Thriller Roundtable
Can there be too many surprises in a thriller plot? Must each thrill help move the plot? These are the questions posed to this week’s ITW Members Paul McGoran, Arlene Kay, Judy Penz Sheluk, Ron Parham, Wendy Walker and Maynard Sims. You won’t want to miss it!
Social media is all the rage (and sometimes causes rage), but has been proven to bring authors and readers closer together. This week we ask ITW Members Judy Penz Sheluk, Sheila Lowe, Wendy Walker, Robert Dunn and Don Helin: Do you interact with readers on Goodreads, or any other social media?
Have you created characters with moral ambiguity? This week ITW members Paul McGoran, Arlene Kay, Shannon Baker, Judy Penz Sheluk, Michael J. Martinez, Ian Truman, Ann Parker, Wendy Walker and Charles Salzberg discuss writing characters with moral ambiguity and how difficult are they to make believable?
What is the best point of view for a thriller? This week we’re joined by ITW Members Paul McGoran, Judy Penz Sheluk, Sheila Lowe, Ron Parham, Wendy Walker and David McCaleb as they discuss the best point of view for a thriller.
This week we’re joined by ITW Members Lynn Cahoon, Michael Byars Lewis and Christina Hoag to answer the question: Do thriller writers have a responsibility not to put ideas into the heads of would-be criminals?
This week we’re joined by ITW Members Lynn Cahoon and Amy Stuart to discuss the question: Are thrillers naturally noir?
This week join ITW Members Jessie Keane and J.H. Bográn as they answer the question: Who is your favorite protagonist of all time – and why?
This week we’re joined by ITW Members Catherine Finger, J. H. Bográn and Lissa Price as they discuss Young Adult thrillers. How do writers alter thrillers for appeal to a YA audience?
Some writing teachers suggest that tone is about attitude and that tone should be consistent throughout a book. But doesn’t consistency counter the unexpected and suspense? This week we hear from Elaine Viets and John F. Dobbyn discussing tone.
This week we’re discussing developing your antagonist when a love interest goes bad. ITW Members Lynn Cahoon, J.C. Lane, Terrence McCauley and Charles Atkins answer the question on everyone’s mind: Are broken-hearted villains suspenseful?
Dialogue can be tricky, as the author has to give each character a unique voice that is also distinct from his or her own. This week we’re joined by ITW Members Jean Harrington, Arthur Kerns, Bernard Maestas, L.S. Hawker, Shaun Harris, Lynn Cahoon, Terrie Farley Moran, J. C. Lane, Stephen Morrill, Steven Kuehn, Sharon Potts, Kat Martin, Elizabeth Noble, Susan Israel, Charles Atkins, D. P. Lyle, Joel Fishman, Jerry Kennealy and Alan Jacobson, to ask: How do you do it?
To celebrate the 11th annual ThrillerFest and thriller awards, we’ve gathered some of this year’s nominees to discuss story trends. We’re joined by Sandra Block, Robert McClure, Diane Capri, David Morrell and Caitlin O’Connell to answer the question: Can you identify leading trends – besides good story, thrills and suspense – among this year’s crop of nominees for ITW awards?
Summer’s in full swing, so we have to ask: Do your characters have favorite cocktails and meals for the summer? This week we’re joined by ITW Members Tim Baker, Robert Walton, Jennifer Delozier, James W. Ziskin, Camille Minichino, John Farrow and Manning Wolfe. Kick back with your favorite summertime beverage and enjoy!
Can you write from any location? Does changing your setting, time or place, spur new ideas? This week, those are the questions we ask ITW Members J. M. LeDuc, Tim Baker, Mike Dellosso, Tom Breen, Mary Burton, Gordon Chaplin, Camille Minichino and John Farrow.
This week we’re joined by ITW Members Tim Baker, Sidney Williams, Karen Harper, Robert Walton, Tom Breen, Connie Di Marco, J. T. Ellison, A. J. Kerns and John Farrow, to answer the question: What are your favorite countries for settings and why?
