Face the Page - ThrillerFest

The Big Thrill
by Linda Gerber
In the midst of traveling and college visits, deadlines and school shopping, taking time out for the ThrillerFest convention in Phoenix, Arizona was a luxury and… well… a thrill. (Come on, you know I had to say that.)

Truth be told, I almost passed up the opportunity, summer busy as it was. I’m such a thriller groupie, though, I didn’t have much trouble justifying the time spent. And when I discovered they were offering a craft track, I knew it was meant to be.

My conviction was confirmed when, shortly after signing in and receiving my nametag, I happened upon none other than Lee Child in the hallway. I adore Lee Child. His Jack Reacher series is phenomenal. And here I was, standing in the hallway, shaking his hand. I could have gone home happy right then.

Here’s where I tell you why writers’ conferences and conventions are a Good Thing. Yes, there are the workshops, and unless you already know everything there is to know (ha.) you can pick up some valuable information. But it’s the opportunity to meet people and network that makes a conference worth the price of registration – and for many of us, travel. Can I have a successful writing career without meeting people like Lee Child? Probably. But speaking to him and realizing that he is a nice, down-to-earth, regular guy makes my job a little bit easier. If he, a mere mortal, can create Jack Reacher, there’s hope for me, too. Something like that. Anyway, the point is, it’s valuable to hang out with other writers.

Now I’m going to stray from the ThrillerFest for a little bit to reiterate my point. I’ve attended writers’ conferences all over the world. Literally. (Part of the joy of being an expat.) And I’ve met some wonderful people. I’ve hung out with editors and agents. I’ve partied with the likes of Diana Gabaldon and Jack Whyte. I’ve laughed with Bob Mayer (my instructor at the Maui Writers’ retreat) and Jennie Crusie (who taught the class down the hall.) I’ve even had dinner with Anne Perry. Now if that doesn’t boost a writer’s esteem, I don’t know what will. Each time I’ve attended a conference, convention or retreat, I’ve come home fired up and bubbling with creative juices. Definitely a Good Thing.

So back to ThrillerFest. How can you go wrong while surrounded with the greats in the industry? Better yet, while learning from them as they share their experience and accumulated wisdom? You can’t. My advice if you are considering a conference or convention – Go. Enjoy. Learn. NETWORK.

And now, because I’m a nice person, let me share some of the highlights of the ThrillerFest craft track.

The first class I attended was taught by Gail Lynds. (Heart hammering. Have you ever read anything by Gail Lynds? Fabulous, fabulous writer! Her latest, THE LAST SPYMASTER, will keep you turning pages far into the night…that is, if you happen to be reading at night…) Anyway, can’t get better than learning the components of a good thriller than from Lynds, who co-founded International Thriller Writers, Inc. She shared her ‘secrets to writing the big thriller,’ which includes concept (big,) viewpoint (multiple,) and setting (exotic.)

David Mullan, Editor at Crown Books, pinch hit in the next workshop (the scheduled speaker wasn’t able to make it) and for a last-minute replacement, was amazingly organized and composed. A couple of his comments that really stuck with me were, “Your manuscript should read like a bullet shot from a gun.” And “Most editors don’t find a synopsis necessary.” I especially liked that last one. Of course, that doesn’t mean we get away without writing the dreaded synopsis, but good writing will trump everything else, so we should put our best work on the manuscript and not kill ourselves over the synopsis.

David Morrell, of FIRST BLOOD fame and the other co-founder of International Thriller Writers (see, we really were learning from the best of the best) spoke on dialog. You ever read a David Morrell book? His dialog is the most natural, story moving dialog you’ll ever read. He said that one of the reasons dialog in a lot of books is not so great is because authors are heavily influenced by TV and movies, where there is a whole lot of “You know, Bob” dialog going on out of necessity. We don’t need, or want, that in our books. One interesting thing he said was to try and write without the use of dialog tags at all, identifying the speaker by use of drama or activity to move the scene forward. I tried to do this in THE FINNISH LINE and dang if it didn’t make it read stronger! (Yes, I do have dialog tags in there, but much, much less, and no adverbs that I can think of.)

The day closed with a session I found particularly useful as I jump into the book market, Buzzing your Book. It covered such things as knowing your market, garnering book reviews and making personal connections.

Like attending writers’ conferences and conventions.

Next year’s ThrillerFest will be in New York City. See you there!