Thriller 101

David

A podcast for readers and writers of thriller, mystery, suspense, and crime fiction. 

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    How to Write a Thriller that Gets Attention: Character and Plot Advice from Chevy Stevens

    Send me a Text Message! New York Times bestselling author Chevy Stevens pulls back the curtain on what separates a good thriller from an unforgettable one.  And it might not be what you think.  In this episode, Chevy reveals her unconventional process for crafting antagonists that readers love to hate.  She also shares the exact mindset shift that helped her sustain an eight-book career. If you are...  struggling to create believable villainsfeeling stuck in your thriller's plotwondering how to build a lasting writing career in today's marketThis conversation will give you the tools to break through.  What Listeners Will Learn: • How to create antagonists that traditional publishers love • The "enough juice" test for evaluating thriller concepts • Why your second book matters more than your first Connect with Chevy: Website Twitter Instagram Chevy Stevens lives on Vancouver Island with her husband and daughter. When she isn’t working on her next book, she’s spending time with her family and their two dogs. Her books, including Still Missing, a New York Times bestseller and winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel, have been published in more than thirty countries. Episodes I think You'll Love: Author Liz Alterman Reveals Her Weekly Writing Ritual That Transforms First Drafts Into Gold And How to Know When Your Story Idea Is Worth WritingLiterary Agent Amy Nielsen on How to Fix Your Opening Pages Literary Agent Jessica Berg Shares How to Catch an Agent's EyeHow to Write an Opening Chapter that Keeps Readers Reading with Author David McCloskey Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

    31 min
  2. 15 OCT

    Developing Better Plots Using a Character-Driven Approach with Daniel David Wallace

    Send me a Text Message! Struggling with how to write a thriller that grabs readers immediately?  In this interview, writing expert Daniel David Wallace shares game-changing writing tips for crafting plots that keep readers hooked from page one.  Daniel, creator of the Character First Writing Approach and host of Escape the Plot Forest summit, reveals why traditional plotting advice often fails thriller writers. And he offers three essential strategies for developing compelling, character-driven narratives.  Whether you're working on your first manuscript or polishing a novel for traditional publishing, these writing techniques will help you avoid the common pitfalls that cause readers to abandon your story.  Learn how to create protagonists with immediate momentum, maintain emotional connection through plot twists, and structure midpoints that trap both your characters and your readers in the story. Learn more about Daniel here... Daniel David Wallace is the host of Escape the Plot Forest, an annual online conference for writers. He spent four years of a PhD researching new ways to help writers tell a great story. His stories, reviews, and essays have been published in great magazines like Tampa Review, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Air Schooner, and his writing has won him awards like the Toni Brown scholarship and the Hodges prizes. Daniel designed a way of teaching plot, the "character-first" approach that aims to return writers to their original love of storytelling (because it teaches you to write according to how your ideal readers will experience your book). This approach has resonated with so many people: more than 13,000 writers read his newsletter each week. Literary Agent and Author Jenna Satterthwaite on Making it in the Publishing IndustryFirst Page Formula: Author and Writing Coach April Davila on What Agents & Readers Want to See in Your Thriller Manuscript OpeningHow to Edit Your Own Writing with Author & Editor Chantelle Aimée Osman Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

    28 min
  3. 9 OCT

    How to Write Thrillers That Actually Matter with Aaron Philip Clark

    Send me a Text Message! What if the setting you choose could be as morally complex as your protagonist?  In this episode, USA Today bestselling author Aaron Philip Clark pulls back the curtain on how he crafts crime fiction that thrills and matters.  Aaron reveals: his process for weaving heavy themes into page-turners without slowing the pacewhy he writes from a place of frustration and injusticehow to make every setting choice deliberate and loaded with meaning. If you're tired of writing surface-level thrillers or struggling to add depth without killing your momentum, this conversation will change how you approach your craft.  Aaron's insights on creating "literary humans" instead of plot devices alone are worth the listen, but his framework for balancing suspense with substance is something I personally will be implementing in my work. https://www.aaronphilipclark.com/ https://x.com/RealAPCBooks https://www.instagram.com/realapcbooks/ Episodes I think you'll love... How to Develop Characters and Themes with Author Aaron Philip Clark Writing Action Scenes with Author Aaron Philip Clark Literary Agent and Author Jenna Satterthwaite on Making it in the Publishing Industry First Page Formula: Author and Writing Coach April Davila on What Agents & Readers Want to See in Your Thriller Manuscript Opening Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

