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As a reader, perhaps you have enjoyed the use of epigraphs before, but never quite understood why an author has chosen to use them.

Or maybe as a writer, you have considered using epigraphs, but have resisted because you are not sure about how best to implement them. 

In this article, we will include an epigraph definition, look at some epigraph examples, and provide some tips on using epigraphs effectively. Hopefully by the end of this guide, you'll be able to use epigraphs to improve your writing and make it stand out from the rest. 

So, to begin, let’s discuss what the word epigraph actually means.

What Is An Epigraph?  

In short, an epigraph is a short (typically fictional) quotation, saying, or poem that is used as an extract in an author’s book in order to gently guide the reader into the story's world. Some authors will use a one-off epigraph at the start of the book, just after the title page, and others will include an epigraph at the very beginning of each chapter heading. In other examples, authors used epigraphs at the end of their books as part of, or solely as, an epilogue. Epigraphs are contained in quotation marks and it's vital that they are attributed to the correct person.

In some instances, an epigraph will be a simple one-line quote or saying and in other examples it could be several lines of poetry or prose from a literary work. It is totally down to the writers’ discretion how many lines, or how many epigraphs they decide to use. 

So now that we understand what an epigraph is, it’s important to establish its purpose in writing and why you might consider using one (or many of them) in your book. 

What Is The Purpose Of An Epigraph?  

The purpose of an epigraph is to help set the tone, themes, and subjects that will later materialise in the story.

An epigraph can help the reader gain a sense of what is to come and help an author to establish context very early on in the book.

Epigraphs are often thought-provoking and they create intrigue and interest at the beginning of a text/chapter. They're also used to foreshadow mood /an exciting event, or make a satirical statement.

To fully appreciate the purpose and effectiveness of literary epigraphs, it is useful to consider some published examples. Below are some examples of texts that have used epigraphs successfully. 

Examples Of Epigraphs  

To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee 

Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.

This is possibly one of the most famous examples of an epigraph being used to create intrigue and establish the context for the complex and emotional story that would later unfold. It is wonderfully simple yet extremely clever. 

Life After Life By Kate Atkinson 

What if we had the chance to it again and again, until we finally did get it right? Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

Edward Beresford – Todd 

Atkinson uses three epigraphs at the beginning of this novel, but what makes this quote unusual is that it is actually made by one of the main characters of the book.  

It is also a wonderfully apt quote, perfect to set up the main theme of the novel, which is reliving a life - and by using a quote from a character, we can appreciate his importance in the story.

Watership Down By Richard Adams 

CHORUS: Why do you cry out thus, unless at some vision of horror? 

CASSANDRA: The house reeks of death and dripping blood 

CHORUS: How so? ‘Tis but the odor of the altar sacrifice

CASSANDRA: The stench is like a breath from the tomb.

Aeschylus, Agamemnan 

Watership Down is an excellent example of epigraphs being used at the beginning of each chapter - and this quote from chapter one really sets the theme for the reader. By using continuous quotes and extracts throughout the novel, Adams is able to hint at the terror and threat that is awaiting his characters and can continue to create a sense of intrigue and danger throughout the book.  

The Circle By Dave Eggers 

There wasn’t any limit, no boundary at all, to future. And it would be so a man wouldn’t have room to store his happiness.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

By using this quote at the beginning of his novel, Eggers is able to set the theme of his futuristic and utopian setting. This quote helps to pose a question with the reader, hinting that perhaps the safe and happy world that is being presented, isn’t all it seems. 

The Double Life of Daisy Hemmings By Joanna Nadin 

Is insincerity such a terrible thing? I think not. It is merely a method by which we can multiply our personalities.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Again, this quote is thought-provoking and helps to set up the main theme of book, which is people changing. It is extremely apt and sets the context for the story that unfolds perfectly. 

How To Use An Epigraph In Your Book  

In this section, we are going to explore how best to use and decide on your own epigraph for your book.  

• Consider using texts, extracts and quotes that have themes that best overlap with yours.  
• Ensure that you have permission to use the text/quotes or extracts. Remember, copyright restrictions may be in place (this is usually the author's lifetime, plus seventy years) but it is always best to check with the writer’s estate or agency to be sure. 
• Consider whether you want to foreshadow an event or mood and if so, try to use an epigraph that can help with this. 
• You might want to use an epigraph to develop or hint at a character development, in which case you need to find one that best fits those needs.
• Take time to read through examples and consider how epigraphs might best suit your work. Could a small quote at the beginning set up the scene? Or would continuous epigraphs at each chapter help shape the theme and build intrigue throughout the novel? Decide what best suits you. 

It’s important to remember that most authors are drawn to quotes and texts instinctively and just ‘know’ that they belong in the novel. It makes sense that a piece of writing that has influenced you, or a poem that means a lot to you, will also connect to the story you have written. If your gut instinct feels that it's right, it often is! Just ensure you are allowed to use it! 

Let’s now consider some frequently asked questions regarding the use of epigraphs. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What Is An Example Of An Epigraph? 

An epigraph is a short quotation, saying, or poem that is used in novels. These (often fictional) quotations can either be included at the start of the book or at the beginning of each chapter. An example is the epigraph, “lawyers, I suppose, were children once”, used in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Why Are Epigraphs Used? 

An epigraph helps to set the theme, tone or the subject that will materialise later in the story. It can foreshadow what will come and build intrigue and suspense. 

Where Should I Use An Epigraph? 

This is a totally personal preference. Many authors prefer to have their epigraphs at the beginning of the novel. Others will use epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter, some at the end of a novel.  

You need to choose the method that feels right for you and fits with your book. 

How Long Should An Epigraph Be? 

There are no wrong or right answers here. However, it is often suggested that epigraphs which consist of a short phrase or a few lines are best for creating intrigue and holding the reader’s interest. 

What Copyright Considerations Do I Need To Consider When Using Epigraphs? 

You need to check that you have legal permission to use any text, quotes, or extracts. Remember copyright restrictions are often in place (usually the author's lifetime, plus seventy years) unless the text is in the public domain. If you're unsure about the copyright, check with the writer's estate or agency. 

Choosing An Epigraph

Throughout this guide we have explored epigraphs in much detail and considered their use and how they can be most effective in writing. There is little doubt that for many writers, epigraphs are a great way of setting the theme and tone of a novel and helping a reader get a sense of what might be unveiled later in the book. 

The key thing to remember, is that the use of epigraphs is a totally personal one. Take time to explore quotes and extracts that might work for your text. Ensure that you have the correct permissions. Consider whether your epigraph is having the effect you want it to have. 

But most of all, have fun with it and follow your heart. Epigraphs are often selected because they connect to the author in some way and because of this, they will connect to the reader. The most effective epigraphs are the ones that aren’t forced but feel like they belong to the writing. 

Good luck! 

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I see plenty of query letters over the course of a year, and (though they’re much more boring) a fair few synopses too. Lots of these are absolutely fine. A tweak here or there, and they’re good to go. But many of them – maybe half or more – make mistakes that you just don’t need to make. So let’s get them right. In particular: Let your synopsis be a synopsis Writers are, naturally, extremely averse to giving away all the good bits of their story. But that’s what a synopsis is. It’s not a blurb. It’s not a sales pitch. It’s just a neutral, unsexy summary of your story’s plot. Really, that summary should include the final denouement too. (“Ryan finds the explosive and removes the detonator, thereby saving the stadium.”) But if you really can’t bring yourself to do that, you can cheat a very little bit, and only right at the end. (“Ryan arrives at the stadium, where the dramatic final act takes place.”) Let your query letter define your query (1) Agents get lots of emails about lots of things. So make it clear why you’re writing. You don’t have to be clever here. Just use the following sentence with the appropriate bits altered: “I am writing to seek representation for my debut novel, Return of the Killer Kitten, a 180,000 word geopolitical thriller, set in Ukraine, Berlin and Stockholm.” Let your query letter define your query (2) Yes, you are a fabulously creative person with ideas pouring out of your lugholes. But shut up about it – for now. Right now, you are seeking to retain a salesperson (ie: a literary agent) to sell a product (your manuscript) to an investor (your publisher.) Focus on the task at hand. Talk about the product you want to sell now. Yes, you can introduce yourself a bit, but remember that your book is the main attraction here. So you should spend the majority of your (short) covering letter talking about your book. If, in addition to your geo-political thriller, you wish to write Young Adult fantasy and non-fiction about collapsed civilisations, then fine. But don’t talk about it now: you’ll simply reduce the pool of agents who want to take you on. Once you have an agent on board, you can explain more what you want to write about, and you can explore how broadly your interests match. But for now, just find the agent who wants to sell this book. That agent is almost certainly the right agent for you now. Shut up about yourself I reckon you have a maximum of a paragraph to talk about yourself and, if I were writing a query letter today, that paragraph would probably be a short one. You are not the main deal here; your manuscript is – so focus on that. That said, if you have an extensive and relevant past, by all means include a ‘Creative Resume’ or something similar as part of the package you send over. If I were seeking a new agent today, I’d need a list somewhere of my past books with a note of publishers, rights sales, TV options, and the like. That would be useful background for any agent, of course, but you want to keep it out of the query letter itself – because you want the query letter to keep its focus relentlessly on the manuscript that you’re seeking to sell. Don’t shut up about yourself Ah! You’re writing non-fiction? In that case, please ignore the ridiculous advice given just above. If the non-fiction book you’re selling depends heavily on your authority (your proven expertise) or your platform (your ability to reach readers via social media and so on), you need to talk about that at length. It’s all part of the package the agent will be looking to sell. Don’t shove the synopsis into the query Your query letter is a query letter. Your synopsis is a synopsis. Don’t ram the second into the first. Yes, of course your query letter needs to talk about the manuscript. But it needs to do two things, neither of which involves a full plot explanation. It needs to:

1. Explain just generally what kind of book yours is. Your first sentence has probably given some data (“a police procedural set in the Scottish Highlands”, for example), but you need to flesh that out a bit. So, to take that example, you might expand on the nature of the crime being investigated, who the investigator is, and so on. You’re just trying to give the agent a basic orientation so she has some understanding of what this book is.
2. Explain why this book is sexy. This is the elevator pitch part of your pitch. If the thrilling thing about your police procedural is that the bad guy is a ghost, here’s where you say it. You don’t have to be too clunky about that. (“My elevator pitch is: the bad guy is a ghost.”) You can rely on the agent to pick up on the hints you scatter. (“But as DC Finlay closes in, he starts to realise the perpetrator is not entirely of this world.”)

If you try to replace either of these elements with a bald plot summary, your letter will feel a lot less appetising than it could be. Think of it this way: your synopsis is meant to be a rather bald, functional document. If it’s fun to read, you’ve got it a bit wrong. Your query letter on the other hand is about seduction. You need a glitter of the unknown, the lure of temptation. If you don’t feel that tickle of excitement in your query letter, you need to redo it. *** All that sounds sensible, but there are also some areas where the answers are a little less clear. For example: How many agents to query? My normal rule of thumb is that you should approach 10-12 agents that you’ve selected with reasonable care. (Our own AgentMatch service is ideal, but whatever tool you use, make sure you are contacting agents with some basic interest in the kind of material you send.) After that, if you don’t get serious interest (ideally, an offer of representation, but at a minimum 2-3 full manuscript requests), then you don’t need to query more agents. You need to write a better book. Yes, there are examples of people who just knocked on more doors and got lucky. But they’re not the rule. Really, the overwhelming reason why manuscripts don’t get picked up by agents is: they’re not good enough. So, if the signs aren’t promising after your first round of submissions, go back to your manuscript and make it better. Sometimes the actual submissions process itself gives you clues about what to do. Other times it’s worth getting a paid assessment (like our spectacularly good ones). But either way, if agents aren’t taking your book, then fix it. That’s more important, by far, than simply knocking on more doors. Why this agent? Do I really need a marketing plan? And look: there’s a ton of advice there which recommends extra ways for you to add work into your life. It’s very common to see advice which says you need to tell each agent why you’ve picked them specifically. It’s getting more common to see advice which says you should include a draft marketing plan to prove that you’re up for the commercial struggle. But – really? In the end, you’re sending your book to a dozen agents. There might be two or three of those that you’ve picked for some strong reason. The rest are probably just there because they handle books in your genre and they don’t seem obviously mad. My advice: if you have a meaningful reason for picking a particular agent, then say so. Otherwise, just send your book. A plumber doesn’t expect you to flatter them when you get them to quote for a new bathroom installation. Why should an agent need that special flattery, when you’re just asking them to do their job? Don’t waste your time. Same thing, really, with a marketing plan. If you feel inspired to put one together, great. If not, don’t worry about it. I know quite a bit about marketing books, but I certainly wouldn’t put a marketing plan together when approaching agents. Marketing is a publisher’s job. It’s not mine, and not an agent’s. Again: don’t waste your time. *** That’s it from me. Sorry about the BORING PRACTICAL theme this week. Honestly: anyone would think these emails were actually trying to be useful. I do hereby solemnly vow to do something a bit more madcap next week. Or – probably vow. Truth is, I write about whatever happens to be in my head at the time. PS: Here's what's on the way for Premium Members next week (as always, Premium Membership is a click away, right here): Live Event | Building a Writer's Reputation Panel - Thursday 24 November, 19:00 GMT | 14:00 EDT Townhouse | The Writing Room - Tuesdays 16:00 GMT | Thursdays 18:00 GMT Set aside an hour (or two) to write in The Writing Room. This week will have a special focus on setting. Townhouse | Harry's Office Hours - Thursday 12:00 - 14:00 GMT Based on the exercises in Tuesday's Writing Room, I'll be asking you to describe a setting with the five sense and feeding back. Townhouse | Polly's Office Hours - every Friday 13:00-16:00 GMT Next Friday, Polly will also be giving feedback whether your settings come to life.

