Art of Suspense

Throughout five separate chapters, plus a diverse selection of exercises and references, Art of Suspense will guide you through the building blocks at the core of any successful thriller.

From foundational practices to specific, scene-based methods, you’ll learn how to find interesting hooks, develop those hooks into compelling stories, and connect the dots to form your very own heart-pumping thrill machine.

Hosted by Gareth, AutoCrit’s resident story coach and suspense connoisseur, this 4-week interactive course includes weekly hour-long live streams and Q&A sessions. You can even receive feedback on your writing from your peers should you wish to share it.

Featuring stimulating quotes from genre luminaries plus scene and technique breakdowns including authors such as Thomas Harris, Ruth Ware, Lee Child, Tom Clancy, Karin Slaughter and more, it’s time to take a trip deep into the heart of the Art of Suspense.

In this foundational module, we’ll walk you through:

• What makes a thriller, and the conventions that set them apart from other suspense-led genres, such as horror and mystery.
• The gigantic range of thrilling possibilities to consider – so you’re never short of core story ideas and settings.
• Understanding the conventional structure of an effective thriller – and how stories can continue to surprise and shock, even if their structural foundations are similar.
• How to uncover striking story hooks in the everyday world, and the themes to match.
• How to make genre tropes work for you, rather than against you.
• Figuring out your story’s promise – and how this promise can set you up for quick and easy structural planning.

Characters come in all shapes and sizes, with an endless array of backgrounds, specialties… and fates.

In this chapter, we’ll cover all things character, including:

• The key elements of believable characters.
• Why deeper understanding of your story’s cast can save you from the dreaded writer’s block.
• What makes for iconic heroes, anti-heroes, and villains.
• How to ensure every character earns their right to take up space on the page… and how to know when they’re not.

Backed up with pre-made custom worksheets, you’ll turn your character-building duties into a straightforward, resistance-free process.

No thriller is complete without the twists and turns we expect from an engrossing thriller… but it can often feel like you’re just a page away from losing control.

In this module, you’ll discover:

• How to lay down key plot points and join them together in a killer tale that never gets boring.
• How to make the right choice of Point of View – both on a scene by scene basis, and in your story as a whole.
• How your choice of location and setting can add a wealth of thematic depth to your work.
• Why understanding your character web will make your life, much, much easier.
• The importance of research… and how to know when enough is enough.
• Key considerations to determine the length of your story (or series).

Every author’s written style bears their own hallmark – but some secrets of suspenseful page-turners are more easily replicated.

In this module, we’re getting our hands dirty with exploration of:

• What suspense truly means, and its function as a narrative device.
• The difference between cinematic writing and engaging narrative prose – and the deadly pitfalls you’ll need to avoid depending on your medium.
• Why “show, don’t tell” remains a foundational rule of writing – but hardly one it’s never appropriate to break.
• Making location and setting a character in your story, so you can add a layer of suspense and tension even when no one is around…
• How to keep up the pace, and keep readers turning pages long into the night with “just one more chapter” fever.
• How to construct scenes that keep people hooked from start to finish, again and again.
• Writing dramatic dialogue that throbs with energy and conflict.

Finally, we wrap up with a closing salvo of invaluable tips and techniques you can use time and time again to craft a gripping thriller.

We can’t give away all our secrets, but some of the techniques you’ll learn to master include:

• What to do when it looks like your hero may be turning into a villain (a key concern in many an action thriller!).
• The “organic” method for tackling plot holes and unsatisfactory character development once your first draft is complete.
• Methods for effective foreshadowing and allowing your readers to involve themselves in the story.
• What to do when something doesn’t seem to fit, or things just feel wrong once your story concludes.

In addition to the examples discussed within chapters, you’ll further contextualize core teachings of the Art of Suspense thriller writing course as we take a closer look at the makeup of selected scenes and stories from authors including:

• Ruth Ware 
• Michael Crichton
• Dan Brown
• Karin Slaughter
• Thomas Harris
• Lee Child

Develop stronger insight into the storytelling techniques used by some of the most popular thriller authors in the business to keep readers hooked – so you know exactly how and when to use them yourself.

Alongside the Art of Suspense course content and live classes, you’ll also receive access to our members-only community forums throughout the course period.

Chat about all things writing, share your work, engage in creative activities with like-minded authors, and more.

Plus, join us for exclusive live events with additional guests from within the publishing industry. Get involved, ask your questions, and share some quality time with the professionals at no extra cost.

Past guests in our live events include:

• Lee Murray
• Jo Kaplan
• David Haynes
• John L. Probert
• Thana Niveau
• Gary McMahon
• Rayne Hall

If you miss an event, don’t worry – recordings are posted for community members, offering hour after hour of expertise for you to dig into right away.