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Anyone writing literary thrillers? (Also dystopian or psych thrillers.)

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leahzero

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Hi folks. I'm querying a complete, edited literary thriller and getting requests from agents (yay!), but I'd still like a few more eyeballs to scan over it and give some in-depth feedback.

My MS: Literary thriller with horror elements, complete at 100,000 words. A new take on the zombie mythos: a rabies-like virus spreads rapidly across the US, turning the infected into violent, mindless cannibals—except for a select few, who become stronger, faster, smarter...and hungrier. The novel focuses on a handful of infected survivors who struggle to deal with what they're becoming.

Books similar to mine:

  • THE REAPERS ARE THE ANGELS by Alden Bell
  • WORLD WAR Z by Max Brooks
  • THE PASSAGE by Justin Cronin
  • THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH by Carrie Ryan
Your MS: Complete, or nearly complete. A thriller or hybrid with strong thriller elements. "Literary" qualities desirable (rich prose, well-realized setting, psychologically complex characters, etc.). Psych and dystopian thrillers are right up my alley. I'm also game for YA thrillers as long as they're literary in style. (2/5 of my MCs are teenagers, so my MS has some YA elements, though it's decidedly adult in theme.)

Feedback desired/willing to offer: Critique of high-level prose mechanics (metaphors, sentence rhythm, etc.). Plot development, pacing, characterization, etc. Always happy to give praise where it's due, but I'm primarily looking for (and wanting to offer) constructive criticism. We're competent writers; let's push ourselves and learn from each other.

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PM me if interested. We can exchange first chapters and see if we click with each other.

Thanks!
-Leah
 

Zola

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Hi - I would be interested in exchanging with you. I have written a literary (or upmarket) dystopian novel. It is set in the 2170s, in America. It's a little more character-focused than thriller, but there is definitely that element too. Let me know if this sounds like it would be of interest to you!
 

eventidepress

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I remember reading one of your excerpts in SYW and really liking your writing style. :) I'd be happy to try out an exchange!
I'm querying a dystopian thriller at the moment. Had a lot of full requests, but so far no one in love enough to say yes, so I wouldn't mind getting another opinion on it, too. Included my query pitch below, so you can see if you're interested. PM me your email if so!

Darryl is a part-time gondolier and runaway in a flooded, canal-ridden, over-crowded New York City that has sunk below sea level. She dresses and lives as a male because it's easier than being a girl in the city's underbelly, where she dwells to avoid the cops now that homelessness is illegal. If she's caught, she'd be thrown into the State Houses, and nobody comes out of those alive.

But when someone jacks her gondola and uses it to dump the mayor's body, Darryl becomes the prime murder suspect. With half the city on her tail, she finds an unlikely ally in Adita, the daredevil daughter of a wealthy senator. Together they unravel connections between the killer, Adita's past, and Darryl's own childhood. Unfortunately, the trail of evidence leads straight into the one place Darryl has fought so hard to avoid: the State Houses.
 
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