When I think of falling action, I think of all of the scenes in Gladiator that come after Maximus Decimus finally has his revenge on the new emperor (warning Gladiator spoilers ahead!) 

Maximus stabbing the emperor is the undoubtable climax- his long sought revenged is finally reached. Many important things happen after this; we still see his inevitable demise and a number of important scenes follow; yet these scenes are no longer part of the story's climax.

The scenes that follow, despite being dramatic in their own right, are slower and more satisfying, they lead us to the conclusion of the story. The main climactic moment has already occurred, which means that all of those scenes that follow are part of the falling action.  

A story's falling action is the action that occurs immediately after the big climax has taken place and the action shifts towards resolution instead of escalation. The action is now no longer rising, instead it is now falling and taking us (the viewer/reader) onwards to the end of the journey. In short, it is everything that comes after the important questions have been answered.  

In this guide you will learn how to better identify falling action and how to write it. Once you read this article you will be able to define falling action, understand the role it plays in story structure, and know the difference between falling action and rising action.

Let’s dive in!  

What Is Falling Action? 

Falling action in a story is, simply put, the action that comes immediately after the important climax has taken place. Note that some films or books might seem to have multiple climaxes (like in the Lord of the Rings finale where they seem to come one after the other.) However, there is usually one important main climax, which the rising action has been leading towards.

Keep in mind, though, that exciting things can still happen after the climax (like the volcano erupting in Lord of The Rings) and those scenes are still part of the falling action. All falling action leads to the story's resolution and the tying up of loose ends of the plot.  

How Does Falling Action Fit In With Freytag’s Pyramid?  

It’s hard to talk about falling action without talking about German author Gustav Freytag, who, through the illustration of his (Freytag’s) pyramid, argued that all stories can be reduced to one basic plot structure which consists of five stages: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and dénouement.  

Let’s break these down.  

1. Exposition

The story starts with exposition, which breaks down the information the reader will need in order to understand the story best.

Who is this story about? Who is the main character? Who is the antagonist? What is their world like? What are their key relationships? What are the stakes? What is the time period? What are all the relevant details?

Once this is all established and the reader is invested, the inciting incident typically occurs in the story, which then moves things on to the rising action. 

2. Rising Action

When the rising action hits, the plot usually quickens and starts to (as the name suggests) rise towards the climax. The tension in rising action will typically grow from scene to scene as plot developments lead us through the story and upwards to the grand climax. No matter how complex or unique a story is, it's likely to have rising action.  

3. Climax

The climax is arguably the most important part of the story, though each part of Freytag’s pyramid is significant in its own way. A climax will tackle the story's central conflict, answer its main question, and will serve as the main turning point for the story.

Typically, it’s when the hero reaches their destination, or when they finally confront the villain. As the pyramid/plot diagram suggests it is the peak of the story - the action will no longer rise, and the stakes will not get higher from here. Once the story reaches the climax, the action will head towards resolution in the form of falling action.  

4. Falling Action

As discussed throughout the article, falling action refers to all the scenes/plot points that come after the climax and lead to a resolution and the final “after” snapshot.  (Refer back to the first heading for a more detailed falling action definition.)

Few stories skip falling action completely, but if you're writing a series of books, especially if they're in a genre which is rife with major conflict and plot twists, you may decide to leave some loose ends. In this case, it might be that your protagonist gets closer to solving the obstacles presented by the story's main conflict, which gives readers some satisfaction, but a few unanswered questions remain. This means your readers will have some closure, but will also be eager to read the next instalment of your series.

5. Dénouement

Dénouement is often confused with falling action and to be honest it’s easy to confuse the two. Dénouement is the very last bit of the story which shows the final resolution. It’s not so much the unthreading of plot lines that the falling action is but rather dénouement is the final say on how everything has been resolved. In Lord Of The Rings, it would be showing Frodo happily back in the Shire. Dénouement can also involve a tragic resolution too where things don't work out as well as your protagonist had hoped.

Dénouement hints at what’s to come, and show us how everything has changed for the main character and secondary characters and it leads us to the story's end.

The Difference Between Falling Action And Rising Action 

The key difference between rising and falling action is that rising action follows an upward trajectory where it escalates in intensity in order to reach the climax. Falling action should, like its namesake, follow a downward trajectory and aim to give the viewer/reader relief from the climax.  

Let's explore the importance of falling action.

Why Is Falling Action Important?  

Falling action is important because if you ended a story on a climax there would be no emotional relief for the reader/viewer. The story, whether sad or happy, would have no satisfying end or closure. You’ve spent all this time getting your reader excited and invested; you cannot then just leave them at the peak.  

The main reasons to include falling action in literature are as follows:  

• Ties up loose ends, especially in relation to the main conflict
• Falling action serves the reader's curiosity, giving them satisfaction and closure 
• It provides extra time for a closing statement of themes and the core message  
• Wraps up side-storylines, or the stories of multiple characters  
• It gives the story time to wind down so you can head towards your closing image with purpose and intent 

Examples Of Falling Action  

Falling action can take many forms (in terms of style, format, genre etc). Here are five falling action examples from literature and film:  

The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins

In The Hunger Games, the falling action is everything that comes after Katniss wins the games. The main plot has been addressed and the action moves towards the resolution. Dénouement would be the scene that shows her life long after the Hunger Games have ended. 

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone By J K Rowling

In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the falling action happens once Harry faces Voldemort. The time after that spent in the infirmary, and the house cup and all that follows is falling action. 

Titanic

In the film Titanic, the climax would be the Titanic sinking and Jack and Rose being stranded. Once Jack passes and Rose decides to use her last morsel of energy to get the whistle, the falling action begins. Dénouement would be the very final scene when the old lady drops the necklace into the ocean.  

A Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens

In A Christmas Carol, the falling action occurs after Scrooge wakes up and realises that he is still alive, and it is still Christmas, and that there's still time to change his trajectory. Everything that comes after this with him fixing all his wrongs is part of the falling action.  

Matilda By Roald Dahl

In Matilda, the climax occurs when Miss Trunchbull is vanquished. Matilda skipping grades and Miss Honey’s life returning to normal is the falling action. Miss Honey becoming Matilda’s new guardian once her family has left for Spain could be considered dénouement, as it shows us Matilda’s new normal, and what her life is likely to look for the foreseeable future. 

How To Write Falling Action  

The three steps to writing falling action are as follows: 

1.  Identify all of the loose ends you would like to wrap up, arrange them in order of importance and in a descending pattern, (i.e. the action should be calmer and not rising.)  
2. Consider the pace of the overall story in order to decide how your falling action should fit and how much room it will occupy on the page. Tip: make a checklist of the storylines /plot points/ jokes you would like to see wrapped up and tidied, and then check things off once you have included them in the falling action.  
3. Loosely plan out your story structure so that you know roughly what the falling actionwill entail.  

Once you know which beats you want your falling action to hit and in which order, and once you are clear on which plot points should be concluded, then you can draft the falling action just as you would any other section of your book or screenplay.  

Frequently Asked Questions  

Let’s address some of the most asked questions when it comes to falling action. 

What Is A Falling Action?  

Falling action is everything that takes place immediately after the climax. The purpose of falling action is to bring the story from climax to a resolution. It is one of the key elements in any story which will usually include an exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and denouement.  

How Do You Identify A Falling Action?  

In order to identify falling action try asking yourself the main plot point of the story, then identify when that plotline is resolved (i.e. when the hero finally confronts the villain), once you are able to identify the climax you can identify the falling action. Remember the falling action will usually revolve around resolution and de-escalation of the previous action, and will follow a downward spiral.   

What Is The Difference Between Dénouement And Falling Action?  

Dénouement is the final part of a story which usually shows you a glimpse into the main character's new normal. Like in the case of Matilda, dénouement often gives the viewer a snapshot of what’s in store for the MC in the future (Matilda will now happily live with Miss Honey).  Dénouement is usually much shorter than the falling action. It’s often a commentary on the future of the world in the book as well, similar to an epilogue, a dénouement will explain where the world you've created, and your story's characters, will go from here. 

Falling Action

It’s very important for writers to focus on their falling action and to really flesh it out in the perfect way for their narrative. It isn’t something to be overlooked or skipped. When keeping in mind falling action, you can refer to Freytag’s pyramid and try to visualise the way you first expose your story and the important details.

Then imagine the line going upwards with your rising action and try to pair that with emotions- first the reader is intrigued with your exposition and details of the story, then they should be excited and nervous with your rising action, the climax should hit hard and heavy and be the peak of the storyline, then the reader should feel a sort of detangling of threads with the falling action. Falling action should bring with it a sense of closure and relief.  

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Good morning, everyone!

Today’s feature includes a fantastic interview with Katherine Odom-Tomchin!

Katherine is a literary agent and Audio Rights Director at Folio Literary Management in New York, which she joined following her time at Heritage Publishing, Florida. She represents both fiction and nonfiction for an adult market, with her favourite genres including horror, sci-fi and thriller on the fiction side, as well as memoir and narrative nonfiction.

Some of the authors Katherine represents include Carissa Orlando (The September House, coming Autumn 2023) and Josh Flagg (The Deal, published September 2022).

Katherine has recently been active on Twitter where she participated in the #PitDark pitch festival. She also does Agent One-to-One sessions with Jericho Writers, so don’t miss out on a chance to get her feedback on your work by booking your session here.

Check out some highlights from our interview with Katherine below.

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“Thank you for querying and putting yourself out there, from a literary agent who hates sending rejections.”

Hi Katherine, thanks for speaking with me today!

Q. What’s at the top of your fiction wish-list?

Always at the top of my list is horror, science fiction, and thrillers. I connect most with dark literature that makes you re-evaluate – your life, your priorities, your privilege, the world around you, and everything in between. It’s so easy to get lost in the day-to-day: get up, walk the dog, go to work, cook dinner, wash the dishes, rinse, and repeat. A book that can refocus me away from these everyday distractions to explore the deeper undertones of what’s happening around us is a book that I will find satisfying, important, and worth sharing.

Q. What’s at the top of your non-fiction wish-list?

I’m a huge nerd for voice, whether it be in fiction or non-fiction. Memoirs and narrative non-fiction with a distinct voice and something valuable to say, usually with a creative twist, take the cake for me. I will say that I typically only represent platform-driven memoirs, but I love a good essay collection that has direction and purpose. I’m also drawn to true crime, psychology, and self-help.

Q. Is there any genre you’d rather not receive?

I don’t currently represent children’s fiction: picture books, middle grade, or YA. I also tend to stay away from historical fiction, poetry, short story collections, very upmarket literature, and romance, with the exception of LGBTQIA+ romance. I love a good queer love story.

Q: What is a day in the life of an agent like for you?

Every day is different as an agent! That’s part of what I love about this job. I also imagine my day-to-day is very different from the next agent’s, as I split my time between building my print list and managing audio rights as Folio’s Audio Rights director. I subagent audio rights on behalf of BenBella Books, an independent print publisher of non-fiction based in Texas, as part of my duties there. But, on any given week, you’ll find me crafting submission letters, sending out submissions, running auctions, negotiating contracts, and managing my query inbox, most likely with my dog, Bossy, curled under my desk or my black cat, June, pawing at my keyboard.

