Thriller

How do people feel about sprint rooms? I've been joining a few rooms on https://app.ohwrite.co/rooms and I'm finding that they are really helping when it comes to completing new chapters. I like a bit of friendly competition, so to see who is writing the most is a huge motivational boost. Would anyone else like to join? Please let me know and we can create a room, or if you happen to create a room, comment in this group and see who fancies joining you. (The rooms are only valid for that session, ... See More

I believe)Also, NaNoWriMo is coming to an end. Please remember to fill in this form if you hit the 50k goal! https://bit.ly/2UYBbaO

J. M. Johnson

How is everyone's writing going? What new plots are you planning?

BJRedman-Smith @JMJohnson well I bit the proverbial bullet and added a cliche to my thriller story Johnny. We chatted about whether to do it or not a couple of weeks ago. My fingers, toes and everything else is crossed hoping the readers like the twist.

Yiona771 It's great!! Kinda hard sometimes because of the contest and getting some writer's block, but I'm liking the motivation :)

J. M. Johnson

https://bit.ly/3kWOuna

The second week of NaNoWriMo has come to an end - have you had your badge applied to your profile if you met the weekly word goal?

Remember, you must fill in this form if you want to participate - best of luck to everyone! I'm late to the game, but I've finally started my new book as well, fingers crossed I can catch up! :)

Tommy Gunner

Could a 1940s period Noir be considered a sub genre of the thriller genre as well? I feel pretty confident in saying that my story is definitely a mystery and romance, both of which are classical Noir elements. But I never really “marketed” it as a thriller. Now I’m wondering if maybe I could. It has a pretty massive twist, and generally touches on themes of great personal loss and falls from grace. There’s also an undercurrent of the detective not really knowing who h can trust at all times, ... See More

he’s always sort of on a knife’s edge. Maybe it could be a psychological thriller in a way. I’m not really sure.

Tommy Gunner *who he can trust

J. M. Johnson It definitely sounds psychological thriller to me 😊 here are some things I found.

J. M. Johnson What makes a thriller? - does it play with the readers mind? - does it have surprises and twists? -does it make your readers think? - are you leaving your readers in suspense with cliffhangers?

J. M. Johnson

These fantastic hints and tips come from the amazing @KLLord

Top tips for growing your readership.

You have a book that is struggling to gain reads, even though you uploaded it over a year ago. How do you make it visible to readers? What keeps those readers interested? This also applies to a work in progress. Impatient readers might just give up if they have to wait too long, but if the quality of the story is worth it, they will keep checking back for updates. This is when you will notice

your follower count increase. I want to share my experience and help you and avoid some common mistakes.

(I'm continuing this in the comments because it won't all fit on one post.)

J. M. Johnson

A catchy cover:

Readers judge a book by its cover. It's true. An eye-catchy cover can make all the difference when it comes to pulling in the reads. If the cover looks interesting, they will check out your story. You might be tempted to use

Canva, but so do lots of people. You want your book to stand out from all the rest and shine like a star. If you're a whizz at Photoshop, then maybe you could create your own, but you will need to purchase licensed stock images from the likes of Shutterstock or Adobe stock, (there's more if you look). Sometimes even fonts are copyrighted, so check before you use them. The alternative is to purchase a cover from a designer. The prices vary. Facebook has 1000's cover designers who offer amazing deals. You can find premades for as little as $30 or commission an exclusive design (prices vary) If you have a smaller budget, then there are plenty of designers on Etsy who offer great value for money. Enter competitions to win free covers! It's free, so you have nothing to lose.

J. M. Johnson

Interesting story descriptions:

Write a blurb that will hook your audience in. Readers want an idea of what the story is about. Add a mysterious dialogue or a catchy quote. Once you've piqued their curiosity, they will want to read your book.

J. M. Johnson

Putting your best work forward:

Take the time to edit your chapters before you publish them. If your work is poorly written, readers will stop reading after the first few paragraphs. Readers are the grammar police. They WILL pull you up on it. I

still make mistakes, but when spotted, I go back and fix them. If you put out sloppy chapters, it shows you don't care about your work, which means that readers won't care about your work either. Reading is their hobby as much as writing is yours. They know a great story when they see one, so you want to pull them in with the first chapter. That first chapter is the 'make or break' element of your story. It determines whether they want to continue or quit reading. End the first chapter on a cliffhanger. This captures the reader's interest and they can't resist turning to the next page.

