Tag Archives: thriller

The ‘Best’ Thrillers, More from ThrillerFest

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What are the very best thrillers?

Of the many panels I attended at ThrillerFest, this question was often asked of the speakers, most of whom were thriller authors themselves. I tried to get their answers down in my notes and then compiled a list, which I share with you below.

So, here is my terribly subjective, painfully unscientific list of the best thrillers as selected by the panelists. Some of these have a particular context, such as best “smart” thriller. Some are simply the panelists’ favorites. Some are the best overall. Regardless, they should provide a great reading list for thriller fans.

  • Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell
  • Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
  • Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
  • Defending Jacob by William Landay (upcoming in 2012)
  • Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett
  • Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith
  • Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
  • Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
  • The Little Drummer Girl by John le Carre
  • The Red Fox by Anthony Hyde
  • The Secret History by Donna Tartt
  • The Tiger and the Smoke by Margery Allingham
  • Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carre

Feel free to add you own favorites in the comments section.

The Importance of Subplot, More Notes from ThrillerFest

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Talks at ThrillerFest, which I attended two weeks ago, covered a lot of ground. One of the most interesting was a panel titled “How Do You Thicken the Plot: Subplots and How to Make Them Shine.”

Of course, a strong plot is critical to a good thriller. But a single plot line can get pretty old, pretty fast. Enter the subplot.

Subplots, the panel explained, add texture to the story. They provide an opportunity for the writer to create emotional friction between characters. Also, subplots can allow writers to diffuse the darkness and violence that are so important to thrillers, saving the story from becoming too depressing. Humor can work wonders here.

The panelists provided some tips in creating subplots:

  • Subplots must add tension to the story, or else they don’t belong in a thriller.
  • They must feel immediate, with action. They should not be exposition.
  • Put them in when action in the main story gets to be too much.
  • Chart your main plot and subplots, and make sure not too much time goes by before a subplot reappears.
  • Romance is a great feature in subplots, giving characters the opportunity for some happiness.

This panel featured: Wendy Corsi Staub (moderator), Daniel Friedman, Mark Greaney, J.L. Hughes, Chris Knopf, Jeremy Robinson and Emily Winslow.

Dissecting the Thriller, Notes from ThrillerFest

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I had the pleasure of attending ThrillerFest this past weekend in NYC. It was a great opportunity to hear from some of my favorite authors and learn a bit more about the craft of writing thrillers.

One panel titled “Tricks of the Trade: Are There Must-Haves in Thrillers?” was particularly interesting as it looked at those items that are essential for thrillers — and some that are not. Here are my notes from the panel.

Of course, everyone agreed initially on the standards needed in thrillers: tension, pace, momentum. Then, it got interesting.

Information, the panel noted, can be a problem. While a certain amount of information is essential — backstory, description, etc. — it can also be a speed bump that hurts the pace of the story and breaks the tension.

Speaking of pace, the speakers raised an issue with pacing in general. Thrillers, it seems, can have too much. Panelists mentioned a particular thriller affliction called adrenal fatigue, where by the end of the story the reader is quite spent from the effort. Humor is one way to address this, cutting the tension, making the story fun to read, and then allowing the author to ratchet the tension back up.

Sex? In thrillers, the panel said, it’s not the act itself but the sexual tension that makes this work in the context of a thriller. Think sitcoms here. Moonlighting. Cheers.

Toward the end, the panel took on the question: What spoils a thriller? Here are some of the peeves discussed.

  • Not wrapping up all the loose ends. Don’t forget the roundup.
  • Poorly crafted character and voice.
  • Too much backstory dumped in the beginning.
  • Writers inserting themselves into the story. Authors need to be invisible.

Members of this ThrillerFest panel were: Karen Dionne (moderator), Mike Cooper, Joe Moore, William Craig Reed, Larry D. Thompson, Norb Vonnegut, F. Paul Wilson.

En Passant, a Short Story

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I’m happy to post my first short story to this blog. It’s titled En Passant.

This story is a thriller and I’ve pasted the summary below. Any feedback you have would be great, as I intend to write lots more of these.

En Passant

Daniel Silverman, a chess grandmaster from New York City, awakens to find himself abducted, bound and utterly helpless in a dingy room somewhere in Morocco. He had traveled to the west coast of Africa to play in a major international tournament. Yet, his captors believe his trip had an altogether different purpose. Right or wrong, Daniel is about to play the opening moves of the toughest — and undoubtedly most dangerous — game of his life.

Read the story. (Length, 4,600 words)

Short Stories Coming Soon

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In an effort to get back to writing regularly, I’m going to begin posting short stories to this blog.

My first efforts will be in the thriller/mystery genre. I’ve been doing a lot of reading in these categories lately — particularly thrillers — and I have really been enjoying it. So I thought I’d give it a go.

I’ll set up a page for my short stories, where anyone can read them for free.

Of course, I’ll do a blog post on each to let you know when they’re available.