Q. What do you want to see in a query letter? And what do you hate?

My biggest recommendation – skip the form submission! The best queries are those that are full of passion and targeted at specific agents. I always recommend starting with a paragraph that is tailored to the agent that you are querying. Never begin with the description or your pages. Maybe you found me on Publishers Marketplace and your book is similar to what I’ve described I’m most interested in. Maybe you can’t wait to read one of the recent deals I’ve done. Or maybe we’re kindred spirits that knew each other in another lifetime. Whatever it is that brought you to my inbox, it’s always better to put personal touches on a query letter than send out a mass email to 50 agents all at once.

Q. What are you looking for in the opening pages of a novel? What really excites you?

A jarring first sentence always gets me excited. A wonderful writer once taught me that the first sentence in a story must be unexpected, either in the way that it’s written or the idea it proposes. “The woman sat in the bathtub” becomes “The woman sat in the bathtub sitting at the edge of the world,” or something much more eloquent than I could possibly write. Immediately, you wonder who this woman is, why she’s sitting in the bathtub, and how it came to be that a bathtub sits at the edge of the world, whatever that means. There’s motivation to read on.

I’ll also say that the opening pages should be the strongest and most honed, since those are the pages that you’ll be submitting to agents initially. Of course, the goal is to have the most polished, proof-read full manuscript ready to submit to agents, but crafting a first chapter that is captivating in both voice and writing style is key to getting your foot in the door.

Q. What’s your favourite thing about being an agent?

Finding that book that makes me miss my train stop. That book for me was Carissa Orlando’s The September House (out from Berkley next year). I laughed, cried, and re-evaluated everything in all the right places reading that book for the first time. I’ll always remember the train ride I took when I came across her query in my inbox – I blew right past the 42^nd Street stop and didn’t glance up until I was halfway to Inwood. Moments like those are anything but a dime a dozen, but when they do happen, they’re magic.

Q. What are some of your favourite authors and books?

I’m a classic horror buff. It by Stephen King is definitely at the top of the list. Really anything by Stephen King, especially his older works – The Shining; Misery; Full Dark, No Stars; Cell; and Desperation – are books that made a big impression. I’m also a huge fan of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer, Severance by Ling Ma, and, on the nonfiction side, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara.

More recent books that I loved reading were Look What You Made Me Do by Elaine Murphy, The Guest List by Lucy Foley, The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires and The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix, and The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky.

Q. Any final words of advice for authors in the querying process?

Rejection isn’t the end all, be all. What works for one agent won’t work for another. We’re all shot down and put through the ringer – agents know this like authors do. Sometimes we are completely and totally head-over-heels for a book… and then it doesn’t sell. If you’ve queried before and you’ve received rejection after rejection, revisit the manuscript. Maybe you’ve received feedback from agents that warrant revising your pages accordingly. And if you haven’t, read as much as you can. See what’s working in the genre that you’re writing in and experiment. Your story deserves to be told and no one can tell it but you. Thank you for querying and putting yourself out there, from a literary agent who hates sending rejections.

The full interview can be found on Katherine’s AgentMatch profile.

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In the meantime, if you’re struggling with your query letter and synopsis, do check out our free resources on our website. We have lots of info to help you on your way. Or, better still, if you’re a member with us, our lovely Writers Support team will be happy to offer you a free query letter review!

I’ve mentioned in the past that I’m a Man of Steel – I have a blood condition which means I accumulate iron. Fridge magnets stick to me. I clank when I walk. In rain, I rust. The solution to this is regular blood donations: they just take my iron-rich blood and either discard it or offer it to someone else. And yesterday, I was in the hospital – again – for one of these draws. Usually, the process has been fast, efficient and largely painless. The needle they use is a real whopper, but I’ve got big bulgy veins and I’m not squeamish about needles, and it’s all been fine. Yesterday, however, I got a rather nervous trainee nurse, who made a real mess of things. She scratched around painfully inside my arm and constantly fiddled with the needle, while, all the time, blood was dripping off my arm, because she’d made a mess of the original insertion. It wasn’t a lot of fun – and then once I’d filled my pint-bag of blood, the trainee realised she’d forgotten to take any blood samples, so we had to go again in my other, less battered arm. She kept saying, “Sorry, sorry, sorry”, which didn’t really help my declining faith in her competence. Also: for some reason, I don’t know why, my body absolutely hates having blood taken from it, and I always feel wiped out afterwards. After yesterday’s shenanigans, I feel extra flat. For that reason, this email has collapsed into a pile of fragments: it’s like a flat-pack email for you to assemble at your leisure. I haven’t counted bolts and screws, though, so I’m not even sure the whole thing will hold together. I’ve listed the part numbers, but they may be in the wrong order. Oh yes, and some parts are heavy, so please lift carefully, using your legs not your back. Oh yes, and the theme is Nanowrimo. So, um, you’re building a Nanowrimo kit. Or something like that.   Part 1: Nanowrimo Stands for National Novel Writing Month. Except that the thing is international, isn’t it, so it should probably be World Novel Writing Month, or Wornowrimo.   Part 2: November The first frosts. Late-fallen apples. A last-blooming rose. And – yes, a freshly-baked novel. One smelling of roasted chestnuts and spiced pumpkin. Nanowrimo takes place in November, so this email may only be a pile of pieces but it is at least perfectly timed, no?   Part 3a: Brave New World A Wiki-style blog about the origin of the 50,000 word target reports that, “The 50,000-word goal came to be when NaNoWriMo founder Chris Baty chose the shortest novel on his shelf (rumored to be Brave New World), did a rough word count estimate, and came up with 50,000 words.”   Part 3b: Brave New World again Brave New World is actually 64,575 words long, so the 50K word count is much less than the shortest novel on Chris Baty’s shelves.   Part 3c: Because you have to mention The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby is about 48,000 words. It is essential to record this fact in absolutely any discussion of Nanowrimo word counts.   Part 3d: The real world In the real world of trad publishing, 50,000 words is way too short for any novel at all, except for really exceptional literary novels and, even then, ones mostly produced by literary writers who have already secured acclaim and, with it, the right to break the rules. It’s true that those rules don’t quite apply to self-publishing and, for example, the romance market may see some quite short novels. But for the most part, commercial novels start at about 70 or 75,000 words and go up from there. I think all my novels are over 100,000 words and often well over. The reason why word counts hover at this sort of level is that it turns out that’s what readers find satisfying.   Part 17: Housekeeping Please don’t forget that, every Thursday, I’m going to be buzzing around Townhouse looking at your work. I’ll be focusing especially on the work of Premium Members, but I hope we get a good peer-to-peer vibe going no matter what. I’ll be mostly busy from 12.00 to 2.00 GMT, but if you are in Singapore, or California, or just too busy battling brigands in the Atlas Mountains, then upload your work for comment beforehand and check in again afterhand. Yes: I know afterhand is not a word, but it ought to be. Yes: I know that Part 17 should not logically follow Part 3d, but have I at any point promised you logic? I have not.   Part 4: Raoul Silva There’s a Bond movie, where the bad guy, Raoul Silva, says, “Do you see what comes of all this running around, Mr. Bond? All this jumping and fighting, it's exhausting! Relax. You need to relax.” So that’s one school of thought about Nanowrimo, the Raoul Silva school, which says simply: forget it. Why work hard to produce a novel that’s definitely too short? And, since you’re producing it under pressure, that first draft isn’t likely to be much good anyway. And relaxation is nice, no?   Part 5: James Bond / running around Pretty obviously, James Bond doesn’t relax and does do lots more running around. Pretty obviously, Nanowrimo people do the (writing equivalent of the) same thing. Oh yes, and James Bond always wins in the end, except in the most recent film, obvs, except even there he sort of wins, he just gets exploded. This last fact may not be relevant.   Part 6: Habits Yes, but. Habits.   Part 7: Replacement part Some users have pointed out that Part 6 is not in fact usable. The little metal stick thing that’s meant to screw into the hole doesn’t in fact fit. And there isn’t even a hole. Users are therefore advised to replace the current part 6 with the following replacement part: The thing about good habits is that you want to reinforce them. The thing about bad habits is that you want to shatter them – and keep them shattered. Nanowrimo can do both things. The sheer pace demanded of you requires you to destroy the bad, retain the good. Do you procrastinate for forty minutes before you start to write seriously? Do you have a social media app open and active while you are theoretically concentrating? Nanowrimo’s beautiful brutishness can cure you of those habits. There’s something about writing a lot of text fast that gives you a kind of proof of concept. This hard thing is doable. This mountain can be climbed.   Part 8: Craft I talk a lot about craft – writing technique. I have a feeling that this part belongs somewhere in this email. I’m not sure where, and I can’t find any instructions.   Part 9: The first draft The 50,000 words you write as part of Nanowrimo? They are not likely to be good.   Part 10: WELL, THEY’RE NOT THE POLICE, ARE THEY? No. The Nanowrimo non-profit organisation is definitely not a police force. And if they were, they’d be the sort that let’s would allow you to swap hats with a police officer and take selfies. They wouldn’t be the sort to beat you to a pulp, then charge you with resisting arrest. I think the purpose of this part is simply to say that if you want to switch the rules around for yourself, you can. I suggest you keep that 50,000 word count target, because that’s kind of the point of the whole thing, but I also suggest you don’t think of that 50,000 words as a novel, because it won’t be that.   Part 11: Planning Ah, yes. This part should probably have been bolted down first, but I’ve only just found it. Really: your Nanowrimo experience is going to go better if you have some kind of rough plan for what you’re going to be writing. If you just plunge in – well, you might end up with a book that’s as poorly planned as this email.   Part 12: Editing Every first draft is good because all it has to do is exist, right? Writing = delivering stone to the site Editing = putting them in the right place   Part 13: Bonus part, not needed for final assembly I knew a writer who was given a ridiculously short deadline by her publisher. I urged her to produce 100,000 words, delivered in alphabetical order, starting with 652 repetitions of the word “a”. I said she should say to them that here were the words they wanted; she just didn’t have time to put them in the right order. She did not take my advice.   Part 14: A cup of coffee with a friend I’ve just had a cup of coffee with a friend. The friend did an MA in creative writing (that would be an MFA in American.) In the course of the MA, her longest extended piece of writing was 17,000 words and what’s the point of that? In a way, the thuggishness of nanowrimo is its best thing. Just do it. Change the scale of what you think you’re capable of.   Part 15: having kids vs nanowrimo I have never done Nanowrimo and I never will. I edit as I write, and I’m a fidgety, perfectionist editor, so I never accumulate a lot of text fast. That’s just not my thing. But – I did have four kids in less than two years and if you want to shift expectations fast, that’s not a bad way to do it. Uninterrupted thinking time? No. A just get on with it approach? Yes. Advantages of Nanowrimo: less costly, less smelly, less crying, fewer night feeds. Advantages of having kids: um …   Part 16: the bit where I say bye bye Bye bye

Do you love murder mysteries? Do you want to write your own but don't know where to start? 

Well, you've come to the right place! 

In this article, you will learn how to write compelling murder mystery stories that move the plot forward and keep your readers guessing until the end. We'll discuss structure, key moments, character development, and setting. 

Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, read on for all the tips and tricks you need to create an edge-of-your-seat murder mystery! 

What Is A Murder Mystery? 

A murder mystery is a fast-paced story in which a killing is committed, and the characters must solve the mystery by uncovering clues and identifying the culprit.

The murder mystery genre includes elements of suspense and detective work, making it a popular choice for readers who enjoy puzzles and trying to piece together all the clues. 

While the plot of a murder mystery can be complex, the basic premise is reasonably simple: someone has been killed, and it is up to the main characters to find out who did it. 

How Are Murder Mysteries Different from General Mystery Stories? 

There are many types of mystery stories, from classic whodunits to modern thrillers. But what sets murder mysteries apart from other types of mystery stories? 

For one thing, murder mysteries usually involve much higher stakes. After all, the victim in a murder mystery is already dead, so there's very little chance of a happy resolution. 

In addition, they tend to be darker and more violent than other mystery genres. They often explore the dark side of human nature and the motivations behind why someone would kill another person. 

Finally, good murder mysteries typically have a larger cast of characters than other types of mystery stories. This is because each character usually has something to hide, and the murderer is often someone who was least expected. 

These elements combine to create a unique and addictive genre that will keep readers guessing and turning pages! 

