The Ingredients Of A Good Thriller [Paperback]

Chris Wood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 17, 2008 | ISBN-10: 1906669007 | ISBN-13: 978-1906669003

Ever wanted to write a thriller? Ever thought you had a story but didn't know where to start? This book gives you: - A detailed breakdown of characters. - Tips on getting the reader's attention. - Ways of effectively telling stories. - The impact of good dialogue. - Explorations of top thrillers. - Hints on how to give your story impact. "The Ingredients Of A Good Thriller" is a guide to an area that has huge potential and gives great pleasure. It's an easy to follow approach to writing and improving your story. It provides solid examples to show you what works - and what doesn't. Clear and easy to follow, this book is helpful for any thriller writer. Don't start without it!

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: LDB Publishing (November 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1906669007
• ISBN-13: 978-1906669003
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,053,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #79 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Writing > Writing Skills

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Uses too many film references for a book on *writing* thrillers..., June 7, 2009

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Ingredients Of A Good Thriller (Paperback)

So awhile back the book The Ingredients Of A Good Thriller by Chris Wood wandered across my desk. It's no surprise that I spend a significant amount of time reading, but often I'm not really analyzing the structure or the makeup of how the story unfolds. I thought it might be interesting to start paying a bit more attention to that aspect of writing, hence the reason for reading this book.

Contents:

Starting Points

Different Types of Thrillers: Plots; Settings; Crime Scene; A Good Start

Characters: Overview; Sleuth; Sidekick; Villian; Victim; Anti-Hero; Red Herring; Enabler

Showing and Shaping Characters: Showing Character; Making the Goodie Really Good; Making the Baddie Really Bad; Dialogue and Language; What Type of Language?; Comic Relief; Relationship Trouble

Approaches and Details: Atmosphere; Make'em Flinch; How to Make A Kill A Crowd Pleaser; Setpieces; The "Pow" Factor; Milk The Suspense; The Feel of It; Humour Potential; Music That Thrills; Use Reality

Last But Not Least

Don't Give Up!; Recommended Crime Films; Recommended Crime Books; Afterward; Conclusion - The Essentials

On the positive side, Wood does a nice job hitting on all the major elements that would need to be present in a thriller. You obviously need to determine who your characters are, how they behave and interact, and how you can consistently carry that through the plot. You also have to understand dialogue (a pet peeve of mine). If it's not realistic, then the writing falls flat. His recommendation to pay attention to conversations you hear all around you is excellent. Think of it as a free workshop in learning how real people talk.

Where I had issues with the book was in the expected target vs. all the examples. The back cover starts out with "Ever wanted to write a thriller?" The intro mentions "read and watch", but still the main assumption seems to be writing. But the overwhelming number of examples in the book refer back to movies, scenes from movies, or setups of movies. So if you haven't seen the particular film he references, you lose something in the translation. Also, some of the references don't go into detail as to *why* that's a good example. For instance, "enabler" characters are listed as certain performers in movies... Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting, Paulie in Goodfellows, Ronny Cox in Beverly Hills Cop. If you've seen the film, these references might make sense. If you haven't, then it's entirely lost on you. And since I read much more than I watch movies, I didn't get as much out of this as the writer probably intended from his reference point.

The Ingredients of a Good Thriller worked for me in terms of starting to "meta-process" what I'm reading from the viewpoint of a writer. And in a large-type 223 pages, I wouldn't expect an exhaustive coverage. But I'm still not convinced that using film scenes to teach writing technique is a good match, unless you're prepared to watch a movie first, and then analyze it immediately afterwards. And in the case of this book, endless references to films I haven't watched does me no good...

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Keeping It Real" ~ Situation, Characters And Setting, March 14, 2009

By 

Brian E. Erland "Rainbow Sphinx" (Brea, CA - USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Ingredients Of A Good Thriller (Paperback)

Chris Wood's slender 221 page soft cover book `The Ingredients Of A Good Thriller' is a highly readable and surprisingly entertaining exploration of the necessary elements the would be novelist must consider when sitting down to write a good thriller. Understanding our human fascination for mystery, intrigue and justice he succinctly covers the major and minor categories found within this literary genre pointing out the necessary, optional and open-ended components to producing a successful and memorable novel.

Positing the all important question "what grabs the attention", Mr. Wood enhances his ideas and concepts by comparing the material with examples from well known books, feature films and television series. Personally I enjoyed this approach and believe in doing so he successfully illuminated and brought to life his ideas. It also served the purpose of keeping the reader focused and interested from beginning to end.

`The Ingredients Of A Good Thriller' is a useful, pragmatic, insightful and enjoyable read whether you plan to become a novelist or not. Maybe it's not the ultimate sourcebook for the novice writer, but it's certainly a solid place to begin.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for murder, May 28, 2010

By 

Noir Fan (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ingredients Of A Good Thriller (Paperback)

This book is perfect for the murderer in all of us. It almost tells you how to get away with the perfect crime, covering all the mistakes writers usually make before planning their grisly task. It is always informative and easy to read. Keep it close - very close.