The Dead Zone

that's because we are all thrilled to be a mystery.... suspenseful isn't it?

kidding cc... so what would you like to cover/chat about?

It's that way on every message board I've ever been on. Fantasy and science fiction get a lot of discussion, but not thriller ..

Perhaps this is due to the fact that many fiction genres have a thrilling and suspenseful mystery woven into them....

there will be a live chat time on march 1/2 (depending on where you live) - check it out, suggest some topics if you have any... see you then!

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55854

It might be because thriller writers are not the types of people who often grace message boards.

That's a bit pigeonholey, but there might be something to it.

The thriller writers I've met in real life are...working class folks. At a conference I went to, among the thriller group were former military men, a cop, a former journalist, and two attorneys.

Of course, I don't think message boards can be looked at in terms of the "type" of people who post on them. All types of people post here, I'm sure. But there's a lot happening in the science fiction/fantasy genre on the web, so you would expect a lot more of those writers to be naturally drawn to places such as this. The Greg Iles/common man thriller or the Harry Bosch/haunted PI novels are huge in this genre, and the folks who write those are usually more...what?...empirical.

Let me know if I just confused the hell out of you.

I would post more, but I often don't know what to ask.

I guess, "how do you ask a government agency for advice on your plot." Ha ha. But I know the answer to that one. First, you dig up what you can without asking them. Then you ask them whatever's left over.

On the other hand, if that's wrong, someone feel free to start a new thread with tips on this. Or maybe I will.

Because I guess another thing that is bugging me is that if you've never even written a novel before - much less had one published - it seems like a big waste of an important person's time to ask a bunch of questions.

Comments? Jeers? Ridicule? Any input would be more activity on this board, and also helpful to me!

ltd.

Hmmm. It is kinda quiet over here. To tell you the truth (very embarassing) but I just didn't get this far on this site. Everytime I looked for thriller/suspense I ended up at the share your work thriller/suspense.

Duh.

Seems like most people chat in the writing novels place. Are the fantasy writers chatting up a storm over in their spot? Or are they mostly at the novel spot too?

LOL! I'm reading this an it's like groups at school or something..."like are the peeps in the smoking area hanging around the jock's quad again?"

Oh! And can I put a shameless plug here for people to go peek at my chapter for crit? Or is that a no no?

Who's gonna notice? Just kidding. I'm pretty sure it's fine to ask here.

ltd.

LOLOLOL! You kill me, LTD!
You do have a point.
We could probably run around nekkid here and be unobserved!

well i am in for the count...I am a mystery/thriller/suspense writer. I didn't really stop to think about this specific forum and always post in the novel writing section but hey! I will participate.

So ..here is a question for you guys..have you ever been writing through the eyes of a killer and gotten so freaked out that you could write such a convincineg scene that you wondered if you were losing your mind and were in danger of becoming like what you wrote?

I had that experience back four years ago and stopped writing because of it.

Just wonderin'

Thrillride said:

LOLOLOL! You kill me, LTD!
You do have a point.
We could probably run around nekkid here and be unobserved!

Click to expand...

As long as you discreatly post the pics...I don't mind Umm...edited to add...I should have said..I won't tell

Casi said:

So ..here is a question for you guys..have you ever been writing through the eyes of a killer and gotten so freaked out that you could write such a convincineg scene that you wondered if you were losing your mind and were in danger of becoming like what you wrote?

Click to expand...

Not exactly, but I could soooo go there. I got so into writing the sex scene from a womanizer man's point oif view, I was absolutely giddy.

I also just saw Hannibal Rising. I came out of there realizing that I have to quit telling people I write thriller/horror.
I do not write horror.
At least not that kind (realizing there's more than one way to write horror).

I was freaked out in the sense that you are talking about because I thought, "What if I wrote scenes like that? I don't want to know if that could come out of me."

Now, my friends, I don't normally write cut-em-up-hack-em-up scenes, but I will tell you I could.

These are not the scenes that frighten me.

Did anyone see the film yet? Or read the book?I don't want to say what the senes are in case I give something away - it's the reason Hannibal went in sane to begin with.

It was the most disgusting thing EVER.

Ah...um...what was the question again, Casi??

Oh yeah, and trust me, if I was running around nekkid, you would tell the whole board and then move it to "humor"!

Thrillride said:

Not exactly, but I could soooo go there. I got so into writing the sex scene from a womanizer man's point oif view, I was absolutely giddy.

I also just saw Hannibal Rising. I came out of there realizing that I have to quit telling people I write thriller/horror. I don't write horror. At least not that kind (realizing there's more than one way to write horror).

I was freaked out in the sense that you are talking about because I thought, "What if I wrote scenes like that? I don't want to know if that could come out of me."

Now, my friends, I don't normally write cut-em-up-hack-em-up scenes, but I will tell you I could.

