6 Tips for Writing Thrillers (with Alexa Donne!)

What makes a novel a thriller? What differentiates it from mystery or suspense? I discussed these questions and more with fellow KZbinr Alexa Donne, who’s a thriller connoisseur and author. We cowrote this video of six tips for writing better thriller novels, from designing killer endings and plot twists to exploring the darker side of humanity through complex characters and themes.
Read a text version of this video on Medium: quotidianwriter.medium.com/2ad5c49690d5
Behind-the-scenes notes for this video: ko-fi.com/post/Behind-the-Scenes-6-Tips-for-Writing-Thriller-Nov-H2H6BO5Y6
Check out more of Alexa Donne’s writing tips on her awesome KZbin channel: kzbin.info (@AlexaDonne)
Buy THE IVIES by Alexa Donne: www.amazon.com/Ivies-Alexa-Donne/dp/0593303709
Listen to the audiobook of THE IVIES, narrated by Phoebe Strole: www.audible.com/pd/The-Ivies-Audiobook/0593399331
Order PRETTY DEAD QUEENS: www.amazon.com/Pretty-Dead-Queens-Alexa-Donne/dp/0593479823
Thriller Novel Recommendations:
+ The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware (slow-burn Gothic thriller)
+ The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager (plot twists)
+ A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (double twist)
+ Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney (unsettling endings)
+ The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas (haunting incident trope)
+ And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (classic isolation trope)
+ Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn (reporter protagonist)
+ The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (unreliable narrators)
+ One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus (YA thriller with unlikable victim)
+ The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (flawed victim)
+ Mystic River by Dennis Lehane (child victim)
+ The Ivies by Alexa Donne (using the setting for social conflicts and themes)
Love my channel? Treat me to a cup of coffee at ko-fi.com/quotidianwriter.
My Published Stories and Poems: www.quotidianwriter.com/my-writing
Twitter: QuotidianWriter
Opening Animation by Vitor A. Dupont: www.behance.net/vitordupont
Title and End Music: “Clockwork” by Vindsvept kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4vPZXh9gdScf5o
Background Music by Vindsvept:
+ “Light the Bonfire”
+ “Illuminate”
+ “Alone”
+ “The Journey Home”
+ “Chasing Shadows”
+ “The Forgotten Forest”
+ “A Place to Call Home”
What Is a Thriller? (0:00)
1. Start at the end. (2:40)
2. Don’t be afraid of tropes. (6:36)
3. Choose a point-of-view character who’s driven to investigate. (9:47)
4. Make your victim complicated. (13:48)
5. Motives and themes can spring from the setting. (15:55)
6. Good thrillers are made in editing. (18:19)
Final Thoughts (21:24)

[@QuotidianWriter]

Hi there, viewers! You can read a text version of this video on Medium: quotidianwriter.medium.com/6-tips-for-writing-thrillers-2ad5c49690d5 Check out how we made this video in my behind-the-scenes post: ko-fi.com/post/Behind-the-Scenes-6-Tips-for-Writing-Thriller-Nov-H2H6BO5Y6

[@AlexaDonne]

Thank you so much for having me! I had so much fun working with you! 😍

[@QuotidianWriter]

Absolutely! Can't wait to read PRETTY DEAD QUEENS this fall. :)

[@mageprometheus]

"You are probably drowning in information, so here is one more thing..." 😆 This was truly an excellent look at thrillers.

[@QuotidianWriter]

Thank you so much for watching! Keep writing! :)

[@leonmayne797]

This is really good advice but there are also types of thrillers that aren't so much about uncovering mysteries or having twists, there are also thrillers where there's no mystery about what has already happened but the tension comes from what's going to happen next.

[@nikkinewbie6014]

That is extremely valid. In fact I’ve seen evidence presented that either a story is a mystery where the question is Who committed the crime and you don’t find out the answer until late Act 2 OR it’s a thriller for exactly the reason you describe and the question is HOW the Protag is going to respond when he or someone close to the Protag is personally affected or is put in danger of harm from the KNOWN antagonist. Good call.

[@nootnootd9450]

what you're describing sounds like the malaysian webcomic "the guy upstairs" check it out if you're interested 🤭

[@TheMusicscotty]

I adore this channel. The simple, confident narration, the plentiful examples, and straightforward exposition make this easily my favorite author tube channel. I'm a Brandon Sanderson SanderFan who dabbles in stories and I'm completing my 6th novel now. :) I keep writing. If for no one else, for me.