Next, let's look at the critical aspects of a murder mystery novel. 

The Key Elements Of A Murder Mystery 

1. Start With A Strong Hook To Capture Your Reader's Attention 

In any good murder mystery, the crime that sets the story in motion needs to be compelling enough to hook the reader from the very first page. After all, once somebody has been murdered, it's up to the private detective (and the reader) to put together the pieces of who did it and why. 

A strong hook will keep readers engaged as they try to solve the puzzle along with the detective.

To be effective, a hook should be mysterious and intriguing, making the reader want to find out more. It should also introduce the key players in the story so that readers have a sense of who they're rooting for (or against!). 

2. The Protagonist Should Be Someone The Reader Can Sympathise With And Root For 

In any good murder mystery, the protagonist should be someone with whom the reader can empathise. After all, it's hard to get invested in a story if you don't care about the main character! 

A sympathetic protagonist gives the reader someone to identify with as they try to solve the mystery. They also provide a human element to the story, making it more relatable and realistic.

Of course, this doesn't mean that the protagonist has to be perfect. In fact, many of the best murder mysteries feature protagonists with flaws and secrets of their own! 

3. Create Believable, Complex Characters For The Supporting Cast 

The murder victim is only the beginning. Creating a web of complex and believable characters for the rest of the supporting cast is essential to keep readers engaged. Each character should have unique motivations, secrets, and skills that come into play as the story unfolds. 

Furthermore, the relationships between these characters should be rich and multi-layered, providing clues and red herrings for the reader to follow. 

4. Include A Plot Twist That The Reader Won't See Coming 

A murder mystery is only as good as its plot twist. The best plot twists are entirely unexpected but still make perfect sense retrospectively. 

An excellent way to achieve this is to plant false clues throughout the story that point the reader in the wrong direction. This will make the true killer's identity all the more surprising when it is finally revealed. 

5. There Should Be Plenty Of Red Herrings To Keep The Reader Guessing Until The Very End 

A murder mystery is not a true mystery if the reader can figure out who did it long before the end of the book. 

A key element in writing a successful murder mystery is to include a red herring - a false clue that points the reader in the wrong direction.

These can take many forms, from physical evidence that appears to incriminate a character but is later revealed to be planted, to eyewitnesses who give conflicting testimony. 

6. The Ending Should Be Satisfying 

A vital element of murder mystery books is that the ending should be satisfying, with all loose ends tied up neatly. Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule, but generally, a well-written mystery should provide closure for its readers. 

You can achieve this by providing a credible explanation for all of the clues that have been left throughout the story. This not only allows readers to see how everything fits together but also leaves them feeling satisfied that they were able to solve the mystery themselves. 

Another way to create a satisfying ending is by ensuring that all of the characters get what they deserve. This means that justice is served and that everyone who played a role in the story gets their comeuppance. 

Different Forms Of Murder Mysteries 

Murder mystery stories are a popular genre that can be written as novels, short stories, screenplays, stage plays, or even television shows.

While each type of story has distinct benefits, they all share one common goal: to keep the audience guessing about whodunnit!

Let's take a closer look at the different murder mystery forms. 

Murder Mystery Novels 

The novel form of a murder mystery allows for more significant character development and a more complex plot than a short story or a screenplay, allowing the reader to delve into all the nuances of each character and their motives. 

Murder Mystery Short Stories 

A short story is a more concise, focused way of telling a story, with fewer characters and fewer distractions from the central mystery, while centred on the inner workings of a specific character's mind. 

Murder Mystery Screenplays 

A screenplay can be an excellent format for a murder mystery, allowing the author to control the pacing and tension of the story. Typically, a script for a film is best suited to fast-paced action and suspense, with an emphasis on characters and visuals. So, a murder mystery script exemplifies the strengths of the subgenre and the screenplay format simultaneously.

Murder Mystery Stage Plays 

A stage play is primarily dialogue-driven, which is an excellent format for a story based on a central character interviewing others to determine the culprit. 

Murder Mystery TV Shows 

Serialised television has always been popular for telling murder mysteries, with shows such as CSI and Law & Order, as it allows for complex plotlines and character development in a short time frame.  

Murder Mystery Examples 

Knives Out By Rian Johnson (Movie) 

This offbeat film, nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, follows the investigation into the death of a renowned crime novelist and every shocking twist and intriguing turn keeps you guessing until the end. 

And Then There Were None By Agatha Christie (Novel, Movie, Stage Play) 

One of the most famous murder mystery novels ever written, this story follows a group of strangers who are invited to an isolated island off the coast of England. Once there, after they are accused of various crimes and murders, they are picked off one by one by an unknown killer. As the body count mounts, the survivors realise that there is no way off the island and that they must find the killer before it's too late. 

Columbo (TV Show) 

If you're a fan of detective shows, you've probably seen at least one episode of Columbo. The iconic series starred Peter Falk as a wily police detective who was always one step ahead of the killer. Unlike standard whodunnits, each episode began with the audience knowing who the murderer was, but seeing Columbo piece the clues together was always a delight. 

Gone Girl By Gillian Flynn (Novel, Movie) 

One of the most popular murder mystery novels in recent years, Gone Girl tells the story of Nick and Amy Dunne, a married couple whose relationship is on the rocks. When Amy goes missing, Nick becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance. As the police investigation unfolds, dark secrets about their marriage are revealed, and it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems. 

Hound Of The Baskervilles By Arthur Conan Doyle (Novel, Movie) 

This classic story revolves around the investigation of a series of murders committed on the desolate moors of Devonshire. Sherlock Holmes is hired to solve the case, and he quickly realises that the culprit is a large, ferocious hound that has been terrorising the local villagers at the bidding of its secretive master. In the end, Holmes is able to put an end to the murders and uncover the culprit. 

Mystery At Rogues' Roost By Ellery Queen (Short Story) 

Rogues' Roost is a remote and isolated inn, the perfect setting for a murder mystery. When Ellery Queen arrives, he finds that the innkeeper has been killed and the other guests are all suspects. As Ellery begins to investigate, he quickly realises that each of the guests has something to hide. The question is, who is the murderer? Ellery soon discovers that the answer lies in a hidden room at Rogues' Roost, a room that holds the key to a decades-old mystery. 

How To Write A Murder Mystery 

Step 1: Determine Your Setting & Main Character 

The first step is to determine when, where, and who. Will your story take place in a small town or a big city? On a beach or in the mountains? Is it a period piece or contemporary? 

Once you've decided on the location, it's time to introduce your main character. Is she a famous detective or an amateur sleuth? A hard-boiled private investigator or an inquisitive novice? By understanding your protagonist's motivations and backstory, you'll be better equipped to write a compelling mystery. 

Step 2: Who Is The Victim? What Is The Murder Or Crime Committed? 

Is your victim innocent or guilty of misdeeds? Are they a good person or are they thoroughly nasty? How you paint the victim will reflect in how they're viewed by others, including your readers. 

Once you've chosen your victim, it's time to get into the nitty-gritty of the crime itself. Where did it take place? When? How was the body found? These are all essential details that will help to set the scene. You should also consider what kind of weapon was used and whether any evidence was left at the crime scene. 

Step 3: Create A List Of Potential Suspects, Along With Their Motives, Opportunities, And Alibis 

The best murder mystery stories always have a large cast of potential suspects. After all, part of the fun is trying to figure out who did it! So, once you've decided on your victim and your crime, it's time to start brainstorming a list of possible killers. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you create your list of suspects: 

• Each suspect should have a motive for killing the victim. What would they stand to gain by the victim's death? 
• Each suspect should have an opportunity to commit the crime. Where were they when the crime took place? Do they have access to the murder weapon? 
• Each suspect should have some kind of connection to the victim. How do they know each other? What is their relationship like? 
• Each suspect should have a seemingly valid alibi for where they were when the crime was committed. Think of each character's backstory and what they might have been doing at the time. 

Always make sure to think about what clues and red herrings you want to include in your story when you are thinking about your suspects! 

Step 4: Create A Unique Twist On The Actual Murder 

This is where you take the basic concept of the murder and make it your own. It's essential to come up with something that will surprise your readers and keep them guessing until the big reveal. 

One way to do this is to change the motives for the murder. Maybe the victim was killed for insurance money, or maybe there was a love triangle gone wrong. 

You can also change the way the murder is carried out. Instead of a bullet to the head, maybe the victim is poisoned or drowned. 

Whatever you choose, make sure to include a feeling of improbability or impossibility to the crime. This increases the mystery and engagement! 

Step 5: Create A Timeline Of Events 

The last step to writing a murder mystery is to create a timeline of events. This may seem daunting, but it's not as difficult as it sounds. Here are a few tips: 

Start by brainstorming a list of all the events that take place in your story, no matter how big or small. Little details matter! Once you have your list, arrange the events in chronological order. If you're unsure about the order, that's okay - you can always go back and adjust as needed. 

Next, flesh out each event with more details. What happened? Who was involved? Where did it take place? When did it happen? Why did it happen? Answering these questions will help you create a more detailed and believable timeline. 

Finally, don't forget to include clues and red herrings to help keep your story suspenseful and unpredictable! 

Tips For Writing A Murder Mystery 

1. Plan out your ending before you write your story. 
2. Ensure that everyone in the story is a potential suspect (the main character included!). 
3. Set your murder mystery story in an exciting or unique location that adds detail to your narrative. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

How Do You Outline A Murder Mystery? 

When outlining a murder mystery, it is essential to start with the basics: who was killed, where did the murder take place, and who are the possible suspects? Once you have these crucial elements in place, you can begin to flesh out the story. For example, what was the victim's relationship with the suspects? What was the motive for the murder? What evidence is there that points to a specific suspect? 

How Many Suspects Should You Have In A Mystery Novel? 

In a mystery novel, the number of suspects is important. Too few suspects, and the reader may feel that the answer is obvious. Too many suspects, on the other hand, can make the ending feel contrived. The key is to find the right balance. Ultimately, the story's plot will determine the number of suspects. However, as a general rule, having at least three suspects is advisable. This will give the reader enough options to consider without making the mystery too convoluted. 

Murder Mystery Writing

If you're excited to try your hand at writing murder mystery stories, start with a great hook that will capture your reader's attention. Once you have them hooked, include plenty of plot twists and red herrings to keep them guessing until the very end. And don't forget to create relatable characters that your readers will love (or love to hate!). 

With these tips in mind, you're ready to write murder mysteries that will keep your readers glued to the page. Ready, set, solve! 

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Last week’s ‘flat-pack’ email was, on the face of it, a right old mess. Most of my emails (including this one) take the form of short articles, the kind you might read in a newspaper. They start with a thought, develop it, and end up with some kind of conclusion. Nearly always, I try to make sure that the emails are going to be useful. And last week? Well, the whole thing was a jumble. There was no visible sequence. Yes, there was some actual advice in there (Roughly: “50,000 words doesn’t make a novel” and “think of Nanowrimo as a way to establish strong writing habits.”) But there was also a lot of apparent nonsense – an anecdote about a friend tempted to give her publisher the 100,000 words they’d requested, but ‘haven’t had time to get them in the right order.’ A couple of bits of housekeeping. Some misdirection nonsense about flat-pack parts missing the right sort of bolt. And so on. Now the crisp logic of Normal Life says that such an email ought to be a failure. Why would people want to pick through a mess when they could have a nice straightforward A to Z type read like everything else in the world? On the other hand: we’re creatives, right? If we adhered closely to the crisp logic of Normal Life, we wouldn’t be writing books or reading these emails in the first place. There’s something about the subversive which appeals to us. Last week’s email generated more than one reply suggesting that I write a whole novel in a kind of flat-pack form. (My reply? Yep, honestly, I’d love to.) But flat-pack novels? There aren’t so many of those, are there? I think I’ve read only two genuinely flat-pack novels – The Unfortunates by BS Johnson, and Dictionary of the Khazars by Milorad Pavic. The first of those is literally a book in a box. There are 27 chapters in total, each one separately bound. One of the chapters is marked as being the first, another one is marked as the last. Apart from those two, you can read the chapters in any order you fancy. The thing is a meditation on friendship, loss, football and (I guess) the randomly associative nature of the human brain. The second book is presented dictionary-style with three mini-encyclopaedias (one Jewish, one Christian, one Islamic) presenting information on a people called the Khazars over various different time periods. Neither book has a plot. I personally didn’t finish either book, nor was I especially engaged by either. I don’t think the BS Johnson book ever sold much. The Khazars book was certainly fashionable but I seriously doubt that most people actually read it. Oh yes: and if your covering letter to a literary agent tells them that your work is experimental, it has already moved 85% of the way to the dustbin. First bit of actionable advice for this email: please don’t tell an agent that your novel is experimental, even if it is. Maybe experiments are only for emails to creatives. Maybe for everything else we just need to stick to existing templates. And look – second piece of actionable advice – mostly the answer to that is just a YES. Stick to the formula. The formula for writing a good book already offers tons of flexibility. It’s not like writing a good book is easy. The recipe is not exactly easy to follow. Especially if you’re not yet published, I’d urge you to get a regular novel right and published, before you start to mess around with the template. But … If you do want to rough fiction up, then please do. Examples:

• Twilight. Teen girl meets handsome boy? Yawn. Teen girl meets handsome vampire? An utterly different proposition. A tedious me-too book has just become something you want to read. (Or did, before vampires were everywhere.)
• Fingersmith. The genteel world of Victorian-era historical fiction is ripped apart by this brilliant book with its central lesbian love story and its mad, convoluted crime plot. Utterly modern in some ways, the book also seemed more true to Victorian England than most actually Victorian books.
• The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. An Agatha Christie country-house style murder? Boring. Or rather: if you wanted that, why wouldn’t you read Agatha Christie and her contemporaries? But if you take the exact same concept and have one person trotting through seven different incarnations on the exact same day, you have a real beauty of a crime puzzle: like a Sudoku puzzle played in three dimensions
• Maynard and Jennica. A brilliant novel – a debut and also (it looks like) Delson’s last novel. The book tells a boy-meets-girl story (yawn) but does so via dozens and dozens of different voices. Friends and relations and casual acquaintances of the pair offer their insights on different bits of the narrative as it progresses. It’s a technically virtuoso performance; I’ve still never read anything quite like it

These books didn’t play by the rules. Whatever people thought Victorian historical fiction was all about, Fingersmith did something different. As a matter of fact, the natural market for Fingersmith was quite likely not with people who mostly liked historical fiction. If you generally like corsets and “Good heavens, Mrs Fortescue” type fiction, then Sarah Waters’ take on all that was likely to make you drop your teaspoon in horror. But – here’s the kicker – all these books totally, 100%, completely play by the rules that matter. You read them from beginning to end. Although authors may mess around with timelines, the reading experience is one of continuous, structured narrative. There are Big Story Questions that get asked and answered. The outcome of the whole story remains in flux at all points. In short: the only experiments you can get away with are experiments that nevertheless pay close and careful homage to the basic template of successful story. If you live within that template, then experimentation is nothing but a joy and a delight. And last week’s email? Well, honestly, it looked like a random assembly, but it was more thoughtfully designed than that. Yes, it had a playfully digressive quality – with you, the reader, very much in on the game – but it was also carefully structured. Very roughly that email ran like this:

• Nanowrimo is all about writing a 50,000 word novel
• But novels aren’t 50,000 words long and writing that much text at speed is only going to produce rubbish
• Then again, a thuggish “just do it” approach is not a bad way to smash bad writing habits and reinforce good ones
• So maybe Nanowrimo has a point, so long as you understand what it can and can’t achieve.

If the email had genuinely just been a random spillage of facts and thoughts, I think you’d have rejected it. It’s the sense of purpose threaded through the random spillage that kept you (I hope) thinking that you’d get something by reading on. And it was the random spillage that (I hope) kept you entertained en route. So experiment, yes please. But stick to the template.

The ‘rule of three’ is as familiar to you and I as fairy tales like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, or genies who grant three wishes, or sayings like ‘good things come in threes’.

It’s a rule we use all the time in everyday life.

But what makes three such a magic number?

And when it comes to fiction, how can we use the rule of three in writing?  

In this article, we’ll cover:  

• What is the rule of three in writing? 
• Examples of the rule of three, and what it looks like in practice 
• Our tips and tricks for the rule of three as a writing principle 
• Frequently asked questions 

So, what is the rule of three, and how do you use it to engage readers in your own writing?  

What Is The Rule Of Three? 

The ‘rule of three’ in writing is based on groups of three items being more memorable, emotionally resonant, and persuasive than simply one or two.  

In literature, the scope is broad: from having the word ‘three’ in a novel’s title, to three characters’ points of view (POVs), or even just using a three-act plot structure.

We’ll delve into these later, so stay tuned.

But for now, why is the number three so established when it comes to storytelling?  

To answer this question, I dug out my psychology textbooks and went trawling through the scientific research, as the overall consensus online is that three is the smallest grouping for pattern recognition in the human brain.

Frustratingly, there’s not a lot of research to back this statement up.  

What I did find was an excellent resource, The Rule of Three (or Four), and Pairs by Professor Dominic Cheetham, who expressed the same frustration and used his paper to explore the rule of three in writing (citing Ursula LeGuin, no less).  

Cheetham’s takeaways on the rule of three in literature:  

• Repetition is an established memory aid. 
• Repetition can be used to signify importance, as in emotional intensity (and therefore significance). 
• Repetition is core to persuasion, especially the number three.   
• Cheetham posited that three reasons are more convincing than one; this is supported by a two-part study from Shu & Carlson (2014), who found that three claims were the ticket to consumer persuasion.  
• Cheetham went on to summarise that ‘the rule of three is not just a rule of three or four things together, but a rule of sequential repetition … in a clear and meaningful order’.  
  • i.e. there is semantic progression, which can become more complex, or even humorous, once a pair primes us for a third list item.  

So, there’s a little background on why the rule of three is used in literature, and in life more generally.

Next, we’ll take a look at some examples.  

General Examples Of The Rule Of Three 

Our love of triads has led to great case studies on the rule of three in action.

Let’s start with real-world examples.  

Marketing 

‘I’m Lovin It’

McDonald’s 2003 slogan has just three words but has lasted for 19 years (the fast-food brand’s previous record was four years).  

Did anyone else not know this jingle is a Justin Timberlake song?  

'Just Do It’

Another example of the power of three-word advertising slogans, Nike’s motto was inspired by the last words of a death row prisoner, and that resonance carried.  

Public Service 

‘Stay home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.’

The UK government’s slogan from the COVID-19 lockdowns went for shock-factor with its implications. 

‘The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.’

The English common law oath is a judicial convention spanning the Western world.  

Religion 

The Fates: The Ancient Greek Moirai or Fates (Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos) were said to spin the threads of birth, life, death, and ultimately, destiny.  

The Holy Trinity: In Christianity, this is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (one God in three persons), invoked during the ritual of baptism. 

The Three Wise Men who travelled to see the baby Jesus are another example of three figures in the Christian faith.  

Proverbs 

‘Omne trium perfectum’

‘Everything that comes in threes is perfect’ is a long-standing Latin declaration for the rule of three.  

‘Mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru’

‘See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil’ is based on the Japanese pictorial maxim of the Three Wise Monkeys.  

Phrases 

‘Ready, set, go’: This shorter, more effective version of ‘On your marks, get set, go’ shows the power of brevity (and three words).  

‘Blah, blah, blah’: For an even simpler example of a three-word phrase, this triple-single idiom has roots in a similar expression from the 1800s.  

Examples Of The Rule Of Three In Writing 

We’ve looked at general examples — now it’s time to examine some modern and classic examples of the rule of three in writing and the creative industries.  

Fables And Fairy Tales 

Circling back to Goldilocks and the Three Bears, this British fairy tale has more threes than you can poke three sticks at: three chairs, three bowls of porridge, three beds, and the eponymous three bears (who then go through the same chairs / porridge / beds shtick as Goldilocks, only to discover a pint-sized intruder in their midst).

As you can tell, repetition here is key.  

With slightly less repetition, the fable The Three Little Pigsincludes not only the three pigs, but also three houses built from increasingly hardy ingredients which they use to finally outsmart the Big Bad Wolf.  

For a Norwegian example, De tre Bukkene Bruse or Three Billy Goats Gruff is another well-known fairy tale that employs three goats, each bigger than the last, to trick a hungry bridge-blocking troll.

Literature 

The category we’ve all been waiting for!

And for our first example, you can’t go past Dickens’ novella A Christmas Carol.

Here, the original Grinch, Ebenezer Scrooge, is visited by ​​three spirits: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

In terms of the rule of three in fiction writing, this story has the trifecta of repetition for memorability, big feelings, and of course, a dose of ghostly persuasion.  

Les Trois Mousquetaires orThe Three Musketeers by French author Alexandre Dumas, which gets points for having the number three in its title, follows d'Artagnan and his three swashbuckling heroes as they duel their way through Paris and London — for honour, naturally.  

A less obvious example of the rule of three at work is by another Frenchman Jules Verne in his Around the World in Eighty Days.

After travelling to India, Phineas Fogg’s group is a party of three; and when he returns to London, he’s hit with three final ordeals.

The clincher? Fogg wins the book’s titular bet with three minutes to go.  

Plays 

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, three witches (‘wayward sisters’) visit the Scottish General Macbeth with the prophecy that he will become king.

As we know, this leads Macbeth down his dark, ambitious path, with tragic consequences.

Unlike Dickens’ ghosts, the three witches spell trouble and temptation for Macbeth, their fateful words finally guiding his (stabbing) hand.  

A scarily meta example is one by the master of murder mystery tales herself, Agatha Christie, aptly called Rule of Three.

This triple bill of one-act plays includes Afternoon at the Seaside, The Rats and The Patient. 

Not to make this about Shakespeare again, but if we’re talking plays, an oft-quoted line is his ‘Friends, romans, countrymen, lend me your ears’ from another well-known tragedy, Julius Caesar.  

Film 

Arguably the world’s most famous trilogy, the creator of the Star Wars films,George Lucas upped the ante by planning prequel and sequel trilogies for a total of nine films in the space opera.

This opened up the three-act structure to a new, epic scale of storytelling — not to mention intellectual property.  

The romantic comedy When Harry Met Sallyis a cult 80s film with a flair for the rule of three.

The pair meet three times before becoming friends, and after the final New Year's Eve party, where — ***SPOILER ALERT*** — Harry declares his love for Sally and they kiss, they get married three months later.  

Credit to Reddit for reminding me that each key character in Signs has an identifying trait or issue that rears its head three times before the end. 

Television 

The rule of three or ‘threefold law’ in modern-day witchcraft was front and centre in Charmed, with three key characters (even when Shannon Doherty exited the show in season three): the three Halliwell sisters, who used their magical 'power of three' to fight supernatural baddies.  

I’m including Schitt’s Creek in this list because: a.) it’s brilliant; b.) Moira Rose’s iconic ‘Sunrise Bay’ triple-slap is funnier than the Three Stooges’; and c.) there is even an episode called ‘The Throuple’, where David, Stevie, and Jake take their accidental dating triangle to its comical conclusion.  

For anyone who watched The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’s season one finale, the three Elven rings are another recent example.   

How To Use The Rule Of Three 

So, now we know why three is such a magic number: because it’s effective.

But how do we use the rule of three in writing?  

Here are three examples of how to use the rule of three:  

Three-Act Structure 

The simplest way to utilise the rule of three is with a three-act structure, which is a fancy way of saying your story should have a beginning to set things up, a middle for the confrontation of your central conflict, and an end where things are resolved.

If you want to get technical, the three acts are as follows: 

1. The first act begins with exposition (setting the scene), an inciting incident for the protagonist, and a turning point into act two.  
2. Next comes the rising action, which leads into the story’s midpoint, as well as a turning point into act three; this is typically where the protagonist fails.  
3. Finally, the last act follows with a pre-climax to build tension, before the actual climax, then denouement.  

Example:  

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins has a compelling three-act structure: Katniss volunteers as tribute for the Hunger Games; the Games start; and Katniss wins and goes home (albeit to more potential danger).  

Tip:

A great way to weave complexity is to include three characters, who move through your acts together but with differing points of view.

Which leads us to…  

Three Point-Of-View Characters 

Creating three characters who all experience the plot of your story in different ways, with differing opinions or agendas, can make for an exciting read. This is especially effective if each character gets a point of view (POV); adding a third character adds some nuance to a dual narrative.

Example:  

This was done incredibly well in Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone, which follows the POVs of protagonist Zelie, and siblings Amari and Inan.

Outside of the book’s fresh concept and stellar execution, what makes this interesting is that one of the POV characters is ***SPOILER ALERT*** gravely injured in the finale.  

Tip:

Want even more complexity? Simply add a love triangle (and therefore conflict) between your three point-of-view characters.

