5 Things to be Avoided While Writing a Thriller
A thriller is meant to keep us on the edge and packing up a book with explosive energy. If you are writing one, here are a few things to avoid.
- Not doing proper research
Do your own necessary researches for your plot. The slightest deviation from reality can push your picky readers away. However, don’t tire your readers with loads of redundant and unnecessary information as well. Make sure that your information doesn’t slow down the pace and flow of your story.
- An invulnerable hero
Every story needs a hero – or to use a longer but less loaded word, a protagonist. Don’t make your protagonist flawless, a master of everything on the earth and so intelligent that she/he can’t make any mistakes. That will be unrealistic. Make your protagonist flawed, vulnerable in tough circumstances and susceptible to jeopardising everything, like we do in reality.
- A villain from hell
A villain full of wickedness is unrealistic. Your villain should have virtues unless she/he is from another planet. If you are the god of your story, your villain is that angel who controls the flows, twists, and waves in that world. Equip your villain with logical background which justifies her/his act. I am a huge fan of a philosophically rich villain.
- Dull and slow start
Don’t drag too much on the characters or ambience at the beginning of your story. Give it an igniting start with sharp dialogues, flashy actions and fateful consequences. You might need to jumble the sequence of scenes, bringing a much later planned scene at the front. The easiest mistake to make is having a prologue. It feels like a good idea, to create a bit of back story or a setup, so that when the ‘real’ story kicks off, your reader knows why things are happening the way they are. But why make them wait?
- Unrealistic plot twists
Plot twists are the most important ingredients for an interesting thriller. But you shouldn’t make a twist which is out of proportion with respect to the canvas of your story. Twists are to be in sync with the rules and boundaries you have set in your story for the characters. You must play mind games with your readers, making them thrive through the story in the search of their answers. Neither you should unveil the mystery completely nor you should hide them entirely. Keep leaking the secrets of your characters and plot throughout the story, evenly distributing in each chapter.
I am still learning the art of writing a thriller and these are a few points which I have realised based on my research and experience so far.