[@surgeorosgo]

Greetings Adam. I am a fellow writer of novels looking to meet and read other novelist's work. If you would allow me, I would love to read your work. May I be a beta reader for any current projects or a reviewer for something that's already completed?

[@TheMusicscotty]

^i am so sorry I missed your reply. Short answer is YES. I need a solid critique partner. Maybe we try it out and see if we're a match.

[@adityasuryavanshi3687]

This is the most comprehensive guide to writing thrillers. Great content.

[@arliyahtatoy8236]

Omg pleaaaase make a video about integrating flashbacks into a chapter! I've been struggling so hard with that and you're the only writing youtube channel whose content is actually super helpful and concise!

[@plouviettheo5286]

This partnership was such a great idea ! You two are my top 2 advisers on the writing, so thanks a lot !

[@cannonfodder4376]

A good thriller is something to be treasured, something that gets me so on edge that I read on until I realize time has flown by. I gotta know that happens next! Another wonderful and informative video.

[@luukbenschop1718]

A thriller isn't usually my cup of tea (in writing), but wow, have you two made it alluring. Too bad I'm too heavily invested in my current project to try something new, but who knows... I may add some thrillery elements and subplots! Thank you so much for another video of such amazing quality!

[@surgeorosgo]

Greetings Luuk. I'm a struggling novelist and am searching to other's works to read and inspire me and/or give me writing advice. I want to ask if I could become a beta reader for you in anything you're currently writing or have written in the past?

[@factoryofdivisiveopinions]

Yes. I love the thriller genre. I'm writing my debut novel right now and that is also a thriller.

[@surgeorosgo]

Greetings, I'm a fellow novelist trying to get into the thriller genre as well. I'd love to read what you were working on if you have anything done or even a draft of something you're working on. I could be a beta reader for you.

[@wanitascreativecorner]

My two favorite people working together. Really great advice. I should be taking notes.

[@kmh4076]

Omgg I was waiting for this particular genre. Thank u so much Queen 😭😭

[@MichaelJaymesAuthor]

This video was put together so well! Thank you for your hard work and advice (I also love the isolation trope). :)

[@judiangel4173]

Excellent. Thanks Diane and Alexa, so much great information.

[@Dimension5Productions]

You're by far the most quality-over-quantity content creator I've ever seen!

[@berryXjerry216]

Thanks for making this!! I was about to outline my thriller novel and got stuck. I love reading thrillers as much as writing them!

[@dutchside33]

Thank you ladies. I needed this.

[@pieroduharterondon7377]

Your channel is a blessing and an inspiration. Please, never stop. 🤓

[@anthonyvictor3034]

Thanks for this. Very useful.

[@aybukep4806]

Thank you there were so many helpful points 👍

[@manniesreactionchannel3808]

Thank you so much!

[@Akiko7919]

This really helped at lot with my crime/thriller novel i’m currently writing especially with the victim thank you so much for this!

[@QuotidianWriter]

I'm so glad to hear that! Thank you for watching, and keep writing! :)

[@ajax_galaxy1701b]

Glad you're back!

[@bookishclara2653]

Wow, you are both KZbinrs who help me so much in my writing journey! Thank you so much for the collab❤️

[@sscheek9243]

Exactly what I needed

[@johnwidenerjr.1072]

Thank you for this video. I have been gifted inspiration. You asked what my favorite thriller is. That is for both novels and movies. My answer is a tie between Silence of The Lambs and Seven.

[@tamimnoory2023]

Your videos are always joy to listen so far it was helpful for me thank you so much!

[@JoeWebb-TheStoryteller]

Tamim! I was scrolling while watching this vid and saw you, haha! :D

[@tamimnoory2023]

@@JoeWebb-TheStoryteller hhhh I Love her channel two!

[@sriranjit3684]

We need part two pls ! 🥺

[@rich5801]

Good video. I liked that as I've been stumbling through this journey I was already using some of these techniques. I was looking for some focus and I think this helped. I am not a fan of the murder stuff, it is too dark but something close to political or action thrillers. I think back to one of my favorites as a kid was reading Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six.

[@starriousinventor]

Thank you! This video helped me a whole wagon-load in my reading of thriller fiction! I would suggest 'Killer Content by Kiley Roache'. But again, thank you!🙃😍

[@emmanuellaeledu]

Wonderful!

