14790 - How To Write a Thriller Novel
Course Overview
A good thriller takes you on a wild and exciting journey from the start to the finish. These stories create heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation, and anxiety for your reader. Thrillers tend to be plot rather than character driven, dark, engrossing, and suspenseful stories. Stories run the gamut: political, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, romance, historical and crime and tend to cross genres. What they have in common are moments full of tension, anxiety, and fear. These novels are action-packed, page turners.
While a good thriller is unpredictable, there are some ways to get it right, regardless of what genre you’re working in. We'll explore the elements of a good thriller, and how there are variations depending on the genre you're working in. We'll each write a short story and review each other's work - a great way to learn how to be a better writer and focus on a rewrite with the elements of the thriller. We’ll discuss the importance of an engaging cover and how to provide other important information for our readers and publishing. If you’re interested, we'll publish our stories to Amazon and / or discuss other options you can do with your story.
What You'll Learn
- Understand the essential elements of writing a page-turning, thriller novel or short story
- Explore variations in genres and how to get your story from concept to page
- Understand the importance of an engaging cover that sells your work
- Craft a thriller short story and get feedback from other writers
- Learn options for your completed story including publishing your work on Amazon
Who Should Attend
This class is for intermediate level writers and assumes a basic understanding of writing craft. Do you have a story idea or want to develop a thriller? Interested in bringing your thriller story to the next level? This is the class for you.
Additional Information
Requirements
A word processing program or Scrivener. A willingness to give and receive critique in a respectful and supportive learning environment.
Requirements
A word processing program or Scrivener. A willingness to give and receive critique in a respectful and supportive learning environment.
UNM Tuition Remission
UNM Staff, Faculty, and Retirees: This course is Tuition Remission eligible under Professional Development. For more information, visit the UNM Tuition Remission information page. To see UNM HR's Tuition Remission for eligibility and tax liabilities, click here