Thriller is a genre of fiction, having numerous, often overlapping subgenres. Thrillers are characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving viewers heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation, and anxiety. Thrillers generally keep the audience on the “edge of their seats” as the plot builds towards a climax. The cover-up of important information is a common element. Literary devices such as red herrings, plot twists, unreliable narrators, and cliffhangers are used extensively. A thriller is often a villain-driven plot, whereby they present obstacles that the protagonist must overcome. Writing a thriller story is an exciting process and involves various steps. Hope this article act as a guide to help you navigate through this exciting and thrilling process.

A thriller novel devotes most of its focus to suspense, dread, and the fear of a future crime—instead of one that’s already happened. Most mysteries reveal a crime and then require their main characters to work backward to figure out who committed that crime. In a thriller, the bad guy is often established early on, and the main characters must work to stop them from doing evil. The Jack Reacher series, written by Lee Child, and R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series for young adults serve as examples of high-stakes thriller novels. Thriller sub-genres include:

Horror thrillers: Horror thrillers angle a classic suspense story toward the terrifying and grotesque. Many horror novels include a supernatural element, although monsters, aliens, and evil spirits extend to many corners of the broader thriller genre.
Legal thrillers: These thrillers take place within the confines of the court system.
Psychological thrillers: A psychological thriller novel finds the terror in madness and paranoia.
Epic thrillers: An epic thriller story ideas often involves the highest of stakes. In an epic thriller like Stephen King’s The Stand, humanity itself is imperiled.