J. M. Johnson

Beta Readers:

Beta readers can be incredibly helpful. I have used them before, but you have to respect that they have their own commitments too. They may not work as fast as you'd like them to. Just be mindful that they have lives, families, jobs

too. And remember, they are helping you out for free. My top tip is to use a spelling and grammar checker, like the ProWriter app, and the Grammarly app. (I use both.) Then your beta reader can focus on the flow of your story and give you some vital pointers. Cleaning up your work saves you both time, and they are more inclined to stick with you until the end.

J. M. Johnson

Let's cover promotion:

There is no point promoting in a group that is mainly used by authors. As you can imagine, the authors are too busy writing their books to stop and read yours... and likewise. You want to gain a loyal readership where they

keep coming back for more. Invested readers will fall in love with your characters, get mad when they make mistakes, and tell all their friends to read your book. They will comment on your chapters and leave an honest review, even promote you on their social media accounts. This is the kind of activity you need to boost your story up the charts. You might be tempted to try read for reads. Yes, it can boost your read count a little, but it's only a short-term solution. It is unlikely you will gain any long-term readers that way.

J. M. Johnson Never promote your work in the comments section of another author's book or drop the link to your book on their wall. That is considered highly disrespectful and is frowned upon in the community. They may have more followers/readers than you, but ... See More

that didn't happen overnight. They had to start from scratch too. That's what you want to achieve, and trust me, you WILL get there. It takes time and effort.

J. M. Johnson Use social media as a means to promote your books. Facebook groups are the place to post. Look for reader groups, not author groups. Remember your target audience. If you write romance books, post in groups supportive of that genre. Make an ... See More

Instagram, Twitter, Facebook account under your pen name and invite readers to follow you. Post teasers from your chapters and try to tempt readers that way. Engage with your readers. You'll be surprised how far a reply of 'thank you' will go. It shows that you value them and that you have taken the time to respond to them. Kindness should always be rewarded with kindness.

J. M. Johnson

Tag like crazy:

That's right, tags increase your visibility! Readers search for tags of interest, so get tagging! Use keywords that are relevant to your story. Don't forget to do the same on your social media posts!

J. M. Johnson

Other platforms:

It can be useful to post some of your work onto other platforms. Think of this as fishing. If you cast your net wide, you're going to score a bigger catch. There are so many other writing platforms out there now, so take look and

see what is trending on their book charts. You don't need me to tell you what kind of stories are hot right now. That pretty much speaks for itself. To target that audience, try writing a short story and use it as bait to lure more readers to your other books. If they like your style, it is likely they will check it out.

J. M. Johnson

Complete or incomplete?

Some readers love to binge read while others like the suspense of waiting for weekly updates. Whether you have a completed book or a work in progress, here is a tip that could help you out. Post regularly. Even if you have

a complete book that is sitting there gathering dust. Unpublish all but the first chapter, then begin uploading it chapter by chapter every few days. If you are still writing your story, try to keep a chapter ahead—that way, you will always have content to post. My brain explodes when thinking about algorithms, but if you publish regularly, you will see your story emerge from the 'pit of books long since forgotten' and rise up the newly updated chart.

J. M. Johnson Finally, there is a fantastic group on Facebook: Inkitt/Wattpad Readers and Writers. This group offers beta readers, there is "Chloe's Creative Corner" by @chloenchicken who designs book covers. There are also pinned posts to promote your books via ... See More

the relevant genre, useful advice/tips and well as thousands of readers and writers ready to help with any questions. I would highly recommend joining - but please make sure you answer all the questions upon submitting your request to join, or the application could be rejected.

Nasepurity Thank you for the tips

J. M. Johnson

Hey everyone!

You may have noticed that a badge has been applied to your book if you successfully completed 11,666 words or more for the first week of NaNoWriMo! There are more badges to be won throughout the competition as well!

Remember to fill in the form if you are participating in NaNoWriMo this week as well

https://bit.ly/3kWOuna

Ryan Macharika

Okay it's official I am dropping out of NaNoWriMo

Yiona771 Aw how come?

Ryan Macharika School and stuff

Yiona771 Well, best of luck still to your story :) Don't need to be in a contest for that

J. M. Johnson

The first week of NaNoWriMo is drawing to a close, how many words did you all manage to write?

