#31: The 6 Scenes Every Thriller Novel Needs

In today's episode, we're going to talk about the key scenes that every thriller novel needs to have in order to work and to satisfy fans of the genre. Here's a preview of what's included:

[01:18] Thrillers combine all the criminality and suspense of a good detective novel with the danger and life and death stakes from the action or horror genre. Usually, these stories center around a protagonist who's focused on stopping a future crime from happening.

[01:40] Readers choose thriller novels because they want to experience the thrill of trying to outsmart and stop the villain before he or she commits more crimes -- all from the comfort of their own homes. And like all genre fiction, you have to deliver the emotional experience readers are looking for in order for your story to work.

[02:15] Obligatory scenes are the key events, decisions, and discoveries that move a protagonist along their journey from point A to point B. They help us writers craft a story that works AND a story that will deliver a specific emotional experience.

[03:55] Key scene #1: A scene where a crime is discovered.

[04:45] Key scene #2: A scene where the stakes become personal for the protagonist and they commit to stopping the antagonist.

[05:55] Key scene #3: A scene where the protagonist learns what the antagonist wants and why. This scene helps to shift the protagonist from being reactive to proactive and helps them recommit to stopping the antagonist.

[06:55] Key scene #4: A scene where the protagonist learns or does something that sets them up to be the antagonist’s final victim.

[7:55] Key scene #5: A scene where the protagonist is at the mercy of the antagonist.

[8:45] Key scene #6: A scene where readers learn whether justice prevailed or not.

[9:45] Key points and episode recap.

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Links mentioned in this episode:Episode Freebie: Thriller Genre Key Scenes PDF Cheat SheetThriller Obligatory Scenes: The 6 Scenes Every Thriller Novel Needs (article)Thriller Genre Conventions: The 10 Things Every Thriller Novel Needs (article)