    33 min
  4. 1 OCT

    146 How to turn 'wasted' drafts and subverted tropes into your writing superpower with Charlene Wang

    Send me a Text Message! What if the tropes you love are actually holding your thriller back?  In this episode, Charlene Wang reveals how she transformed the beloved campus novel into a feminist revenge thriller by strategically subverting genre expectations.  And the results landed her a major book deal.  You'll discover the counterintuitive truth about "wasted" drafts (spoiler: nothing is ever wasted), learn how to weaponize social media as a character psychology tool rather than just a plot device, and understand why the most compelling morally gray characters make us root for their goals while questioning their methods.  If you're struggling to make your thriller feel fresh or your contemporary setting feel authentic, this conversation will fundamentally change how you approach revision and might just save you years of trial and error. Learn more about Charlene Bio:  Charlene Wang was born in Beijing and, after immigrating to the US when she was three, has lived in seven different cities from Los Angeles to Rockville to Biloxi. Graduating with a B.A. in English from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from University of Virginia School of Law, she worked as a litigator for six years before quitting to pursue her childhood dream of becoming an author. She now lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her fiancé and their dog Winky. Episodes I think you'll love... Agent Carleen Geisler Reads a Submission & Shares How Agents Evaluate Opening PagesWriting Your Opening Scene with Thomas MullenWriting Unique Openings to Grab Literary Agent Attention: Jason Powell AuthorGet the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

    15 min
  5. 25 SEPT

    145 The View from the Slush Pile: A Literary Agent's Fresh Take on What Works with Tommy Dean

    Send me a Text Message! What if I told you that right now, while established agents are drowning in hundreds of submissions, there's a brand new literary agent who's actively building his client list and genuinely excited to discover your manuscript?  In this episode, Tommy Dean shares what makes him your ideal partner in this industry.  Tommy shares...  the insider secrets that separate professional queries from amateur oneswhy newer agents might actually be your best bet for building a career-long partnership,some hard truths about what's instantly killing your chances in the query process. If you're serious about traditional publishing, this conversation could be the game-changer that gets your work noticed. Bio: Tommy Dean is an associate literary agent with Rosecliff Literary, the author of two flash fiction chapbooks, Special Like the People on TV (Redbird Chapbooks, 2014) and Covenants (ELJ Editions, 2021), and a full flash collection, Hollows (Alternating Current Press, 2022). He lives in Indiana, where he is currently the editor of Fractured Lit and Uncharted Magazine. A recipient of the 2019 Lascaux Prize in Short Fiction, his writing can be found in Best Microfiction 2019, 2020, 2023, and Best Small Fiction 2019 and 2022. His work has been published in Monkeybicycle, Laurel Review, Moon City Review, Pithead Chapel, Harpur Palate, and many other litmags. He has taught writing workshops for the Gotham Writers Workshop, The Writers Center, and The Writers Workshop. Find him at tommydeanwriter.com and on Twitter @TommyDeanWriter. Episodes I think you'll love... - How to Find Your Literary Agent with Carey Blankenship-Kramer - Literary Agent Michelle Z. Jackson Helps Writers Navigate the Querying Process - Literary Agent Jennifer Chevais Shares What Grabs Attention in a Query SubmissionGet the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

    20 min
  6. 16 SEPT

    What Editors Really Want in 2025 with Chantelle Aimée Osman, Who Provides a Sneak Peek Inside Simon & Schuster's Newest Imprint

