How to plot your thriller, made easy!

 

Good plotting is crucial to any book and is essential when writing thrillers. I am by no means an expert but the following tips might just help you.

1. Arouse curiosity and raise lots of questions.

It is always good to finish a chapter with questions that need answering. Pique the readers’ curiosity so that they want to read on.

2. Show cohesion. Does your plot hang together, would your characters really behave like that?

I personally hate plots that don’t make sense or don’t hang together, and so will your readers, so check your plot points carefully.

3. Avoid cliche and be surprising. Maybe the cussed character in your book is actually misunderstood and the charmer, too charming?

Sometimes it is helpful to change your mind when writing a book. You could start with a clear view of where you’re heading and who your perpetrator might be. Feel free to change this though. This can make your writing even fresher and help avoid cliches.

4. Research your plots thoroughly. If you have a technical idea, make sure that it is possible, feasible and properly researched.  For example, if your hero has to disable a car, for example, make sure what they do is technically possible. Failure to do this ruins your credibility and you could get lots of negative comments as a result, from readers in the know. Don’t go into too much technical detail though, as this can kill the flow and the mood of your writing.

4. Gives readers something worth the effort of sticking with your book.  Think carefully about your plots and lay some red herrings, but not too many.

5. Make sure your title actually relates to your book in some way and refer to your title within the book at least several times.  Sometimes a book’s title bears absolutely no relation to the content and this can be baffling.

Good look with all your writing ventures.

What are your top tips? I’d love to hear them!

Charlie