How To Write A Thriller Novel

Okay, so you are writing a thriller novel, cool. But do you know how to write a crime thriller novel? Also, is a thriller novel similar to crime fiction? The answer is – yes and no.

Yes, every thriller novel features crimes as the main genre. But the parameter of crime fiction is bigger than thriller novels. The whodunit murders, mysteries, even the thriller novels, all can be called crime fictions. But a thriller follows its own path where tropes work better than anything else. The problem is that often writers mistake tropes and adhere to cliches while writing thriller novels. 

So, in this post, I have summed up some tips to help you understand how to write a crime thriller novel. 

Before getting started, I am Anasua Ghosh, the author of three published novels. I am writing a psychopath thriller right now. I will update you about the progress of my novel later on. So, let’s get started before I get started on my book.

What Is A Thriller Novel

A thriller novel is a collage of suspense, tension, conflict, and yes crime. You put them all together and cook up a plot to write a crime thriller novel. However, you must put the ingredients in the right measurement, or else your suspense thriller novel may fall apart. 

Characters & Thriller Novels

Thrillers need a set of characters. Usually, cozy mysteries or whodunits feature relatively less complex characters. But thrillers are based on complex and at times violent characters. So, if you are wondering how to write a crime thriller novel, you need to start with the characters.

The characters of your novel should be complex. Without the complexity, your novel will not be able to offer the desired entertainment to the readers. Lies and dark secrets are the thriller writers’ best friends. So, create characters who possess dark secrets and continuously attempt to hide them. Of course, there must be some innocent characters in your novel. Your protagonist to begin with should not be familiar with the secrets. Or, maybe not aware of the possession of the secret. If your protag is trying to solve a crime, then everything should be hidden from them. It is a trope. But it works well.

The Beginning

The starting of a thriller novel is important. It is so for any novel. But thrillers must feature some actions to create a hook. For this reason, many thriller novels begin with a prologue. A crime fiction, be it a whodunit cozy mystery or a psychopath thriller, needs to give out the stake at the beginning. Is there a violent murderer featured in your book? Begin with a violent murder. Is there a gang of a bank robbers in your story? Begin with a bank robbery. The equation is simple. You layout the stake and build the tension from there.

Make Your Protag Struggle

To understand how to write a crime thriller novel, you need to understand how to make your protag suffer. It seems sadistic, but if you make it easy for your protag, you are not telling a good story. People want to solve the crime with your protag and they want the protag to overcome all the challenges. Therefore, you need to put the protag through some kind of difficulties. 

Twist & Climax

Well, a crime thriller novel needs twists and a climax. Without these two, you don’t have a crime thriller. You must put clever twists or else readers will not appreciate spending time on your book. Give them something to live with until your next book gets published. 

Lastly, don’t be afraid of thrillers. It is fun to write them. However, you need to think about the realistic part when you are forging a crime thriller. It is not fantasy. Therefore, everything should be rightly explained in the end.