Stylistic Patterns 

Finally, for the craft-lovers in our midst, there are also many ways to style your prose to incorporate the rule of three in writing.

Stylistic patterns like a tricolon, hendiatris, or even something as simple as alliteration can be beneficial for your word choice.  

• Tricolon: This is when three words of a similar length or form are used as a means of emphasis or inspiration, frequently in political speeches.  
  • Here’s an example from Barack Obama: ‘Our generation's task is to make these words, these rights, these values — of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — real’. 
• Hendiatris: Taking the tricolon a step further, hendiatris uses three words to communicate a core idea, again in speechwriting or marketing.  
  • One of the biggest quotes of all time is Julius Caesar’s ‘Veni, vidi, vici’ or ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’ in Latin, after triumphing over Pontius.  
• Alliteration: This is when words beginning with the same letter (or sound) are used in quick succession for aesthetic effect.  This often appears in lists or when three adjectives are used.
  • ‘While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping’ from Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven nails it.  

Tip:

Don’t overdo it.

Literary devices like these can easily err into the dreaded flowery or purple prose if you’re not careful, so use them wisely.  

Frequently Asked Questions 

What Is The Rule Of Three In Persuasive Writing? 

The rule of three in persuasive writing goes back to ancient times with Rhetoric by Aristotle, a three-book treatise on persuasion.

According to the Greek philosopher, the ability to persuade relies on three factors in rhetoric: ethos, the speaker’s character and credibility; pathos, the listener’s emotional state; and logos, the actual argument when proving something is true.  

What Does The Rule Of Three Do To The Reader? 

The rule of three in writing is a successful literary technique because it makes stories memorable, emotionally impactful, and persuasive for readers.

Grouping things in threes leverages the power of repetition to aid memory; denote emotional intensity or importance; and ease persuasion (research by Shu & Carlson (2014) found that three positive claims is the most effective for persuasion).  

Where Does The Rule Of Three Come From? 

The earliest known example of the rule of three in writing is Aristotle’s Rhetoric.

The ancient Greek philosopher argued not only for three means of persuasion — ethos, pathos, and logos — but also for three genres of public speech, with such speeches involving a speaker, a topic, and a listener (sensing a pattern?).

The best part — Rhetoric was a three-book discourse.  

Writing Engaging, Compelling, Unforgettable Stories

As you’ve learnt throughout this article, the rule of three isn’t just a rule of thumb — it’s a writing principle that can make your stories more memorable, emotionally resonant, and persuasive.

Give the rule of three a try and let us know how it helped you in your own writing!  

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Suspense, action, and darkness are three crucial elements of a gripping thriller.

This guide will take you through the various types of thrillers out there, from psychological to political, and give you some top tips to create your own edge-of-the-seat whirlwind thriller novel.  

What Is A Thriller?

Thriller novels are generally plot-driven narratives, with complex, morally grey characters, featuring suspense, action, and an exploration of the dark side of human nature.

Good thrillers are pacy and tight, leading the reader through a twisty plot and building to a breakneck speed.  

What Is the Difference Between Thrillers, Mysteries and Suspense Fiction? 

There are many crossover elements between thrillers, mysteries and suspense fiction. Things they are likely to all have in common include: 

• A focus on building tension 
• A fast pace 
• A plot revolving around crime 

However, there are key differences as well. While mystery novels use a central question or investigation to move the plot forward, paying off with a reveal at the end of whodunnit, the thriller genre may not hide who the villains and antagonists are; they may even be a central focus of the plot.  

A suspense novel may have a similar focus, but it is driven by character rather than action. Many, or even most, thrillers will have chases, surprise attacks, and a race against time… while suspense novels are often ‘quieter’ and focused on the interior experience of the characters.  

 That’s not to say that thrillers cannot have shocking revelations or complex characters!

Let’s have a look at the different types of thrillers below. 

Types Of Thrillers

Psychological Thriller

Along with action adventure and crime, psychological thrillers are one of the most well-recognised thriller subgenres.

Psychological thrillers are focused on the inner lives of characters who find themselves drawn into dangerous and threatening situations, either through chance or through a personality flaw or obsession.  

Her, Mira V. Shah’s upcoming domestic suspense debut, perfectly encapsulates the approach of having an obsession spiral out of control, which is so often taken in psychological thrillers.

Rani’s obsession with her neighbour Natalie’s apparently perfect life escalates until both women’s lives are inextricably intertwined, and Rani has discovered that Natalie’s life might not be quite as idyllic as it seems. The tension and conflict that the two face provides the kind of gripping narrative that thrillers do so well, as the novel builds towards its inescapable conclusion.  

Supernatural Thriller

Supernatural thrillers are having a bit of a heyday recently, popularly revived as they have been by the Duffer Brothers’ wildly successful Netflix series, Stranger Things.  

Drawing heavily on classic supernatural thrillers by writers such as Stephen King, Stranger Things fits well in this subgenre with its evocation of fear, tension and dread.

Supernatural thrillers often contain elements of other genres, such as science-fiction, fantasy, horror, and the gothic.

Threats in supernatural thrillers are often unknowable creatures, who cannot be reasoned with or understood from a human perspective, resulting in situations where the dread is turned up to 11 as the main characters battle forces that they can barely comprehend.  

Political Thriller

The essential ingredient of a political thriller is high stakes and plot twists. Many lives are at risk. High-level political figures are personally threatened. Often the protagonist is alone or becomes so – stripped of support, they must survive and defeat the antagonist(s) based on their wits and guts. 

Stacey Abrams, best known for her political career in the United States, has also written a number of books under the pseudonym Selena Montgomery. Her most recent book, however, a political thriller titled While Justice Sleeps, is her first work of fiction published under her own name.

The story follows law clerk Avery, who is plunged into a world of intrigue and conspiracies after her boss, a high-level judge, slips into a coma and leaves her in charge of his affairs. The stakes couldn’t be higher as the trail takes Avery all the way to the top, with elements of mystery and suspense coming in as she discovers the truth behind one of the judge’s most high-profile cases.  

Action-Adventure Thriller

Like political thrillers, action-adventure thrillers are high-paced, high-stakes, and high drama. Expect plenty of action set pieces, like chases, fights, and explosions (and more, averted at the last possible moment).  

An example of this type of thriller is The Ninja Daughter, by Tori Eldridge. Lily Wong is a Chinese-Norwegian woman whose purpose in life is to defend abused women and children.

The novel is full of thrills and action, including fight and chase scenes, with a central mystery that builds to an explosive climax.

Cleverly riffing on the noir genre, Eldridge gives us a modern twist on the ‘femme fatale’ character, and this action thriller is full of excitement and tension.  

Crime Thriller

A crime thriller is a subset of the crime genre, and, along with the typical elements of a focus on crime and the subsequent investigation, has the exciting elements of a thriller, with conflict and tension fuelling the pace of the narrative. Legal thrillers are also part of the crime thriller subgenre, and they emphasise courtroom proceedings and the legal aspects of crime.

Girl Zero, A. A. Dhand’s gritty and at times bleak crime thriller, utilises the central investigative element by having his main character, D. I. Harry Virdee, hunt for the murderer of his niece.

The thriller element is brought in with the pacing, as Harry and his gangster brother have to race against time to stop a child trafficking gang.  

Investigative Thriller

Although this type of thriller may seem very similar to crime thrillers, the key difference is that the character leading the investigation is not from a traditional investigative background.

While a crime thriller will typically have a protagonist who is a police officer, or attached to the police in some manner, an investigative thriller will likely have someone pursuing the truth from a more unconventional angle.  

Dark Pines is the first of Will Dean’s Tuva Moodyson series, about a Deaf journalist in a small Swedish town who is drawn into a decades-old mystery when two hunters are found, murdered in a manner similar to an unsolved case from long ago.

There is plenty of tension as Tuva grapples with the various conflicting loyalties of the villagers, as well as her desire to write the story of her career and break free from the life she feels trapped by.  

Spy Thriller

Twists and turns are the name of the game in spy thrillers, where the central character is often at the centre of a web of lies, deceit and cover-ups at the highest levels.

Expect plenty of thrilling chase scenes, explosive conflicts, and death-defying escapes in this type of thriller, as well as continual surprises as motivations and loyalties are uncovered.  

One of John Le Carré’s best-known spy thrillers is Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, his 1974 novel starring his recurring character George Smiley. Smiley’s job in this book is to uncover a Soviet double agent within the British intelligence service. The trail leads him through twists and turns, through which almost no one can be trusted completely.

There is plenty of elegantly executed suspense in Le Carré’s work, and a complex plot that is set against the background of a waning empire, nicely dovetailing with his ageing protagonist. Both provide additional tension as the plot is eventually untangled and the secrets Smiley has been chasing are exposed.  

Historical Thriller

Historical settings might be as far back as medieval times, as in Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, or as recently as a few decades ago, like the TV series Life on Mars.

These settings are often excellent for increasing tension, as modern sleuthing methods like CCTV and digital databases are non-existent, and characters may have to battle against limiting social roles as well.  

A recent excellent historical novel is The Confessions of Frannie Langton, by Sara Collins. There are many thriller elements to this historical narrative, as the central character is on trial for a crime she cannot remember committing.

As the child of an enslaved woman and her enslaver, Frannie is in a difficult social position. Although she is educated, she is also subject to the limitations and prejudices of racism, which impact how likely it is that her story will be believed. The historical setting of Collins’ novel allows her to delve into the dark side of humanity, as we also expect from thrillers.

How To Write A Thriller

So, how do you go about writing a good thriller? Looking at all the different types above, we can see that there are some commonalities among them that thriller writers should know. 

1. Start With A Moment Of Change 

Let us join your character at a moment of change in their life: whether that be a dramatic, explosive one (they’re hanging off a building! They’re chasing a suspect! They’ve been betrayed!) or a quiet, interior one (they’ve realised they’ve been mistaken about a small but crucial detail about their job/loved one/life), a character’s life is most interesting when it takes a turn.  

2. Know What’s At Stake 

It’s important early on that your readers know why your character’s goal is so important to them. If your character is working to uncover the truth about a murder, what is their personal connection to it?

It simply being their job to investigate it isn’t quite enough.

Perhaps it has some personal resonance with them due to a past experience, or there is a family or community connection. Perhaps they need to prove themselves in some way. Maybe there is a time pressure – thrillers often feature characters who have to race against time to solve something.

Whatever the stakes are, make them personal in some way to your character.  

3. Ensure We Care About The Characters 

Some stakes are very high and quite abstract – saving a building/city/country. Giving the character a loved one who is also personally at risk in some way helps to make this threat immediate and personal and contextualises the larger threat.

Equally, your character must be vulnerable in some way. As exciting as it is to read about a dapper hero skilfully knocking out bad guys, it becomes dull if there is no sense of personal danger to the character. Giving them something they love that is at risk is a good way to make them vulnerable, and ensure that the reader cares about them, too. 

4. Gradually Increase The Suspense 

Continually amp up the tension by gradually increasing the threat that the character faces.

These threats can also be made more daunting if your character has few resources to work with – taking these away over the course of the narrative will enable you to ratchet up that edge-of-your-seat feeling that you want your readers to have! Keep your readers guessing.

5. Make Limitations Work For You 

Whether it be something intrinsic to the setting, such as a lack of modern policing technology; something external to the character, such as social attitudes or previous attributes being withdrawn (think of those ‘you’ve gone too far, hand in your gun and your badge’ scenes); or something that rises from the characterisation itself, such as physical injuries or psychological states, limitations are key to stacking the odds against your protagonist. 

6. Build Up To The Climax 

Stacking the odds even higher is an excellent way to build to a climax.

Your character should encounter ever-more daunting challenges, and be gradually stripped of help and resources until they are faced with overcoming something that seems insurmountable.

Your reader won’t be able to put your story down! 

7. Ensure The Ending Is Satisfying  

A satisfying ending might come from a crime being solved - the perpetrators brought to justice. Or it might be a disaster averted, the day saved, the love interest suitably impressed.

It might also be a situation where justice is not served, and the outcome isn't entirely what the character wanted. The satisfaction then comes from character development and the emotional arc of the protagonist, who has gone through trials and come out changed in some way. Although they might not have won the war, a personal victory will leave your reader satisfied with the journey.  

Thriller Writing Tips

These are our top tips for writing thrillers.