[@nikkinewbie6014]

Okay…I’d really like your take on the following. I’ve seen someone say that thrillers are often actually mysteries that are incorrectly categorized. The difference was said to be mainly this: if the reader/ audience knows who the killer is at the beginning or close to the beginning, it’s a thriller. The question driving the story is HOW is Justice or retribution going to be visited on the antagonist by the protagonist. If the reader / audience doesn’t know who the killer / villain / antagonist is until the end of the second act, it’s a mystery. The question driving the story is WHO committed the crime. For instance Silence of The Lambs is often said to be a thriller - but it’s a mystery. Another aspect of a mystery is that you have a detective type character as the protagonist that is ultimately searching for the truth and the killer / antagonist. In contrast the protagonist of a thriller is often a victim or someone other than a detective possibly even a criminal that has been personally targeted or affected in some way. That explains their motivation to engage - it’s personal and there is a threat of personal danger. So for example, because we don’t find out the serial killer is Jame Gumb until the end of the second act, Silence is a mystery. In contrast John Wick is a true thriller because the audience knows who the bad guy is from the first act and the only question is HOW John Wick (the hit man / victim wronged) will try to get his Justice. I literally have to skip the death of Daisy every time I watch that movie. 😩😩😩. The nature of the overall story goals seem to be hugely different between the two genres and an understanding would seem to be important in outlining it writing one’s story and determining the proper genre beats. All this said, the other poster goes on to say that widely used designations of genres are more about marketing at the end of the day rather than what the story structure indicates. It might just be splitting hairs or a matter of labeling to some but I find the discrepancy confusing when considering how to structure my story with regard to genre conventions. If I say my story is a mystery then I can’t be revealing the identity of the bad guy to the audience in Act 1 and ostensibly the flip side is true as well? Perhaps Ms. Donne can attest to her experience with having her work traditionally published and how her publisher decided what genre to assign. I’m not disagreeing with you guys because I really am not even close to your levels with Story. I am interested in your view / clarification/ advice on the subject. Zero snark. Zero shade. I guess at the end of the day the label only matters if you’re putting your work out there to be read - again to give your reader the correct expectation. Just so you know, I took notes on this video and found it helpful so thanks. I liked the tag team approach too!

[@purple_orchid6954]

I loved it! I've been in love with both your chanels as they really helped me a lot so having you guys collaborate was awesome! But I've really also been struggling with the fantasy genre as well so I was requesting if you could help me with that or make a video about that.

[@QuotidianWriter]

Thank you so much! I have a lot of ideas for fantasy-oriented writing videos I'd like to make eventually. A few years ago, I created a three-part video series on writing young adult fantasy. If you're not writing young adult specifically, I would just watch Part 2, which centers on creating a high-concept premise, vivid world-building, and a strong narrative voice. All of those qualities apply to adult fantasy as well! Keep writing. :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHitfqtsmbyJfM0

[@purple_orchid6954]

@@QuotidianWriter Thank you very much! I'll make sure to have a look at them.

[@surgeorosgo]

@@purple_orchid6954 Greetings, I'm a fellow novelist looking to meet and interact with other novelists. I'd love to offer any help I can with this work you were talking about or with anything you're currently working on. May I be one of your beta readers?

[@iabhvee69]

Best of luck authors !!!😊

[@YouCanCallMe-X]

Thx

[@FacundoComix]

The best crossover.

[@keziarica]

Always interesting. Splendid video fine realized. May i share the video in my fb group?

[@QuotidianWriter]

Yes, please do! :)

[@keziarica]

@@QuotidianWriter thank you! 😊

[@AnyaChuri]

Al, could you suggest a book about scents- books that waft of various scents through the stories.... Oodles of love ❤️💛🧡💚💙💜

[@MisSPrittyFuckedUp]

My tip: The Freya and Huldar series by Yrsa Sigurđardóttir, those are amazing thriller novels!

