If you dream of being the next Ian Fleming or John Le Carre, here are the seven best tips that will help you write best selling non-fiction books. So what does it take to write a great spy thriller book? Whether it is the James Bond franchise or any Mission Impossible installment, spy thrillers have long been the most intriguing genre for novels, film, and television.
Andrew Gilbrook has authored an unputdownable spy thriller novel for you, sharing in this blog tips that will help you pen non-fiction best sellers! Although there are variances of what helps create a spy thriller, here we bring you seven tips for producing a contemporary spy thriller script.
A Stellar Logline
If you are not being pursued to write the next blockbuster novel, you have to work hard to create a stellar logline that will get you the attention you need. You have to come up with a unique and original spin on the subgenre. Once you have come up with the perfect concept, you can get to the main characters and conflict that will shed light on the W family. Who, when, where, why, what, and HOW of your story.
A Faultless Structure
Turning that great concept into a story requires a writing flair that is a must. You need a plot for that, so as the first and foremost thing, you need to work out your plot. Its type and how it is going to be. For instance, classic spy novel plots revolve around mission, mystery, or playing defence.
Three-Step Structure
As soon as you get done with the type of spy story you are about to write, you take all the ideas and cool scenes in your mind and list them down. After putting them down on paper, decide where they will go in the story. You will have to think of the type of story to be able to know where in the story each bit will go. For that, you can follow the three-step structure:
Set-Up
Introduce the protagonist with the things they have to do. The protagonist has to be committed to their goal that gives you around 10-20% of the story.
Confrontation
Here you have to show how the protagonist struggles to reach their goal while confronting the antagonist stopping them. The protagonist crisis, which might initially hint at them failing, gets you 60% of the story.
Consequences
Show the consequence of the protagonist’s decisions in the previous step so that the last step ends with the protagonist’s triumph. It has to be at a high cost, though, or create a tragic ending. You will get the 25% of the story from here.
A Stunning Narrative
When you have finally put together an idea of an outstanding story, you need a narrative drive, something of spy books want. It is not the beauty of language that attracts them. In fact, straightforward language works best. What they look for is the excitement that the protagonist’s struggle with the antagonist causes. Therefore, play by the simple rules for the readers. Include a:
- Stunning Opening
- Dynamic Protagonist
- Create a realistic feel
- Include action
- Cliffhangers
- Mind-engaging twists
Include all the above techniques for writing the best non-fiction books to read. Be original, keep it simple, and appealing to get best-selling non-fiction books that will earn you a name among the spy thriller lovers!