Thriller Vs. Mystery

Quote of the day: Really, becoming a professional writer sounds more like a mental illness than a professional choice. -Shannon Hale

I read a great book today titled: HOW TO WRITE KILLER FICTION by Carolyn Wheat. It talked very clearly about what the difference between a Mystery novel and a Thriller/Suspense novel is. The reason I loved this book so much is because if you truly understand what genre you are writing in it will help to give your readers what it is they want. I am currently writing a thriller whose working title is THIRTEEN HOURS. (If you want to read the first chapter it is posted on my website http://www.tracyclevenger.com/ under the Books section) Ms. Wheat explains that if reading fiction is like a dream than Thrillers are nightmares where the characters are thrust into a frightening out of control environment. Mysteries on the other hand are full of detectives who constantly remind everyone that it is just a dream and that they are the ones in control.

Another huge distinction between Mystery and suspense is that in a mystery novel the reader is always two steps behind the detective. That way when the big ending is revealed the audience feels like they should have known all along that the Butler did it because of the hidden clues. An especially talented writer will make the ending inevitable but not obvious. Now with a Thriller the reader is ideally two steps ahead of our main character. This is often achieved by third person view points and the reader knowing much more than our protagonist. This is the part of the movie when the killer is hanging out down in the basement with a machete and our hero starts to descend the stairs. The audience has no choice but to spring from their seats yelling don't go down there! Here's under the stairs!

Another difference is that the detective whether it be an amateur sleuth or a professional spy already has the skills they need to solve the crime. They do not often experience much growth. Sherlock Holmes was a master at solving mysteries from the first book through every other book. A Thriller protagonist, however, must learn survival skills along the way. By the end of the novel, the thriller protagonist has walked through fire and will be forever changed by it. This is one of the reasons that it is hard to imagine a suspense novel being made into a series. It just seems unfair for a huge, life changing disaster to sneak up on an innocent civilian more than once.

The satisfaction at the conclusion of a Mystery is intellectual. The crime was solved, justice was served and all is right in the world once again. The satisfaction for a Thriller comes through an emotional outlet. The heroine has braved her worst fears and utilizing skills she hardly knew she possessed has risen from a girl to a woman. The hero has chopped of the head of the dragon and is now a man. They have grown and matured, faced their demons, and against impossible odds emerged victorious.

So in the end. I think that it is always a good idea to write what you read. If you are interested in Carolyn G. Hart, Margaret Maron, Robert Barnard, Patricia Cornwell, Sue Grafton, or Kathy Reichs then you are more of a mystery buff. But if you are like me and like to snuggle up with a great Mary Higgins Clark, Dean Koontz, Barbara Michaels, Dick Francis, Clancy or Grisham then you are definitely more of a suspense writer.

Well I hope this has been helpful for anyone wanting to know the difference between mystery and suspense and I highly recommend that you check out Carolyn Wheat's book. It was an excellent read and had many great insights.

XOXO

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