[@felicebritton8881]

Hi, I enjoyed your talk. Is there such a thing as a Cozy/Thriller subplot? If yes, how is that formulated? Thanks😀

[@QuotidianWriter]

I think you could certainly have a cozy or thriller subplot! It would follow the same beats we outlined in the video but perhaps on a smaller scale (i.e., with fewer suspects and twists). However, it might be difficult to avoid having it overtake the main plot, as mysteries can become quite captivating for the reader, and writers might be tempted to complicate or expand the mystery, even if it's only meant to be a subplot. Every book in the Harry Potter series presents a larger mystery and a variety of smaller mysteries (some cozy and some darker), but I'm sure there are other examples out there. Keep writing! :)

[@dan4606]

Great tips as always. I have an idea for a thriller-mystery but I’m having trouble with the plot. I want to make it this super intricate, elaborate mystery with multiple layers and major plot twists but I don’t know how to connect it all. I guess I should just keep trying to figure it out but some advice would be nice

[@QuotidianWriter]

With a complex plot like that, it might help to create some type of visual tool that allows you to see the big picture. One strategy is to write a sentence about the main event in each scene or chapter on index cards or Post-It notes. You can also write cards with the intended plot beats (e.g., inciting incident, red herring, close call) and match them up with the appropriate scene-level card. Then, you can set up all the individual cards on a floor, table, or wall and examine how you can connect them more. If you sort the cards by "layer" (color-coding them), you can then go card by card and see where they could overlap with the cards in other "layers." That might spark ideas for connecting separate pieces. I've also seen writers use an Excel spreadsheet to outline their subplots, which could help you keep track of those different layers and how they're overlapping. This article has an example. www.writersdigest.com/workbook-17/use-a-spreadsheet-to-outline-your-novel I hope that gets the creative gears turning! Keep writing. :)

[@dan4606]

@@QuotidianWriter Thanks so much! I’ll definitely be trying that

[@surgeorosgo]

@@dan4606 Greetings, I'm a struggling novelist and I'm searching for fellow writers to meet and interact with to read their work and gain inspiration from them. Could I be a beta reader for anything your working on or something you've done in the past?

[@dan4606]

@@surgeorosgo Hi, I would’ve loved that if I was remotely close to finishing even a quarter of any of my projects. I’ve had a bit of a writer’s block for a while now but I have been feeling inspired to get back into it lately. So if you’d be interested in waiting maybe a few weeks for me to actually write something worth your time I would definitely love for you to be my first beta reader! Also let me know if you have any genre preferences as I write a lot of them.

[@surgeorosgo]

@@dan4606 Thank your for your quick response. I would be honored to be your FIRST beta reader! That would be amazing. As far as genres I prefer mystery suspense, thriller, action, a little bit of fantasy (the idea/world has to interest me). also crime subgenre of each of those. I'm a guy who doesn't read Romance. If the other genre has romance in it, fine but if it's a romance novel with some mystery to it, I'm gonna pass. BTW: My email is on my channel in the About page when you're ready to send me something.

[@Thenoobestgirl]

Don't mind me, just here to drop a recommendation of a thriller I've recently read... 'The Last Tale of The Flower Bride' by Roshan Chokshi

[@idkanymore790]

i just found my soul genre

[@jermainerucker2027]

U know what movie got me? Dead silence Anybody ever see that one? So underrated

[@The_Fallen.Era.]

i wanna do a thriller that comed with a dystopian that ends in a tragity ,the plot- a person fighting in a rebellon and they have the power to rewind time,they want their rebbellion to succed so they find a want to succed and be a hero but as they get more immoral as time goes on slowly the reality starts a break and they find themselfs no better then the goverment who wants to create a perfect society as they uncover the secrets of their friends and the city they imhabit , someone wants to silence them to make them perish like thoses before and there already closer then they think.- theme- chasing a impossible goal and the price you pay for it.

[@jaggerback6568]

Ever thought about starting an ASMR channel? You have a soothing voice lol

[@fiachoconnor]

Very good video. I'm so bored of the main character rescuing/searching for a family member trope or the jealous of her friend, female murderer trope. Hackneyed to all bejaysus. Just an opinion.

[@DallyDarling]

What if it's in the killer's perspective?

[@stephenlayland2889]

In the days when even Ape served Man, Horse came to the Creator. "How is it that I serve Man?" "Tolerably well." "I am larger, stronger and faster. How am I bound?" "Man has hands." Horse had prepared. "I do not serve Ape." The Creator considered. "Man has seen that you do not lie down." Horse went pondering on his ways. Dog came to the Creator. "How is it that I serve Man?" "Tolerably well." Dog settled on his haunches, briefly whined. "Man has seen that you run all places, but walk at his heel." Dog went pondering on his ways. Woman came to the Creator. "How is it that I serve Man?" "Have tea with me. It is the most sublime." Over the dregs, Woman asked again, "How is it that I serve Man?" "How progresses the naming of My creatures?" "He named Jackass, which should be his own. How is it that I serve Man?" "Exceptionally well." "Daddy, dammitall --" "Daughter of mine, Man has seen that you love."