Ryan Macharika I couldn't get 11600 on time

J. M. Johnson @macharikaryan no matter what you wrote, it's still a massive achievement. You can always make up for it in the next few weeks to stay on target if you adjust your weekly figures- that's if you're planning on doing the full 50k. What did you write? Have you published to Inkitt?

Ryan Macharika I have published on Inkitt about half of it, the rest I keep uploading 1 chapter everyday but I write about two or three chapters everyday so I end having less stuff published than I have wrote which gives me time to go over the chapter on the next day before I publish it

J. M. Johnson @macharikaryan that sounds like a really smart way to do things. Plus, uploading in segments mean you may reach more people as you will go in the "recently updated" tab in the homescreen more often

Ryan Macharika Yeah maybe, I don’t seem to be reaching anyone though

Drew Jakobs

Who else is feeling like this right about now? I know I'm determined to get there this year!

How many of you have participated in NaNoWriMo before? Do you have any tips for the newbies???

Ryan Macharika I have and even though I was being pessimistic about the whole thing I'm actually enjoying it now since my book is really surprised me. Writing without planning brings a lot of joy if everything goes well. I won't get stuck somewhere along the way

Ryan Macharika But what I can to you is it depends on your speed. If you're a slow writer, plan, plan a lot. Know your ending, know your middle, know where each act ends and where it begins, there rest you can just fill out as you go.

BJRedman-Smith

Hi everyone,

Just looking for a plot opinion.

I'm writing a story about two serial killers; one has escaped from prison and is reaping havoc by slaughtering 8 people and kidnapping 3 more. My question is - is it too cliche to have one of the detectives hunting him actually conspiring/working with him?

Thanks in advance for your opinions.

B1eeding_Petals....aka Emily Christine @bjredmansmith I think that just depends on how the detective is helping him. If you craft an intriguing enough reason behind their partnering, that could be quite the twist for the MC who is trapped by both detective and killer during the showdown. Does this help?

J. M. Johnson I think a lot of the best books out there stem from tropes/cliches, its all about how much of a spin on it to make it unique.

B1eeding_Petals....aka Emily Christine @JMJohnson Well said! :)

BJRedman-Smith Thankyou B1eeding_Petals and J.M.Johnson

B1eeding_Petals....aka Emily Christine @bjredmansmith Happy to help! Good luck with your story!

BJRedman-Smith @B1eeding_Petals thank-you. had a confidence boost the other day with these 2 comments - ***OMG. This book is sooooo good. I read it all in one go. Can't wait for the next update*** and ***Ok, some of these chapters should come with a "Do Not Eat ... See More

While Reading" label. I was just sick*** - Based on the second comment I have added more Author's notes warning about language, potential need to cross legs, mutilation etc.

B1eeding_Petals....aka Emily Christine @bjredmansmith Lol! Well, I'm glad you achieved such a profound effect! Great job! Comments are so awesome, aren't they? :)

BJRedman-Smith @B1eeding_Petals they certainly are, I'm addicted whether they are positive, constructive, or negative. I started writing only 18-months ago when my psychologist suggested it as an outlet/escape from my current health situation. I'm kinda hooked now. Hope you are staying well in these trying times.

B1eeding_Petals....aka Emily Christine @bjredmansmith I'm glad it's working out for you. I'm doing well, as well as I can anyway ;)

J. M. Johnson What's the name of your books? I'd love to check them out!

BJRedman-Smith @JMJohnson I would love to hear your thoughts, Johnny is my thriller. Do.You.Love.Me is my romance/erotica/fantasy and my newest concept is Seeking Freedom it is a fantasy that could be romance or thriller, I haven't decided yet I think this link ... See More

should work for Johnny https://www.inkitt.com/stories/thriller/523440?ink_source=users.profile&ink_block=stories&ink_page_number=&ink_metric=

J. M. Johnson Perfect thank you! I've added your romance to my reading list, but I will be sure to check them all out 😊

BJRedman-Smith So it literally came to me in a dream during a nap today (don't tell work), the detective is using Jordan (escaped/bad -serial killer) to get revenge on the killers of his little brother, which Jordan witnessed while in solitary confinement in a max security prison. Naps are so underrated

BJRedman-Smith @JMJohnson so awesome thankyou. Quick question, in the beginning of your writing journey, on inkitt did you post on people's walls a thank you for adding your story to their reading lists? I'm

B1eeding_Petals....aka Emily Christine @bjredmansmith Oooo, nice twist! (And yes! Naps are underrated! I could give you a list of stories I've started because of a dream.)

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