Thriller 101

Send me a Text Message! Thriller 101 Newsletter Learn more about Lisa Kusel Jessica Payne Episode Heather Levy Episode Lisa Unger Episode EPISODE INFO: Ever wondered how authors create those unforgettable characters that seem to linger in your mind after the last page? You know, those characters that feel like they’re living and breathing? Well, today, we’re talking to a master at character voice....

Send me a Text Message! Thriller 101 Newsletter 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! Thriller 101 Newsletter Learn more about Jessica Payne Previous episode with Jessica Payne Jennifer Chevais Episode EPISODE INFO: You’re going to get insights into exactly how Jessica writes her books now that she’s a seasoned author.  And then you’ll hear why she says you should, under no circumstances, copy her process.  We’re going to talk about all that and more in toda...

Send me a Text Message! Thriller 101 Newsletter Learn more about Jennifer Chevais Dr. Leslie Dobson Episode Read Roxie Key's Article Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: If you ever find yourself wondering what agents think about while reading your submission, then you’re in the right place.  If you ever find yourself wondering what agents think about while reading your submission, the...

Send me a Text Message! Thriller 101 Newsletter Learn more about Dr. Leslie Dobson Alex Kenna Episode Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: Dr. Leslie Dobson is not my typical guest on Thriller 101.  But when I say she delivered for the writing community, I mean it.  By the end of this episode you’ll have a better sense of how to build character motivation—and why it might be just as importa...

Send me a Text Message! Thriller 101 Newsletter Pitch Your Article to Thriller 101 Learn more about Alex Kenna Roxie Key Episode Viviana Vasiu's article: 3 Agent Offers in 48 Days Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: I firmly believe that quality thrillers, mystery, suspense, and crime fiction use this technique where there’s tension in the main plot (or what I call the professional pl...

Send me a Text Message! Thriller 101 Newsletter Pitch Your Article to Thriller 101 Learn more about Roxie Key Daniel Hurst Episode Eloise Corvo's article: Turning a Standalone Mystery into the First in a Series Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: How should you start your novel? Should you have a prologue? Should you jump right into the action? Or spend time with the characters? Today...

Send me a Text Message! Thriller 101 Newsletter Thriller 101 Agent Pitch Contest Learn more about Daniel Hurst Michelle Jackson Episode Jody Wenner's "On Brand " article Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: By the end of today’s episode you’ll understand  Why Daniel decided to go from self-publishing to working with an independent press His writing process You’ll have a bette...

Send me a Text Message! Thriller 101 Newsletter Thriller 101 Agent Pitch Contest Learn more about Michelle Z. Jackson as an agent Learn more about Michelle Z. Jackson as an author Heather Levy Episode Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: If you’re hoping to land an agent this year, you’re going to love this conversation with Michelle.  We talk about: Connecting your pitch to your opening Ho...

Send me a Text Message! Thriller 101 Newsletter Want to Hear More about a Thriller Community? Learn more about Heather Levy Catherine Mack Episode Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: Should you be writing characters first?  Or maybe you should develop your plot?  How do you write books with multiple timelines? Do you write them chronologically? Or linearly in relation to the thread of the...

Send me a Text Message! Thriller 101 Newsletter Submit an Article to Thriller 101 Learn more about Catherine Mack Matt Shao Episode Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: We’ve all had those moments where we wonder if it’s time to take on something new with our writing.  Something bolder or more daring.  Maybe it’s a new genre, new point of view, different structure or something else entirely...

Send me a Text Message! Click here to submit to the Thriller 101 Pitch Contest Thriller 101 Newsletter Learn more about M.E. Shao Ellie Monago Episode Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: On the Thriller 101 podcast, we hear a lot from authors who are published.  I also get the opportunity to share writers who are submitting to agents through the Thriller 101 pitch contest. However, it&apos...

Send me a Text Message! Click here to submit to the Thriller 101 Pitch Contest Thriller 101 Newsletter Learn more about Ellie Monago Michelle Glogovac Episode Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: There are more avenues to publication now than there have ever been.  Whether it’s publishing by partnering with a literary agent, or small or independent publishers, or even self-publishing, there...

