Posts Tagged ‘thriller’

ThrillerFest – Author Andrew Gross

Posted: July 26, 2015 in Writing
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It’s time you know this author. Most of my friends know he co-wrote six Bestselling thrillers with Master James Patterson, but did you know he’s done an amazing amount of work on his own for the last 10 years! Eight Bestselling novels and his latest (making it nine) just came out last April.

Andrew_Gross_web

His latest adventure is One Mile Under. This brings Ty Hauck back into action.

Buy his book (click here). You won’t be disappointed.

Andrew’s class at ThrillerFest was about outlining. He’s a big advocate and had many great reason why and how to do it.

And how does that help you? Did you travel to New York earlier this month? I did, but I can’t regurgitate everything I learned. So we have a better option. Let’s get the recordings of the sessions.

Try one and see if you like it. Then try another. I bet you will. I’m actually buying some of the classes I attended because I found holes in my notes.

Check this out:
ThrillerFest recorded

Calling Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan – solve this murder

Posted: May 29, 2015 in Writing
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What a cold case. 430,000 years ago. In Spain. We weren’t even modern humans at this point.

But a fascinating find by paleontologists in Spain’s “pit of bones” makes for a great story idea. I haven’t read a good cold case murder mystery that happened so deep in the past, but I’m sure they’re out there. Finding old journals, examining bones of ancient people, piecing together the evidence to a murder that somehow rocks modern thought or territorial rights sounds like fun.

Check this out: World’s oldest murder case

I like modern thrillers that tie to ancient history. Steve Berry is super effective twisting great historical facts into stories set in modern times. I’m a huge fan. But I don’t have the research or background to write this type of story. I’m more a modern science and technology writer.

But feel free to post the title of a good book that illuminates some historical fact as part of a modern thriller.

The latest thrill

Posted: January 2, 2015 in Writing
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How do you keep up with your genre?
These days it’s impossible to read everyone’s website, blog or tweet.
For me, I have a couple of go-to’s that keep me in the loop. One of my favorites is The Big Thrill newsletter/magazine.
There are great interviews with some of the most successful authors in my genre – Thrillers. As well, there are many great interviews with authors about their latest releases.
In this month’s edition, my friend Joanna Penn (you probably know her as JF Penn or The Creative Penn) does a nice article and introspective with author Scott Mariani.
It’s tightly coupled with my favorite writers conference ThrillerFest, so you’ll see headline ads for it throughout, but I consider these two venues the main vein of thriller writing help and support.
Happy New Year!

Closing the gap…

Posted: December 8, 2014 in Writing
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In business we use the term “gap analysis” to determine the reality between what is required and what is available. This can apply to many different places in industry, music and science. And writing…
For me, gap analysis happens when I read a favorite author. One whose work is polished and complete. One with the rhythm of words that I dance along to merrily. And then I read my work. For many years when I balanced the two against each other, my words tripped over themselves. There was no rhythm I could dance to. The idea was present, but it just didn’t shine.
Michelangelo said that a sculpture already lived within the stone he worked on, he merely removed the unneeded pieces.
A blank sheet of paper should represent the same thing.
But I persevered. I wrote. I learned. I asked questions. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend amazing conferences like ThrillerFest and ask my favorite author’s what they’ve done to help them ascend to such heights. Then I wrote some more. And more.
Now when I do gap analysis, the gap isn’t nearly as large. In fact, there are places and times when it sings just right. When characters feel like they’re in your living room, or better yet, when you’re with them in the middle of some heart thumping moment.
It’s taken a long time to get there. But I have a standard. I want desperately to add to the collective known as thriller fiction. One that has given me great thoughts and adventure. But I only want to add quality work. So I endeavor to only release something that is at my standard. Something that says to me “this is as good as it gets”. I don’t want to publish crap. In fact, the absolute danger in indie and self-publishing is the tidal wave of crap that gets put out there. It threatens to turn away readers from such a great medium.
I will not add trash to the junkyard. But I will add color to the landscape. I will add something that adds to the power of the genre I love.
Don’t get sucked in to adding trash. Add something that is better than the last good book you’ve read. We will all be better off because of it.