ABSTRACT
Summary of the chapter
Definition of a thriller and its subdivisions. Distinction between thriller, chiller and mystery.
Tips for what to include in a thriller.
‘Two cool C’s’ to put in a thriller – confrontation and careering.
Activity: Surprise Yourself. A brainstorming game to start with a bang or freshen up a flagging plot.
Activity: Word Box. A writing challenge using random words.
Activity: Finding a Focus. Reflecting on plot, characters, themes, suspense.
More on dilemmas. Developing the skill of building dilemmas into a thriller story.
Activities: Character webs and character grids. Showing children how to deepen their characters and explore relationships between characters in a story.
Character motivations.
Show, don’t tell. Exploring this vital distinction when writing fiction.
Activity: The 12-panel game. A visual tool for helping children to write short, taut, suspenseful scenes.
More on pace, including looking at hooks and cliffhangers.
Activity: Subplots. Introducing the idea and using the 12-panel game to generate some subplot ideas.
Activity: Shout lines – Phrases or sentences to tempt the reader into the story.
Kickstarters. Some first lines for thriller stories.134