These are not the scenes that frighten me.

Did anyone see the film yet? Or read the book?I don't want to say what the senes are in case I give something away - it's the reason Hannibal went in sane to begin with.

It was the most disgusting thing EVER.

Ah...um...what was the question again, Casi??

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Hehe..you answered it...I think you said it very well...there are somethings I don't want to come out of me or know if it could. There are some things I won't do and I would never write a horror film.

Someone asked me the other day this.."IF..your book became a best seller and "they" want to make a movie out of it..how will you control content?"
Man I thought about that...and I was actually getting upset in advance...and thought...I amgoing to have to be certain that it doesn't get changed. Don't know how but I will.

Well, yanno, Thomas Harris (the author) wrote the screenplay for this movie too. Pretty much got handed creative control.

See? You can demand the same thing.

Thrillride said:

Well, yanno, Thomas Harris (the author) wrote the screenplay for this movie too. Pretty much got handed creative control.

See? You can demand the same thing.

Click to expand...

Okay...it is just this...in today's movies...there is all this graphic stuff and swearing and sex..when the author doesn't even put that in there sometimes.

So...I think it would be really cool to insinuate the violence without going into alot of detail...my story is SEX free...not romance free...and the romance is light..that is not what the book is about...but anyway..and swearing is minimal...no F word..no horribly demeaning words...

I guess some people think you can't do that and have an exciting story..so I figured the first thing they would want to do is juice it up to today's movie standards which I refuse to have done. I hate the way hollywood changes everything. okay end rant.

You know, I am thinking of some wonderful movies that seem nice like, A Walk to Remember...I don't think there is all the extra fluff in that one. I can think of a few more, but I am horrible with titles..

Thrillride said:

You know, I am thinking of some wonderful movies that seem nice like, A Walk to Remember...I don't think there is all the extra fluff in that one. I can think of a few more, but I am horrible with titles..

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A walk to remember is a great film. But when is the last time you saw a mystery/suspense/thriller without graphically gory scenes? And I don't know why people think they have to put the F word in their stories..because if they do it for the rating thinking more people will watch it if it goes to R. But in my last semster film production class they showed us the stats that say..PG has more attendance than R in actuality.

I dunno, I don't want to offend anyone...I just don't think we have to talk like gutter rats to get a good story spun.

Thrillride said:

You're right, of course.

Lemmee think awhile about some thrillers that son't have those words...although "Storm of the Century" (Stephen King) just hit my head. I'll call my brother (he works in the industry and ask him too).

The F word is actually in my novel. So far, only one time. It is, unfortunately something I think my character would say at this particular turn of events.

While in no way do I feel I ever need to add anything that I don't feel belongs in my stories, I also remain true to my characters and their situations and if it needs to be said or done, I'll do it.

Honestly, when a story is done well, I don't think I would notice at all that someone left out the in gratuitous sex, profanity or gore.

Good writing is just good writing.

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I am all for people writing true to their characters being created. What I hate is when a studio insists on it to boost potential sales.

I hear ya. I do prefer when they stay close to the novel writer's intentions.

Thrillride said:

I hear ya. I do prefer when they stay close to the novel writer's intentions.

Click to expand...

I would really like to know just how much say a new writer would have in that situation if it went to a movie. In fact..I just thought..I wonder how closely the Harry Potter films are to the books. I haven't read them.

I was pleased to see the Chronicles of Narnia and LOR were pretty close.

Holy crow - a virtual smorgasborg of posts while I was away at work - this is great.I have been so lonely!

To LTA: "Because I guess another thing that is bugging me is that if you've never even written a novel before - much less had one published - it seems like a big waste of an important person's time to ask a bunch of questions."

I am experiencing this right now. I am leery of approaching a stranger, so have sent out a search email (to everyone I know well) asking if they know anyone in the areas I am seeking info about. I am hoping I will feel more comfortable if we have someone in common. Does that make sense?
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To CAS: "So ..here is a question for you guys..have you ever been writing through the eyes of a killer and gotten so freaked out that you could write such a convincing scene that you wondered if you were losing your mind and were in danger of becoming like what you wrote?"

YES! I have written this way, I love to write this way, and I used to be bothered by it... decades later I am ok with it. This is not a reflection on who I am, although it sure affects how some others see ME when they read it. I am uncomfortable with that, yet at the same time, very pleased they feel that way because it means I can creep them ( and myself ! ) out with words.

To CAS: "I would really like to know just how much say a new writer would have in that situation if it went to a movie. In fact..I just thought..I wonder how closely the Harry Potter films are to the books. I haven't read them."

I have read all the HP books, although it has been a while, and the last one seemed to drrraaaaggg.... except for dropping out some scenes, the movies so far, have remained pretty true. Good question: I too wonder what a new writer might agree to have done to their novel just to see it on the big screen...