Thriller 101

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In this episode, Timothy Hedden shares why he self-published his debut, Dead Housewives of Philadelphia. He talks about the formatting mistake that pushed him to learn Vellum, why he cut the prologue agents kept passing on, and how he's marketing the book himself with local TV, a mailing list, and merch built from his characters' taglines.

Perfect for thriller writers deciding between querying and self-publishing.

Timothy also reveals what he spent his vacation money...spoiler alert: It wasn't a vacation!

What You'll Learn:

• Why cutting a fun prologue made his opening stronger
• The one self-publishing tool that saved him money
• How to pitch yourself as an indie author

Click here to learn more about Timothy Hedden
Timothy on Instagram: @heddenwrites

Guest Bio: Timothy Hedden grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and moved to New York City at twenty-one to pursue a career in entertainment. He spent twenty-five years working in reality television, first in casting and field production and later as an editor, including a decade working on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, New Jersey, and Potomac. His claim to fame is editing the iconic "Gone With the Wind Fabulous" episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. A lifelong storyteller, Timothy spent most of his life believing his dyslexia would keep him from becoming a writer. At fifty-seven, he proved himself wrong. His first published essay was picked up by NBC News and went on to win a national journalism award. Dead Housewives of Philadelphia, a darkly funny murder mystery set behind the scenes of reality television, is his debut novel. Timothy lives in Manhattan with his husband, Michael, and their dog, Bruno.

Episodes I think you'll love...

• 145 How to Stand Out in the Query Trenches with Literary Agent Tommy Dean
• First Page Formula: April Davila on What Agents & Readers Want to See in Your Thriller Manuscript Opening
• Why Your Perfect Manuscript Isn't Enough And What to Do About It with Author Tamara Miller

Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction

Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!

Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction

Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!

What actually happens when you talk to an editor who has read your manuscript?

In this episode, I talk to editor and author Demi Michelle Schwartz to go through the notes she gave me on my manuscript. 

Demi shares what worked and where it needed work. 

Then I share the three lessons I took from her feedback so you can apply it to your own writing.

@demimschwartz on Instagram
demimschwartz.com

Episodes I think you'll love:

• Developmental Editor and Former Literary Agent, Mary Kole Shares Her Top Revision Strategies
• Editor Turned Literary Agent, Shelly Romero Shares Important Insights on Traditional Publishing
• 150 Writing a Complex Mystery Novel with Bianca Marais

Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction

Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

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Debut author Marisa Walz joins the show to talk about her psychological suspense novel Good Intentions. It's story about obsession, grief, and moral ambiguity that kept her up all night plotting after a single book inspired her to finally write it. 

Marisa shares: 

• What the publishing journey really looks like
• How she balances writing unlikable protagonists
• The unexpected challenges that come after you finally land that book deal

Bio: Marisa Walz is the author of Good Intentions, her debut psychological suspense novel. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and two young children.

Learn more about Marisa here: https://www.marisawalz.com/

Connect with Marisa here: https://www.instagram.com/marisacwalz/

Episodes I think You'll Love: 

150 Writing a Complex Mystery Novel with Bianca Marais

What Editors Really Want Right Now with Chantelle Aimée Osman, Who Provides a Sneak Peek Inside Simon & Schuster's Newest Imprint

141 Literary Agent Vicky Weber on Why Most Writers Aren't Agent-Ready (And How to Fix It)

Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction

Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!

What if the secret to writing unforgettable characters isn't interrogating them with questionnaires, but letting them reveal themselves organically? 

In this episode, bestselling author Bianca Marais shares how she "pantsed" her way through writing her newest novel, A Most Puzzling Murder. 

It’s especially impressive because this novel is a complex mystery with 12+ POVs, choose-your-own-adventure chapters, interactive puzzles, and a character who emails readers back. 

If you've ever wondered how to build three-dimensional characters that feel alive, balance ambitious storytelling mechanics without losing narrative control then this conversation is perfect for you! 

Bianca reveals the unique writing techniques that allowed her to juggle multiple perspectives while maintaining emotional depth, and why giving up control might be the key to unlocking your best work.

Bianca's Instagram

Bianca's Website

1. The Art of Dual POV & Crafting Psychological Thrillers with Liz Alterman
2. Writing Character Backstory with Author Liz Alterman
3. Literary Agent and Author Jenna Satterthwaite on Making it in the Publishing Industry

Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction

Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!

New York Times bestselling author Chevy Stevens pulls back the curtain on what separates a good thriller from an unforgettable one. 

And it might not be what you think. 

In this episode, Chevy reveals her unconventional process for crafting antagonists that readers love to hate. 

She also shares the exact mindset shift that helped her sustain an eight-book career.

If you are... 

• struggling to create believable villains
• feeling stuck in your thriller's plot
• wondering how to build a lasting writing career in today's market

This conversation will give you the tools to break through. 

What Listeners Will Learn:

• How to create antagonists that traditional publishers love

• The "enough juice" test for evaluating thriller concepts

• Why your second book matters more than your first

Connect with Chevy:

Website

Twitter

Instagram

Chevy Stevens lives on Vancouver Island with her husband and daughter. When she isn’t working on her next book, she’s spending time with her family and their two dogs. Her books, including Still Missing, a New York Times bestseller and winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel, have been published in more than thirty countries.

