Workshop Outline

Create compelling plots, build characters readers will love, hook them from the first page, and pull off the perfect twisty climax.

This is a one-day workshop led by best-selling psychological thriller writer Philippa East, aimed at giving you the theory, tools and confidence to build compelling thriller plots, develop engaging characters, and nail the twists and turns that keep readers turning the pages long into the night. 

With a combination of presentations, discussions, small-group exercises, and individual assignments, we will look at the various elements you need to create a fantastic thriller – including...   

The thriller genre: Understanding the core elements of the thriller genre can give you a super-helpful framework in which to develop your story. We’ll look at what kinds of plot events thriller readers will expect; what character archetypes you should include; and what kinds of emotions you’ll want you reader to feel.

The hook: We’ll explore what makes a great thriller hook, including what kinds of events work as an inciting incident to kick your thriller plot off. We’ll think about how to make your book’s premise original and unique, and look at some big ideas from the masters of the genre.

A big personality. We will discuss what really gives your characters depth and realism, exploring the importance of their wants, needs, and flaws – using a bit of psychological science. We’ll look at how plot and character can interact to create moving story arcs of both external action and internal character change, and how the best thrillers climax with a brilliant plot resolution, but also a profound moment of personal epiphany for our protagonist. 

Location, location, location! We’ll think about where to set your thriller, and how to best write setting descriptions to engage your reader, create atmosphere, and enhance your characters and theme. 

Viewpoint and narrative set-up. Who we choose as our storyteller and how we tell our story can make a huge difference to the success of a book. Third person or first? Past or present tense? Single POV or multi? And what about that classic unreliable narrator? 

We’ll also consider the ways modern thrillers might incorporate emails, texts, newspaper articles and other “epistolary” materials to lay a trail of clues for a reader.  

We will also touch on the nuts and bolts of show vs tell, exposition vs info-dumping, psychic distance and free indirect style to elegantly get inside a character’s head, and tips and tricks for writing dialogue.

Finding the plot. We’ll look at the basics of story structure and consider the typical motifs and conventions of the thriller genre, to help you map out the events of your story. What kind of stakes should your thriller plot have? How do you avoid a “saggy middle”? Are you sure you know who’s the hero, victim and villain? What is the “hero at the mercy of the villain” scene? How should your thriller resolve at the end?

Conflict and tension. These essential elements form part of every book, from the most heartfelt romance or dramatic family saga, right through to the grittiest action thriller. We will unpack the concept of “progressive complications”, and look at some handy tools to create and maintain narrative drive throughout your story.   

Twists and reveals. Readers are smart and savvy, and it’s your job to throw them off the scent. We’ll think about balancing the “A” story (what the reader thinks is going on) and the “B” story (what the author knows is really going on) using clues and red herrings, as well as the classic unreliable narrator. We’ll consider the importance of making your ultimate climactic moment feel both surprising and yet inevitable, in order to perfectly satisfy your readers.  

Motivation and creativity. We’ll end with some thoughts about overcoming obstacles to the writing itself: what can help you get out of the starting blocks, and how to get yourself from page one all the way to the end of a completed first draft.  

Author Bio

Philippa East grew up in Scotland and originally studied Psychology and Philosophy at the University of Oxford. After graduating, she moved to London to train as a Clinical Psychologist and worked in NHS mental health services for over ten years. Her debut novel Little White Lies was longlisted for the Guardian's "Not-The-Booker" prize and shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger for best crime debut of 2020. She has since published three further psychological thrillers: Safe and Sound, I'll Never Tell and A Guilty Secret, with combined sales of over 100,000. Philippa lives in the Lincolnshire countryside with her spouse and cat, and alongside her writing she continues to work as a psychologist and therapist. You can find her on Bluesky @philippaeast.bsky.social and Instagram @philippa_east_author, or follow via her Amazon Author Page: 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B07S3JQDGK