRU’s team of professionally qualified, highly experienced fiction editors to start the creative juices running again. We understand books and what constitutes a great thriller and will see the potential in yours. We know that thriller writers do not have to be lawyers, fireman, CIA agents or even James Bond to be able to write about them (though it might help). But we also understand that authors have to know and understand how such people think; how they talk, how they react. For most writers, this means research and more research.

How WordsRU Can Help

Our online editorial service has extensive experience in the copy editing and proofreading of both fiction and non-fiction manuscripts, and we embrace not only thrillers, mystery, horror and crime but autobiographies, biographies, self-help books, poetry, fantasy fiction, electronic books, articles, cookbooks, adventure, romance novels, science fiction, literary fiction, technical manuals as well as academic and business editing and proofreading.

The team of editors and proofreaders at WordsRU will thoroughly check your manuscript for grammar as well as correcting punctuation, tense, spelling and typographical errors. We offer help wherever you need it — sentences are strengthened or reworked to heighten the impact, flow and readability of your narrative, and we include invaluable feedback, comments and suggestions as well.

Be Alert To Possibilities

"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence.
Three times is enemy action."
—Ian Fleming

When “James Bond, with two double bourbons inside him, sat in the final departure lounge of Miami Airport and thought about life and death” readers instinctively knew that Fleming’s Goldfinger was about to launch him — and them — into another fiendishly thrilling, devilishly exciting adventure. All writers, especially those working with thrillers and related genres, seek the possibilities for extraordinary events that are always lurking within the deceptive veneer of the commonplace, the mundane and the ordinary.

Our Editors' Top Tips For Thriller Writers

	Understand what makes your key characters tick Learn and research as much about your characters as possible before you start writing. Your story and dialogue largely arises from your characters. Make notes about their characteristics, idiosyncrasies, mannerisms and speech. You may not use the notes as such, but they will inform the way you present the characters and it is in this way that they become memorable to your readers.
	Character, conflict and resolution = plot These are the three pillars of your narrative. In a thriller the combination of a strong and believable hero in conflict with an equally strong and believable villain gives you the makings of the conflict. The nature of that conflict and how it develops is your plot, and whatever happens its resolution should change the lives of your characters.
	Write one tight, well-contained scene at a time Once you understand the dynamics of a scene and can write a good one, you are well on the way to writing a good novel. Work on one scene at a time. Use the technique of who, what, where, when, why to help you develop each scene.
	Know the difference between conversation and dialogue Read your dialogue aloud – you will quickly recognize when it sounds authentic or if somebody is out of character.
	Research and investigation If you are writing a legal thriller, you will need to research the legal processes of the country in which your story is set. Research applies to all forms of writing, but in the thriller genre your research is actually part of the investigation that is going to be a feature of your story.
	Keep up with the latest developments Reflect them in your writing. Live in the world you write about — advances in technology can bring an unexpected twist or a surprise denouement to your story, and keep you learning!

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WordsRU Writer Services:

Writing a thriller? Let the experienced professional editors and proofreaders at WordsRU polish your manuscript to maximize its thrills and ensure the best possible quality outcome for your work.

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