[@niisigh5478]

I literally do this unknowingly lmao The first point i mean Edit: and the last point too

[@perymachado6374]

It's the earnestness in her final plea, as if it's a call to focus on what really matters: "whatever you do, keep writing." More than any genre, I think the thriller lends to 1st person narration best. We learn as the narrator learns the clues, get lost in red herrings as they get lost. Thrillers are also the best to learn plotting because the story beats are more clear-cut than other genres.

[@mrblue-bu7nd]

Some days i hate writing with my soul,but some other days writing becomes the best thing in my life. Is that normal? Does it make me a bad writer?

[@QuotidianWriter]

That's absolutely normal, in my experience! Sometimes writing the first draft feels like pulling teeth, but then I can revise for hours. I'm fond of this famous Dorothy Parker quote: "I hate writing; I love having written." The level of joy and pain involved is different for every writer, and neither loving nor hating the process says anything about the quality of the story itself. Keep writing! :)

[@mrblue-bu7nd]

@@QuotidianWriter thank you very much 💓💓❤️ I'll definitely continue writing 😊

[@user-zu4jw3nj9c]

I think protagonist always in struggle it is a 95%right story 😕 going with my life 😕 😅.

[@joenishmitha4756]

Q

[@angiedeley2878]

😩 𝕡𝐫ｏ𝕄ｏ𝔰𝓶

[@sindarpeacheyeisacommie8688]

Someone needs to tell youtube I don't need English subtitles for a video in English.

[@noriakikakyoin8587]

It's for people who are hard of hearing, deaf, or have processing disorders. It just makes the content more accessible for everyone

[@purpleghost106]

In addition to what Noriaki mentioned, there's also the fact that guides in English can be useful for non-English writers. So if you're a novelist writing in French, and you're ESL but you find reading easier than writing, you might need subtitles to make this very useful guide more accessible to you. English resources don't have to only be for English writers.

[@nikkinewbie6014]

Also that’s a setting you can change I believe - if it bothers you. ☺️

[@marmalade627]

This is a pretty pigeonholed distillation of what a thriller can be - not every thriller is a murder mystery or about a serial killer. Some thrillers may not focus on the victims at all, others may have the antagonist as a central character, known to the audience (or even the protagonists) from the start. The antagonist could be a scammer, a gaslighter, or even just a force of nature.

[@darkpinkgirl6684]

this comment is so stupid, dude... they're merely listing SIX TIPS for thriller. they NEVER said that you NEED all these things. you made that up. stop projecting onto the video

[@marmalade627]

​@@darkpinkgirl6684 KZbin commenter try not to take light criticism of a video personally challenge (impossible)

[@nikkinewbie6014]

Lightweight looking at you The Dark Knight. There’s zero mystery for the audience about who is doing what in that movie but it is such a thriller. Batman and Harvey Dent are soooo targeted. All of Gotham is a target and the danger is real and very personal. Also the threat is pretty viscerally experienced - another hallmark of a thriller. And though Batman is called the World’s Greatest Detective, he isn’t a detective. He’s a (Justice minded) vigilante and Harvey Dent conspires with him to do unlawful things all while being Gotham’s DA. This is another hallmark of thrillers. The central characters / protagonists / victims being targeted are not always squeaky clean. The posters do say to make your victims complicated. 😂. Victims don’t always end up dead…just wronged in some way - like Batman and Harvey. I agree with your statement while acknowledging you were not saying they said this was an exhaustive list - but one can easily come away from this video feeling that the mystery element is somewhat expected in a thriller. I don’t think it is.

[@Juhani139]

No. Just no. Way too much self promotion. I'm not here for your ad. I don't read this genre... what I call girly thrillers. What about adding in some other thrillers, like Crichton and others? As a woman I'm annoyed there are so few really good female thriller authors out there. It's always about relationships and feelings. That'a fine, but in moderation. Guys are better at getting to the point. Sorry if I come across as a bit rude, but my hubby made sit through this, so am a little annoyed. I'm sure you have your audience.