I've been writing a psychological thriller, and I was talking to a friend last night about crime story engines. So here's a thread of tips on writing crime thrillers.
hunterswritings.com/2012/10/12/ele…
mattrees.net/2014/02/20/plo…
* In your first chapter, either begin with the threat in the story (the crime action) or introduce your protagonist with dark foreshadowing
Motives and intentions can be more important than the technical aspects of the crime.
~ Suspense= your reader knows something your protag doesn't, and tension builds
~Thriller= your reader doesn't see the threat coming (jump scare!)
~ Suspense-thriller= the reader is waiting for something to happen. The protag's job is to stop it from happening. The reader identifies with the protag and becomes are participant in the race against time.
Then discard those ideas. You want to write the UNEXPECTED.
***What is the reader learning in your story?***
/end
If you're writing a *YA* crime thriller, as I am, there are some additional things you need to keep in mind. And here they are:
~Crime= make them a witness, a suspect, a trainee investigator, a HS journalist covering the story etc
~Victim= could be a friend, sibling, parent, classmate, secret crush
~Villain= again could be a friend, relative, someone they're dating etc
USE ALL THAT.
/Ellie out