How to make a
thriller really matter.
In my humble opinion, all the steps in creating a plausible plot in
thriller writing should come from the premise of an antagonist (villain) wanting
one thing and a protagonist (hero) wanting the direct opposite. This creates
the basic conflict that will drive the story to its final climactic end.
Layered in and around this conflict may be more subplots and story lines that
enrich the central story. In other words the story is multi-layered and thick
with intrigue and suspense. It is this potent mixture of forces set one against
the other that is the engine behind any thriller story. 
The stakes in a thriller must also be very high so menace
and threat are around every corner. Of course, the greatest threat (and the one
many successful stories have thrived on) is world domination or a catastrophic
event that threatens the entire world. For example ‘War of the Worlds’, ‘Alien’
and various James Bond’s epics. Plotting a novel like this may start fairly
worryingly but then the plot should rise to epic proportions and stakes go
higher and higher as more danger is piled on and more people realise the
gravity of the situation and a race against time. But it doesn’t always have to be about threats to the entire world - it may simply be threats to a main character’s nearest and dearest! And, in my opinion, the best way to raise the stakes is for the reader to strongly identify with the characters in peril and thereby worry for their safety. So the plot cannot be all about action and suspense - character development and engendering empathy is integral to the plot too. Put together it should make for one heck of a thriller…
Do you try to raise the stakes as high as possible in your stories?
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I don't generally write high stake type stories, but I think even the gentlest tales need some conflict to make them interesting.
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