Episodes I think You'll Love:

1. Author Liz Alterman Reveals Her Weekly Writing Ritual That Transforms First Drafts Into Gold And How to Know When Your Story Idea Is Worth Writing
2. Literary Agent Amy Nielsen on How to Fix Your Opening Pages 
3. Literary Agent Jessica Berg Shares How to Catch an Agent's Eye
4. How to Write an Opening Chapter that Keeps Readers Reading with Author David McCloskey

Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction

Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!

Struggling with how to write a thriller that grabs readers immediately? 

In this interview, writing expert Daniel David Wallace shares game-changing writing tips for crafting plots that keep readers hooked from page one. 

Daniel, creator of the Character First Writing Approach and host of Escape the Plot Forest summit, reveals why traditional plotting advice often fails thriller writers.

And he offers three essential strategies for developing compelling, character-driven narratives. 

Whether you're working on your first manuscript or polishing a novel for traditional publishing, these writing techniques will help you avoid the common pitfalls that cause readers to abandon your story. 

Learn how to create protagonists with immediate momentum, maintain emotional connection through plot twists, and structure midpoints that trap both your characters and your readers in the story.

Learn more about Daniel here...

Daniel David Wallace is the host of Escape the Plot Forest, an annual online conference for writers. He spent four years of a PhD researching new ways to help writers tell a great story.
His stories, reviews, and essays have been published in great magazines like Tampa Review, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Air Schooner, and his writing has won him awards like the Toni Brown scholarship and the Hodges prizes.
Daniel designed a way of teaching plot, the "character-first" approach that aims to return writers to their original love of storytelling (because it teaches you to write according to how your ideal readers will experience your book).
This approach has resonated with so many people: more than 13,000 writers read his newsletter each week.

1. Literary Agent and Author Jenna Satterthwaite on Making it in the Publishing Industry
2. First Page Formula: Author and Writing Coach April Davila on What Agents & Readers Want to See in Your Thriller Manuscript Opening
3. How to Edit Your Own Writing with Author & Editor Chantelle Aimée Osman

Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction

Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!

What if the setting you choose could be as morally complex as your protagonist? 

In this episode, USA Today bestselling author Aaron Philip Clark pulls back the curtain on how he crafts crime fiction that thrills and matters. 

Aaron reveals:

• his process for weaving heavy themes into page-turners without slowing the pace
• why he writes from a place of frustration and injustice
• how to make every setting choice deliberate and loaded with meaning. 

If you're tired of writing surface-level thrillers or struggling to add depth without killing your momentum, this conversation will change how you approach your craft. 

Aaron's insights on creating "literary humans" instead of plot devices alone are worth the listen, but his framework for balancing suspense with substance is something I personally will be implementing in my work.

https://www.aaronphilipclark.com/

https://x.com/RealAPCBooks

https://www.instagram.com/realapcbooks/

Episodes I think you'll love...

How to Develop Characters and Themes with Author Aaron Philip Clark

Writing Action Scenes with Author Aaron Philip Clark

Literary Agent and Author Jenna Satterthwaite on Making it in the Publishing Industry

First Page Formula: Author and Writing Coach April Davila on What Agents & Readers Want to See in Your Thriller Manuscript Opening

Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction

Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!

What if the tropes you love are actually holding your thriller back? 

In this episode, Charlene Wang reveals how she transformed the beloved campus novel into a feminist revenge thriller by strategically subverting genre expectations. 

And the results landed her a major book deal. 

You'll discover the counterintuitive truth about "wasted" drafts (spoiler: nothing is ever wasted), learn how to weaponize social media as a character psychology tool rather than just a plot device, and understand why the most compelling morally gray characters make us root for their goals while questioning their methods. 

If you're struggling to make your thriller feel fresh or your contemporary setting feel authentic, this conversation will fundamentally change how you approach revision and might just save you years of trial and error.

Learn more about Charlene

Bio: 
Charlene Wang was born in Beijing and, after immigrating to the US when she was three, has lived in seven different cities from Los Angeles to Rockville to Biloxi. Graduating with a B.A. in English from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from University of Virginia School of Law, she worked as a litigator for six years before quitting to pursue her childhood dream of becoming an author. She now lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her fiancé and their dog Winky.

Episodes I think you'll love...

1. Agent Carleen Geisler Reads a Submission & Shares How Agents Evaluate Opening Pages
2. Writing Your Opening Scene with Thomas Mullen
3. Writing Unique Openings to Grab Literary Agent Attention: Jason Powell Author

Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction

Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!

What does it actually take to stand out when a brand-new literary agent opens your thriller query?

In this episode, Tommy Dean — associate literary agent at Rosecliff Literary, editor of Fractured Lit and Uncharted Magazine, and award-winning flash fiction writer — shares exactly what he's looking for when he reads your first 10 pages.

Tommy brings something rare to agenting: a writer's instinct. He knows the manuscript struggle personally, which makes him both deeply discerning and genuinely invested in his clients' long game.

If you've ever wondered what's going through an agent's mind as they read your opening pages, whether a newer agent might actually be the right fit for your career, or how to show up as the kind of writer agents want to work with — this episode is for you.

Tommy reveals why character activity beats backstory every time, what story structure signals he's watching for, and why the most prepared querying writers are already clearing hurdles that most submissions never do.

Tommy Dean's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tommydeantommydean/
Tommy Dean's Website: https://tommydeanwriter.com

Episodes I Think You'll Love:
First Page Formula — April Davila on What Agents Want in Your Opening: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1841589/17377745
Literary Agent Lori Galvin on Going From Query to Deal: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1841589/17716414
Literary Agent Vicky Weber on Why Most Writers Aren't Agent-Ready: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1841589/17716392

Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction

Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now