title: How to Write a Damn Good Thriller: A Step-by-Step Guide for Novelists and Screenwriters
author:  James N. Frey 
description: The authors fifth guide to writing damn good fiction offers a useful and entertaining look at the process of writing a thriller. Some readers may be confused, at first, by his seemingly overbroad definition of a thriller (the Iliad? Miss Congeniality?), but thrillers, Frey argues, should be defined by their key elements: heroes with impossible missions, theatrically extreme villains, a series of obstacles, a rousing climax. The author leads us through the process of putting together a thriller by creating several stories and then showing us how to elaborate their plots and how to design their characters. Its an interesting approach, sort of a hands-on seminar. He also refers frequently to various well-known thrillers (The Boys from Brazil, Jaws, The Day of the Jackal, etc.) and explains why they work the way they do. By adopting a practical approachshowing us in specific terms how to build a character, for example, rather than simply giving us general pointersFrey makes the prospect of writing a novel feel considerably less daunting. --David Pitt
zlib_text: PRAISE FOR JOHN MARRS
  ‘Provocative, terrifying and compulsive.’
  —Cara Hunter, author of Close to Home
  ‘Really clever concept and some great characters and twists. It’s a real joy to read something totally
  original, smart and thought-provoking.’
  —Peter James, author of the Roy Grace series
  ‘One of the most exciting, original thriller writers out there. I never miss one of his books.’
  —Simon Kernick
  ‘Gorgeously written, and pulsing with heart.’
  —Louise Beech, author of The Mountain in My Shoe
  ‘This is a superb heart-pounding chiller of a thriller.’
  —The Sun
  ‘A brilliantly inventive thriller.’
  —Good Housekeeping
  ‘Gripping from the start and full of surprises, this kept us up long after lights out.’
  —Isabelle Broom, Heat
  ‘Full of twists, vividly drawn characters you’ll love or love to loathe and pacy action.’
  —SFX
  ‘As topical as it is tense . . . No skill is required to recognise why John Marrs has become such a
  popular author, with his relatable characters, clever ideas, and smooth storyt