Send me a Text Message! Click here to submit to the Thriller 101 Pitch Contest Thriller 101 Newsletter Learn more about Michelle Glogovac Connect with Michelle on Twitter (X) Connect with Michelle on Instagram Learn more about the MLG Collective Carey Blankenship-Kramer Episode Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: Have you ever thought about being a guest on a podcast?  It’s never to early...

Send me a Text Message! Click here to submit to the Thriller 101 Pitch Contest Thriller 101 Newsletter Learn more about Carey Blankenship-Kramer Connect with Carey on Twitter (X) Mel Mattison Episode Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: Should you include a theme in your summary?  How do agents read queries anyway?  And what do you need in your opening to catch an agent’s attention?  All th...

Send me a Text Message! Click here to submit to the Thriller 101 Pitch Contest Thriller 101 Newsletter Learn more about Mel Mattison Connect with Mel on Twitter (X) Ash Clifton Episode Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: If you want to learn how to effectively introduce characters to your readers, you’re going to love today’s guest. Mattison talks about finding a big idea that will carry y...

Send me a Text Message! Click here to submit to the Thriller 101 Pitch Contest Thriller 101 Newsletter Learn more about Ash Clifton Connect with Ash on Twitter (X) Lisa Unger Episode Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: How much backstory is too much backstory? Can there be any backstory at all? I mean, your characters have to have something going on…right? But what does that look like? Luc...

Send me a Text Message! Click here to submit to the Thriller 101 Pitch Contest Thriller 101 Newsletter Learn more about Lisa Unger Connect with Lisa on Twitter (X) Sandy Lu Episode Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: Do you want to write characters with as much depth as a New York Times and international bestselling author?  Today, we’re going to hear how Lisa Unger writes the kinds of cha...

Send me a Text Message! Click here to submit to the Thriller 101 Pitch Contest Thriller 101 Newsletter Learn more about Sandy Lu Connect with Sandy on Twitter (X) Vera Kurian Episode Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: If you’re hoping to sign with your agent this year, you’re going to love this episode today.  We’re going to dive deep into a fantastic submission to the Thriller 101 podcas...

Send me a Text Message! Click here to submit to the Thriller 101 Pitch Contest Thriller 101 Newsletter Learn more about Vera Kurian Vera Kurian Substack Jason Powell Episode Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: You know when people say that the setting became like it’s own character ? And you sit there thinking… how do I make readers feel like that? Well Vera Kurian is going to give us some...

Send me a Text Message! Click here to submit to the Thriller 101 Pitch Contest Thriller 101 Newsletter Learn more about Jason Powell Elle Grawl Episode Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO:  If you want the kind of opening that gets an agent's attention, you'll want to listen to what Jason Powell has to say. The opening for his novel, No Man's Ghost opening might be the most u...

Send me a Text Message! Click here to submit to the Thriller 101 Pitch Contest Connect with Elle Grawl Last time I talked to Elle Grawl Tori Westminster Episode Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: If all you’re doing is writing a thriller the way they used to be written, you might be missing out on some untapped potential.  I’ve been reading a lot of thrillers recently that have some extra...

Send me a Text Message! Download the Official Thriller 101 Hook Checklist Here 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! Refer 3 Friends for Query Letter and Pages Feedback Connect with T.C. Westminster Grab your copy of THE HOST Natasha C. Sass Episode Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: The words “author platform” can make any writer roll their eyes. However, it’s also one of those important aspects of being a writer that isn’t much about actually being a writer.  Luckily, today’s g...

Send me a Text Message! Join the Thriller 101  newsletter for exclusive updates Download Natasha's Cozy Mystery Workbook Episode with Erin Flanagan Connect with David on Twitter EPISODE INFO: Does it feel like Cozy Mysteries are making a come back? Well it did to me. So I reached out to Cozy expert, Natasha C. Sass. She quite literally wrote the book on cozy mysteries. BIO: Natasha has been i...