Frustrated and annoyed at not being published, or even having acquired an agent, after spending years researching and writing historical fiction, I determined to write a psychological thriller. Thrillers were popular. Writing something pacey would surely give me a better chance in my quest to be a published fiction author?
My Darling
But where to begin? The only other person from my writing course who had been published at that point was Colette McBeth. A writer whose work I loved. Precious Thing her debut novel is a particular favourite of mine. Colette’s ideas had begun to form, working for the BBC, reporting on murder trials. In comparison to her insight and expertise what chance did I have? Mrs Middle-aged, Middle – class Housewife. No experience of murders and mayhem. But I love writing and just for the hell of it decided to give it a go.
I started reading psychological thrillers obsessively. Colette came to talk to my book group about Precious Thing. At that point she had just finished writing her second novel. She explained how hard she worked plotting. Listening to her really made me realise how sloppy my plotting had been in the past. My dear ex-next door neighbour, Charles Owens, was very senior in the police before he retired. He came to my rescue and discussed each police scene in detail with me.
I made up a plot from an idea I’d had years ago and off I went. After struggling with my historical fiction for 7 years, my first psychological thriller Obsession flowed out in 6 months!
My ten top tips for writing my style of psychological thriller are as follows:
1. You need characters with unstable behaviour, and at least one psychopath. Everyone’s reactions need to be over-intense for the story to really boil.2. At least one unreliable narrator to add to the suspense. It is such fun planting little seeds and clues to let the reader know all is not as it first seems.
3. Conflict and antagonism in every scene.
4. Conflict and antagonism in every conversation.
5. Every scene and conversation must move the story forwards.
6. Every scene must end on an unresolved pivot.7. The plot needs to be very structured. It needs to balance as carefully as a mathematical equation. One small fact that is out of joint means the whole novel doesn’t work. I spend a lot of time plotting before I start to write.
8. You don’t need to have first-hand experience. You don’t need to have murdered someone. Just make sure you talk to someone who has experience in the police or forensics. As a writer your strength is in your imagination and your use of words.
9. Treasure your imagination. As a creative person you probably take it for granted. But so many people ask writers how they get their ideas that I guess it’s rare and we should treasure them. Most writers I know have ideas for stories floating into their heads all the time; maybe we live in an alternate artificial reality.
10. Careful editing is essential. Edit, edit and edit again. Less is more.
If you are reading this because you are an aspiring writer, I hope you have found a few things I have written helpful. It has taken me years of hard work to even begin to try and analyse writing in this way. I can’t recommend highly enough the Faber Academy Novel Writing course run by Richard Skinner. I did it in 2011, and Richard’s book – Writing a Novel. Richard encourages writers of all genres to reach their potential. Most of his students feel he has a ‘magic touch.’
Almost all of the writers I know have struggled for years before being published. If you love writing, and if you are reading this you probably do, enjoy your writing, don’t ever lose heart. Writing is an addiction. Once you start doing it it’s very hard to stop. Enjoy writing your first novel before you get embroiled in publishing house’s demands and deadlines. Enjoy your writing and never stop.