    Send me a Text Message! You’re going to love this exclusive conversation with Chantelle Aimée Osman, Senior Editor at Simon & Schuster's new imprint, Simon Maverick.  Chantelle reveals how the publishing industry is evolving to meet indie and hybrid authors where they are.  And why audio is becoming the new frontier that could transform your writing career.  Discover the submission strategies that actually work, learn why your biggest strength might be the one thing editors can't fix, and find out how to reframe rejection in a way that accelerates rather than derails your publishing journey.  Whether you're traditionally published, indie, or still figuring out your path, this conversation offers insider insights that could change everything about how you approach your writing career. What You'll Learn: Why audio publishing is the new gold rush opportunityThe one manuscript element editors absolutely cannot fixHow to reframe rejection as progress toward your goalClick here to learn more about Chantelle Aimee Osman  Guest Bio: Chantelle Aimée Osman (she/her) is senior editor at Simon & Schuster's newest imprint, Simon Maverick. Prior to joining Simon & Schuster, Chantelle Aimée Osman was an acquiring editor at Amazon Publishing, where she worked with bestselling authors such as Robert Dugoni, Mark Sullivan, Suzanne Redfearn, Megan Chance, Victoria Helen Stone, and Simon Tolkien. Previously, she helped found Agora Books, an imprint of independent press Polis Books, focusing on crime fiction and horror with unique social and cultural voices—themes which still hold a special place in her heart. At Agora, she acquired and edited authors including John Vercher, Cynthia Pelayo, Gabino Iglesias, and Tori Eldridge. Her titles have won International Latino Book Award medals; been nominated for Edgar, Stoker, Dagger, Anthony, Strand Critics, Macavity, and Lefty awards; and been featured in NPR, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Post, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Chicago Tribune, Reader’s Digest, Oprah Daily, People, and Entertainment Weekly. She was named a Publishers Weekly Rising Star honoree in 2020, and was the former editor in chief of RT Book Reviews magazine, and is a (recovering) lawyer, and professor at the LIU Brooklyn Polk School of Communication MFA in Writing and Publishing. Chantelle is the author of series of non-fiction writing guides The Quick and Dirty Guides To…,  and has published numerous works of short fiction, and served as the editor of multiple anthologies, including the acclaimed Jewish Noir, Volume 2 from PM Press. She has co-written the graphic novels The Awakened and The Rejects, and serves as the creative consultant for the reimagined Dick Tracy comic. She also serves on the Race Equity & Social Justice Committee of the Pongo Poetry Project, a non-profit organization that uses personal poetry writing to heal youth who have experienced trauma and other difficult and complicated experiences; as well as serving as the board of Prototype Health, a non-profit organization providing high-quality, cost-effective, integrated primary health care for uninsured, underinsured, and needy individuals. When not buried in a book, you can find her wherever her Boston Terriers, Tamerlane and Henry, and her cat, Lafitte, want to go. She's online at chant Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

    28 min
  7. 9 SEPT

    Why Your Perfect Manuscript Isn't Enough And What to Do About It with Author Tamara Miller

    Send me a Text Message! Tamara Miller's debut thriller INTO THE FALL has launched her career with a two-book publishing contract.  But her path from government policy analyst to published author wasn't built on talent alone.  It was strategic business thinking that made the difference.  In this episode, Tamara Miller reveals the approach that got her agent's immediate attention and explains why treating your query like a business proposal changes everything.  She also shares some immersive writing techniques that keep readers turning pages.  Whether you're struggling with submissions or wondering how to make your manuscript stand out, this episode’s practical insights will shift how you think about the publishing game. What You'll Learn: Why query letters must be business proposals first, pitches secondThe "equation" for writing immersive scenes that hook agents instantlyHow to research and position your book for commercial success Click here to learn more about Tamara Miller Guest Bio: Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Tamara L. Miller earned her PhD in Canadian history before embarking on a career working for the federal government. Miller began as a doe-eyed policy analyst and eventually moved into an executive role with the Government of Canada. She later left public service, older and perhaps a little wiser, to become a writer. Tamara is past president of Ottawa Independent Writers and has written several articles published online by the likes of CBC and Ottawa Life Magazine. Into the Fall is her first novel. Over the years, the author has called many Canadian cities home but now lives in Ottawa with her family and two long-suffering cats. She’s always been fascinated by the raw beauty of the wilder places in the world and escapes to them whenever possible. Episodes I think you'll love... Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

    17 min
  8. 2 SEPT

    Literary Agent Lori Galvin Talks Going From Query to Deal: What Agents Need to See Before They Sign You

    Send me a Text Message! Literary agent Lori Galvin reveals exactly what makes a query letter irresistible.  She breaks down the specific elements that make agents request materials, and the common mistakes that lead to instant rejections.  Whether you're crafting your first query or your fiftieth, this episode delivers the agent perspective that every fiction writer needs to hear. What You'll Learn: Why manuscript word count can kill your chances instantlyThe test some agents use to evaluate opening pagesHow to prove you're serious about writing in your bio Click here to learn more about Lori Galvin  Guest Bio:  Lori Galvin, has been with Aevitas Creative Management since 2015 and represents a wide variety of bestselling, award-winning, and critically acclaimed writers of both fiction and nonfiction including Wanda M. Morris, Nishita Parekh, and Kwame Onwuachi. Prior to her agenting career, she was an editor at America’s Test Kitchen as well as Houghton Mifflin. She has also worked as a restaurant cook and managed a bed-and-breakfast in coastal Maine. She lives in Massachusetts. Lori only accepts submissions through Query Manager: QueryManager.com/QueryLoriGalvin Episodes I think you'll love... Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

    22 min

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A podcast for readers and writers of thriller, mystery, suspense, and crime fiction. 

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