1. Plot Twists. All should not be as it first seems: perhaps friends are not to be trusted, and rivals become allies. Perhaps your character’s understanding of the world is radically changed in some way with the discovery of key information.  
2. All Is Lost. At some point, your character should be faced with their dark night of the soul – it will seem as though their goal will never be met, their resources are gone, and their life has changed for the worse. Bringing your character back from their personal abyss makes the ending that much more satisfying.  
3. Play With Expectations. Much of the fun of a thriller is the unexpected elements of the plot. Embrace this by playing with your readers’ expectations. It might sound far-fetched for the hero of a spy thriller to be a Scottish granny, but Christopher Brookmyre made it happen in All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses an Eye! 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are The Key Elements Of A Thriller?

Suspense, action and darkness are key elements in a thriller. Your readers expect thrills, tension, conflict, and an exploration of the darker side of human nature. 

What Is The Structure Of A Thriller?

A gripping thriller follows the classic three-act structure. In the first act, the character is introduced, and the plot is set up. The second act adds complications, and the character suffers failures but also gets closer to their goal. The third act is the final showdown – the character is faced with defeating someone or something, and they may or may not be victorious in the way they originally imagined.  

What Makes A Thriller successful?

Thrillers do just that – thrill. Readers want to be gripped, enthralled, fascinated, and horrified; they want to root for the success of the protagonist against all the odds. They want exciting events, overwhelming opposition, and a narrative that draws to a satisfying conclusion.  

Writing Thrillers

As we have seen in the various types of thrillers we’ve looked at, there are many thriller elements in lots of different types of narratives.

Even if you’re not setting out to write a traditional thriller, you can still utilise a lot of the genre's elements in domestic suspense, historical fiction, and crime writing.

Including the key thriller elements of suspense, action and darkness will add another dimension to any story, and provide your readers with a popular narrative style that will keep them gripped until the last page.  

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Upmarket fiction combines the best aspects of literary fiction and commercial fiction; is sellable and successful; attracts an intelligent, loyal readership; and agents and commissioning editors love it.

Does all this sound too good to be true?

And what on earth does ‘upmarket fiction’ mean?

Read on to find out.  

In this article, I’ll explore what upmarket fiction is all about, and what agents and editors mean when they use the term.

I’ll look at the differences and similarities between upmarket fiction, commercial fiction, and literary fiction, and I’ll give you several examples – without spoilers – so you can explore the category for yourself.

Then you’ll get a set of practical steps to use if you want to write and sell upmarket fiction.

What Is Upmarket Fiction?

There are a number of categories used by agents and commissioning editors that describe the types of novels they are hoping to discover or aiming to sell, resulting in some rather general terms that can be confusing to writers, especially beginners.  

These terms aren’t genres as such but are more to do with 1) the book’s readership; 2) the way language and/or storytelling are handled; and 3) how well they think a book will sell, based on others of the same type that have already been published.

You might find the term ‘book club fiction’ on the manuscript wish list of a literary agent you're interested in querying, for example, which (at least on the face of it) describes the type of audience they hope will be attracted to the book, rather than its tropes, themes and ideas.

These terms include: 

• Commercial fiction (relates to selling potential) 
• Literary fiction (relates to the use of language) 
• Women’s fiction (relates to potential audience) 

Agents and editors sometimes use other categories, to do with how a book makes the reader feel.

For example: 

• Up lit fiction, which is heart-warming, and emphasises empathy 
• Misery memoir, a rather derogatory term for unhappy life stories 

When you first set out to write a novel, these terms are probably too broad to be useful, but they can be helpful when you come to redrafting or when you want to sell your book and need to describe it to others. Personally, I find this a relief to know! 

Upmarket fiction is one such category. In fact, it’s a hybrid term.

As you may have guessed from the introduction, upmarket fiction refers to a combination of commercial and literary fiction; it is strongly plotted but the language is also carefully crafted. It may include complex plotting, such as multiple viewpoints.  

Upmarket fiction often appeals to readers who are in book clubs, which is why it's sometimes used interchangeably with the term book club fiction.

Sometimes, but not always, upmarket fiction involves family dynamics or family secrets, using family and its shifting meanings as a framework for storytelling and as one of the main themes.

Many examples involve life and death or mortality as a theme, too, possibly because – in order to create a strong plot – writers of upmarket fiction sometimes use crime to structure the story.  

As upmarket fiction is more of a category than it is a genre, it can be broken down even further using terms like upmarket women's fiction and upmarket historical fiction. This can help readers and writers alike find the niche areas in which they want to surround themselves/write about.

So, let’s compare upmarket fiction to both commercial fiction and literary fiction, to clarify what it is and how to write it.  

Upmarket Fiction Vs Commercial Fiction

Underpinning the categories I mentioned above are various assumptions – or a sort of tacit knowledge – about how a book will be written.

For example, there’s an assumption that commercial fiction will have a strong hook and gripping plot and therefore will sell well.

Commercial fiction is generally also genre fiction of some kind. It might be a romance, thriller, crime, sci fi, or fantasy, for instance, or a well-established subgenre or combination of genres, and will conform to genre tropes and expectations. 

Commercial fiction is often found in supermarkets and airports as well as in bookshops. These books are likely to be real page-turners: the sort of novel you just have to keep reading to get to the end.

Writers of commercial fiction achieve this in six main ways: 

1. A strong – and clearly articulated – premise or hook. You could sum it up in a sentence or two, like an elevator pitch or a tagline for a Hollywood movie. 
2. High-stakes – the consequences of the plot are life and death for the main characters, or, worse, the whole world/universe will be destroyed.  
3. Cutting away from the action at exactly the moment the main character is in the most danger. 
4. Introducing cleverly foreshadowed twists that the reader didn’t see coming. 
5. Using ‘traditional’ genre expectations and conventions that the reader will recognise.  
6. Economic use of language, keeping chapters short, with no room for beautifully crafted prose or for complex characters.  

Upmarket fiction is considered to sell well precisely because it contains many of these elements of commercial fiction.

In fact, upmarket fiction could be described as a kind of commercial fiction.  

Upmarket fiction could include any or all of the facets above, apart from number 6.

Upmarket fiction does employ beautifully crafted prose and complex characters, but they mustn’t get in the way of the page-turner plotting. The craft, the characterisation and the strong plot are intricately interwoven. 

Upmarket novels must include numbers 1 and 2 – the strong premise and the high stakes – although the stakes might be more nuanced than life and death. They might relate to a metaphorical death: social death, or the death of one kind of life and the beginning of another, for example.

Upmarket books may be less likely to include number 5 – or to stick to recognisable genre conventions – than other kinds of commercial fiction; in fact, they may well include cross-genre or multi-genre storytelling or play with the various fiction genres available. 

Upmarket Fiction Vs Literary Fiction

Literary fiction focuses on the beauty of language, on its literary heritage, and on complex characterisation.

It might win prizes, but will have a smaller audience, and therefore it doesn't sell as well as commercial or genre fiction. You’ll likely only see literary novels in supermarkets or airports if they've won a big prize.  

Literary fiction explores themes and ideas that are bigger than the book itself, and that may have occupied writers, artists and philosophers for centuries, such as appearance and reality; loss; mortality; free will; criminality; identity; and war and peace.

This is the biggest difference between literary and commercial fiction, as the latter doesn't delve into such themes. In terms of big themes, the two categories are polar opposites.  

In literary fiction, the plot is not as important as the craft, the characters and the themes I mention above.

We might be mesmerised by the language or caught up in the ideas, but we’re not reading to find out what happens next.

Writers of literary fiction achieve this in six main ways: 

1. Viewing the craft and process of writing as an art form – how long it takes to write doesn’t matter.   
2. Using evocative imagery and carefully considered language. 
3. Showing the influence of other (probably canonical) writers. 
4. Creating thoughtful and thought-provoking, sometimes ponderous, characters.  
5. Exploring big (sometimes called ‘universal’) themes. Making the reader think. 
6. Letting the interaction of the characters create the plot, without needing a strong page-turning hook. 

Upmarket fiction might do any or all of these with a few caveats, apart from number 6; these books need a strong plot as we said above.

Arguably it does matter how long upmarket fiction takes to write, because, as it's a type of/is similar to commercial fiction, agents and editors might well expect the writer to produce a book every one to two years. (Try our article on how to write faster if you're looking for some guidance in this area.)

Therefore, the language can’t be so considered and the characters so ponderous that it slows the pace. A varied pace will keep readers engaged.  

If we created a chart and used it to list the key facets of commercial fiction and literary fiction, we could tick off which of those features would also be common in upmarket fiction.

In fact, if you’re serious about writing and selling it, you might want to create a chart like that for yourself.

You could then use your chart to discover examples of novels that fall into the upmarket category, such as those I’ve argued for below, remembering that they’ll always have a clear premise, strong plot, and well-crafted prose.  

Examples Of Upmarket Fiction

In this section, I'll take five examples that fit the description of ‘upmarket fiction’ and explain why they fit into this category. 

The Children Of Men By P.D. James

This near-future dystopian novel is based on the premise that humans are now infertile and face extinction, causing society to fracture.

Although it probably predates the use of the term by publishing professionals (it was published in 1992), I’ve included The Children of Men because the novel has the strong premise and high stakes of commercial fiction and uses recognisable genre conventions, showing the influence of other writers in the genre, such as H.G. Wells and Aldous Huxley. 

The characters are complex, and James uses the story to rewrite ideas about family and parenthood and to explore other ‘universal’ themes, such as hope and despair, and death and survival, making us think, but not to the extent that characterisation and theme get in the way of the plotting.  

The Time Traveller’s Wife By Audrey Niffenegger

This is both a love story and a time-travelling sci-fi adventure. It’s a kind of upmarket science fiction romance.

The unpredictable time-jumping of Clare’s husband Henry gives the novel a clear framework, that both disrupts and re-establishes the narrative cohesion.

In an innovative way, time travelling also provides the premise and the resolution, meaning the writer can continue to play with storytelling conventions.

As with other examples, Niffenegger treats both family and mortality as important themes but also works them into the plot.  

Everything I Never Told You By Celeste Ng

This is a murder mystery as well as a family drama.

When sixteen-year-old Lydia dies, her mother Marilyn wants someone to be held to account, and along the way, Ng explores themes such as race, prejudice, identity and the meaning of family. 

The novel is pacy like a thriller but includes striking characters and complex plotting. 

It’s a good example of upmarket fiction, because the use of language is evocative, moving and at times sensual, which is why I’ve included it here. For instance: 

“All through the second lecture, Marilyn remembered the smell of his skin – clean and sharp, like the air after a rainstorm – and the feel of his hands at her waist, and even her palms grew warm.” (p. 38) 

The Immortalists By Chloe Benjamin

In this book, a psychic claims to be able to predict the day you’ll die. The novel tells the story of four New Yorkers after they visit the psychic as children.

Again taking family as a theme, Benjamin uses multiple viewpoints, and the book reads like literary fiction, but the premise is so strong that we have to keep turning the pages. 

The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle By Stuart Turton

This book was described in a Guardian review as ‘a gift to the marketing department’ and that neatly sums up why upmarket fiction is so sought-after!

Turton’s debut is multi-genre, and– like literary fiction– plays tribute to other writers of murder mysteries, such as Agatha Christie.

Reminiscent of Groundhog Day and Cluedo, Turton gives us well-written characters and the novel is tightly plotted; in fact, the same review described the ‘mind-boggling complexity’ of its plot. 

These are some examples that I think fit the description of upmarket fiction. They all feature a strong premise that would certainly be ‘a gift to the marketing department.’ 

How To Write Upmarket Fiction  

Here are some key practical steps to consider when writing upmarket fiction.  

1. Start With You

Start with what you love to read, in terms of genre and subject matter, and with what intrigues you so much that you are willing to spend a year or more writing about it.

Starting with the aim of writing upmarket fiction is too broad to be useful – starting with yourself is much more likely to yield promising results.  

2. Become A Plotting Ninja

Learn to plot.

There are lots of guides to narrative structure out there, some of which are made especially for beginners. I’ve written one myself!

They might seem formulaic– and they are before you bring your own specificity to them– but they will help you to shape your ideas.

To cite just three examples: Nigel Watts’ Teach Yourself Writing a Novel will give you the essentials; Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat Writes a Novel is helpful when establishing the link between character and story; and Harry Bingham’s How to Write a Novel has a whole section on different kinds of plots and also contains advice on marketing your book from the get-go.  

3. Plan Like An Expert

You don’t have to plan in advance if you hate the idea. Plan as you go along if you like or after you have written the first draft.

