7 Key Elements of Thriller Stories (Writing Advice)

Writing a thriller? Learn the major ingredients for this type of story.

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[blueseaturtle]

What is a thriller?
- It’s a story where a clever hero has to foil evil
-Clever: quick to understand, learn, and devise/ apply ideas; intelligent; skilled at doing something (kinda like a detective)

1. High stakes
- Personal vs community stakes

2. Unity of opposites (hero locked in) (crucible)
- Your character can’t just walk away or there won’t be a story, give them a reason why they can’t just walk away (whether they are trapped physically or mentally, what is the reason they can’t leave)

3. Seemingly impossible odds
- Make your audience think that your character will fail (create doubt)

4. Moral struggle
- Establish the good and evil in your story

5. Ticking clock
- Create a deadline or multiple deadlines to ramp up the tension in your story
- it doesn’t have to be a literal time clock, you can get creative and substitute the clock with the sun setting or fireworks about to be ignited

6. Menace (A person who is more than just talk and follows through with his threats) (probably the villain)
- Show that this villain is compatible of harming people
- The audience needs to understand that this threat is real (to create worry), so the best way to do this is to show early on that he is compatible of doing horrible things (He doesn’t just say he’s dangerous, he proves it with his actions)

7. Thriller-type characters
- Make a character who will fill in their story position accordingly

[MyWorld-eboz]

When you said the hero has to be locked in, I nearly jumped out of my seat. One of my first two stories literally has the main character *LOCKED IN* a mall w/ the killer!

[kit]

Good list. One quibble. I think ticking bomb is more appropriate than ticking clock.

[DiomedesDioscuro]

I'm not a writer ot anything similar, but I enjoy these videos. Brandon explains things very well and his speaking is very nice.

[mattsager]

this video has come at the PERFECT time. i didn't use an outline, but my thriller has been snowballing since I finally found out the "climax" that I'm working toward.

my manuscript so far has all of these elements except a truly compelling reason the hero is locked in. is love or empathy a compelling enough reason for heroes to lock themselves in?

[georgetran]

Thank you for this insight. I finished my thriller, I have been told it is good and you have helped me identify the elements that made my story feel authentic and scary.

[vpnightshadepersonal]

Great Video as always, Brandon! I think the most important key is to have thriller type characters. Not only a strong, clever protagonist but a seriously dangerous antagonist who really ramps up the suspense. It's not much of a thriller if the antagonist's idea of punishment is to TP the protagonist's house! 😂😂😂

[JClark-uxhz]

Love this channel! I've learned so much. Thanks, Brandon💯👏👏👏

[blueseaturtle]

Hey Brandon, can you make a tier list of all the educational books on writing you read and give a general idea about what each book offers

I’d personally really like to see that

[BrianCouch-un]

'Thanks'... clarity to deliver a thriller... or series of thrillers, one of which might involve an unwanted pregnancy happening on a bus, but the bus stop for the planned clinic is out-of-order as a result of a labor strike.
Brian Couch

[joelmarin]

Bro I’ve been watching all of your vids… you’re very easy to listen to and I admire and appreciate your advice… please continue to do what you do 👍🏼

[emmanuellaeledu]

You've got the perfect channel, Boss!

[WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Which Thriller element do you think is most important? Let us know!

[jimdavis]

Excellent explanation quickly done. Thanks for the clarity.

[nitevibe]

The ticking clock, menace antagonist, and thriller type character were all great elements explored

[RenDrawsWarbirds]

I found your channel quite recently, and it's really given my writing new energy and helped me find it fun again, owe you big time for that! I have a couple of thriller-like ideas slushing around in my head, and have had for a while, in various stages of fleshed out. I wonder if you have any thoughts on villains with unknown identity in combination with "Menace"? One could obviously make use of a ticking clock where the hero/heroes have to figure out who it is before some sort of horrible event happens (perhaps akin to what happens in Agatha Christie's "And then there were none"), but I find it difficult to find ways to raise the stakes and put the pressure on when the identity of the villain needs to be kept secret in a sort of "Among us" scenario.

[AryaCyrus]

James Frey is perhaps right about all stories written so far. But what would you advise if someone's writing a thriller with no independent 1, 3, 5 and 6? In my story, stakes, odds, ticking clock, and menace hinge on the moral question. All of them would disappear if the moral question had an answer.

Don't confuse this with the cliched moral gray zone. In gray zone stories, the moral dilemma merely stems from being in the middle of the two poles. But the poles are clear. Your brain isn't jammed wondering if you might have taken good and evil itself the other way around.

[Norgie.Noriega]

thanks u v much .... this is great !!!!

[TimRG]

I'm not sure I'll pick this book up since I don't write thrillers, well currently. However, his other books on writing yes. I think more writers today need to pick up some of these older books like How to Write a Damn Good Novel or Donald Maass Writing the Breakout Novel. These books have so many hidden gems that could help new writers. I haven't read How to Write a Damn Good Novel, but it's on the list.

[cosmic-fortytwo]

This is really good. So many times author how-to videos ramble on about a subject without giving concrete details and examples, and the video comes off feeling nebulous and the subject is still confusing. This video was succinct and had real solid points. Thank you!