But to make the readers turn the pages, the plot has to work, therefore you need to plan at some point!

If you’re wondering how to plan a novel, check out our step-by-step planning guide for more.

4. Cross Those Genres

Consider combining two or more genres (like historical romance, for instance) but make sure they're genres you love to read and are interested in.

Get specific by thinking in terms of subgenres. Audrey Niffenegger uses a particular kind of sci-fi – time travel – to make her plot work, for example.

Remember that you can play around with genre when writing upmarket fiction, but this is also about what you love to read and write, not what you think you should write! It will be easier to play around with it if you love what you’re doing. Have fun with it.  

5. Create Complex Characters

Work on character development.

Spend time with your main and secondary characters, so they feel like well-rounded human beings with quirks and contradictions.

Write in the first person as your characters regularly even if you don’t plan to use the results in the finished novel– it helps you to get to know them.  

6. Consider Using Multiple Viewpoints

Got more than one compelling character? Good! Consider using dual or multiple viewpoints to tell your story. Read examples of stories told this way before you start writing.

Try a spot of ‘method writing’. That is, write as if you were each of your main characters, telling the reader about the same event.

If you’re stuck, use an existing story as a prompt. For example, write about the day we found a body in the lake, or the day we visited a fortune teller, or the day we found out I was pregnant (when the whole of humanity was supposedly infertile), or the day we realised I could time travel. 

7. Answer These Questions To Nail Your Themes

Decide which themes you will explore in advance, by considering which ‘universal’ ideas fascinate you the most. Not sure what to use? Answer these questions.

What deep conversations have you been drawn into recently? Which nonfiction books and documentaries fascinate you? Which big life experiences have taught you the most?  

8. Twisted Family Values Anyone?

Consider using family dynamics and family secrets as part of your plot and as a way of connecting characters in the story.

You don’t necessarily have to use this plotting device/theme when writing upmarket fiction, but it does seem to be a fairly common trope. 

9. Death Makes For High Stakes

Themes of death, dying and mortality also come up a lot in upmarket fiction and while this isn’t compulsory, it will automatically provide a way to ‘raise the stakes’; something you must do to draw the reader in.  

10. Use Your Senses When You Make Your Tea/Coffee 

Work on your writing style. In particular, practise sensory writing.

For example, try this: stop regularly during the day – perhaps every time you have a cup of tea or coffee. Using all the senses available to you, observe the world around you and write quick descriptions based on each one.  

Tips For Writing Upmarket Fiction

Here are some quick tips for writing upmarket fiction: 

1. Read plenty of examples of upmarket fiction to get a sense of the balance between literary fiction-type language and commercial fiction-type plotting. 
2. Create a strong premise: can you sum the book up in a couple of sentences? Practise doing this with examples of upmarket fiction first. You don’t have to do it in advance.  
3. Once you have the premise, use it to write a blurb. Both of these will help you to sell the book to others and to clarify your ideas for yourself. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

In this section, I’ll address and answer some of the most asked questions in relation to upmarket fiction.   

What Are Examples Of Upmarket Fiction?

Some examples of upmarket titles include Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, Yann Martel’s The Life of Pi, Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper, and The Lovely Bones by Alice Seabold.  

What Is The Difference Between Literary And Upmarket Fiction?

Literary fiction is preoccupied with the use of language, the craft of writing and situating itself amongst other literary works. It also involves the investigation of so-called ‘universal’ themes. Upmarket fiction uses evocative language and thought-provoking themes but is tightly plotted with a strong premise and so is considered more ‘sellable’ than literary fiction. 

How Many Words Should An Upmarket Novel Be?

It’s difficult to give a precise number as full-length novels can range from around 70,000 words to 120,000 or longer – 250,000 to 350,000 would be considered very long – but there is no hard and fast rule.  

That said, commercial fiction tends to be on the shorter side, literary fiction could be long or short, and upmarket fiction tends to be in the middle of the range, at around 90 – 120,000 words long.  

To get a sense of the sheer range of differing lengths, take a look at our article on novel word counts.

Why Are Agents Interested In Upmarket Fiction?

Upmarket fiction gives agents the best of both, or all, worlds. This category of novel attracts committed, loyal readers and is likely to be favoured by book groups, so upmarket fiction is usually considered book club fiction too. It’s well-plotted and well-crafted, meaning readers get drawn in.  

All of that means that upmarket fiction sells well, and often converts well on the screen. In fact, almost all of the examples of upmarket fiction I’ve given in this post have been optioned for TV or film or adapted for the stage. In other words, it has commercial appeal.  

Upmarket Fiction

It’s so valuable for writers to explore the nuances of upmarket fiction, both in terms of reading it and writing it. It teaches us a lot about the perception of what sells well and what doesn’t and demonstrates what many agents and editors are looking for: a strong premise; complex characters; well-plotted, page-turner stories; and beautifully crafted prose.  

I hope you enjoyed this article and will try some of these key practical steps. Let me know how you get on! 

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Good morning, everyone!

Today’s feature includes a fantastic interview with Rachel Hamilton!

A woman of many literary talents, Rachel has experience as an author, editor, lecturer and agent. She currently works at the Ben Illis Agency, which represents authors including Lu Hersey (Deep Water), Mel Darbon (Rosie Loves Jack), and Kimberly Pauley (The Accidental Wizard).

Though she is currently closed to submissions for 2022, Rachel represents a range of genres for children’s and young adult fiction. She especially loves all things comedic and is on the lookout for a spooky or action-packed MG story.

Rachel is active on Twitter where you can find out what she’s reading and watching at the moment. She also does Agent One-to-One sessions with Jericho Writers, so don’t miss out on a chance to get her feedback on your work by booking your session here.

Check out some highlights from our interview with Rachel below.

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"Let yourself be excited! You have to love the process while it’s lovable."

Hi Rachel, thanks for speaking with me today! I’d love to learn how you joined the industry and what you’re interested in at the moment.

What brought you to agenting?

For me, it's been a weird, twisty kind of route. I've always loved reading and writing books, and my route in came through being published.

I had friends who were published at the same time, and during that process, I realised that I loved editing, probably more than writing, whereas some of my friends found it really frustrating. So, I ended up accidentally helping my friends edit their books, just because I loved it.

From there, I got more involved and started to do some freelance editing. And both my agent and Ben, who I work with now, asked if I’d considered being an agent.

I’d never really thought about it because there was so much going on with my writing and my work with literary festivals - there just wasn't time. But then I wrote a series of books in quick succession, all on tight deadlines, and suddenly writing just seemed a bit less fun than it had before.

And so, I decided that when my contracts ended with Simon & Schuster and OUP, I was going to take a break and think about what to do. I kept remembering people saying I’d be quite good at agenting, so I gave Ben a call and just asked if he needed any help and if there was anything I could do for him. And that’s how I ended up working with him!

Has your experience as a writer influenced your approach as an agent?

It's a bit of a curse, actually, in that I know what it feels like to be on the other side and to be waiting for a response, and I know how it feels for your book to be out on submission. And so, while I've got agent friends who can remain cool and calm while being chased by authors for information, I find it more of a struggle because I really feel from the author’s perspective!

So, I don't know whether that experience is a good thing or a bad thing. I find it quite easy to put myself in the author’s position because I've been there, which possibly means I'm more sympathetic... but it also means I do stress more.

My experience means I have interesting relationships with publishers because some know me from being an author, some know me from my involvement with festivals, and some know me as an agent. I think that’s been helpful too, the fact that before I started as an agent, I already had a reasonable network of publishers, agents, editors and authors.

What’s at the top of your wish list?

I love comedy. It doesn't have to be completely comedy, but something that has a comedic touch. I'm better at editing that, I'm better at selling that, and I'm better at understanding that, I think.

I watch a lot of TV box sets, so I love high-concept, fast-moving thrillers. I would also love a good, spooky MG. I'm a bit too easily frightened for a really scary YA, but spooky MG would be great.

That said, I’ve got an eclectic taste in my reading, and that carries over to my wish list. As many agents will tell you, we can all write a wish list, but what we really want is something brilliant that we’ll open and immediately get goosebumps from. That could be anything, really, so there isn’t a huge amount I wouldn’t want to receive.

Originality is also important. I want to see something different! I get a lot of submissions that are great but are very much like other submissions. What I love are stories that stand out and surprise me, things that I haven’t read before. But of course, that’s very hard to define!

Is there any genre you’d rather not receive?

There’s not much I don’t enjoy, honestly. I’m probably not a natural fit for anything with talking animals. Ben is, though, so I can pass those submissions on to him if I get them.

I’ve seen quite a lot of stories about fairies and witches and magic recently. That doesn’t mean I don’t like them, just that something would have to be really unique to stand out!

What do you want to see in a query letter? And what do you hate?

I like to know very quickly what the story is about. We're not a huge agency and when we’re open, we often receive more than 50 submissions a week, so we have to read them quite quickly. And so, by the end of the first few paragraphs, I need to understand exactly what the premise or the narrative question at the heart of the book is. Once that's drawn my attention, I'll happily read more about it.

Personally, I like to see the connection between the author and the book. I like to understand why this person has chosen to write this book, and why nobody else could have written this book in the same way. It's interesting to know somebody’s credentials as an author, but what I really want is their credentials for writing this particular story. If there is an own voice element, what is their connection? If it's about a historic event or if they’ve had to do research, how is it relevant to them?

If authors give comparative titles, I like at least one of them to be contemporary. Sometimes you can get an inkling quite quickly from a query letter that people don't read in their genre or in the contemporary kids’ marketplace, and that’s a potential problem.

Same question when it comes to the synopsis. What should writers do? What should they avoid?

I like to see the story told in a synopsis. Sometimes, authors use synopses to explain the way they want their book to be formatted or structured, but that’s not really necessary yet. I just want to know the plot – what's happening, and who is it happening to?

It’s important for the whole synopsis to be led by the decisions of the main character or characters. I want to know whose story this is, what they want, what will happen if they don’t get it, and what stands in their way. I don’t want to see a list of events; I want to see something like “Character A decides to do X because of Y, and as a result Z happens.” That way, everything flows and I feel that there's a story being told.

I also like for to the story to mean something. I'm not saying there needs to be moral or an Aesop's Fables kind of message, but I like there to be a heart and for me to feel that when I read this story, it will affect or touch me somehow.

What are you looking for in the opening pages of a novel? What really excites you?

I want to be immersed in it. That doesn't mean that I need it to start with some crazy action sequence where a character is at risk of death and destruction - that would feel a bit too sudden - but as soon as I open the book, I want to be pulled in. I either want to feel that I am in the place where it’s set, or that I’m in the head of the character that’s narrating it. That can be done through action and dialogue or through interior voice; there are lots of ways you can make a reader feel like they’ve been transported somewhere.

I also want to feel excited - not the sort of terror-excitement you get from a horror movie, just the kind where I have to find out why an event happened or what’s going to happen next.

Tell us about a recent deal (or three) that really delighted you.

In terms of forthcoming books for current authors, I’ve loved working on Mel Darbon’s follow up to the wonderful Rosie Loves Jack. So, I can’t wait for the launch of What the World Doesn’t See, which will be out soon with Usborne.

With recent deals, there are several very exciting things that I can’t talk about yet, but two names you’ll be hearing a lot of soon are Gemma Cary and Dev Kothari.

Any final words of advice for authors in the querying process?

Enjoy the good bits. Because the process is so up and down, any good moment - even if it’s some really positive feedback that comes with a rejection - should be something to be excited about.

I hear so many people saying, “Oh, no, I don't want to get too excited yet...” No, you should let yourself be excited! Enjoy the moment, because you’re going to have real highlights and real low points. There have been times when author friends of mine have been feeling really down and ready to chuck it all in, and then the following year, they'll be nominated for an award or featured in a celebrity Book Club. The process is so temperamental, you have to love it while it's lovable, I think.

Secondly, it sounds like a ridiculous piece of advice, but just be nice. It's a tight-knit industry where everybody knows everybody else, so kindness can go a long way. Understand that yes, an agent may seem to be taking a long time to get back to you, but there can be a very good reason for it, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic where so many people’s lives have become really difficult.

So yes, I think that’s my advice. Enjoy the good bits and be kind to others through the bad bits.

Thanks, Rachel!

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In the meantime, if you’re struggling with your query letter and synopsis, do check out our free resources on our website. We have lots of info to help you on your way. Or, better still, if you’re a member with us, our lovely Writers Support team will be happy to offer you a free query letter review!