Two years ago, I got signed by an agent. I assumed my mystery/thriller was tight and super-exciting because I’d been taken on as a client. But then, the editorial staff reviewed my novel, and reality hit when I received the staff’s notes. I realized I’d missed several opportunities to grab and keep my readers’ attention. Below are some tips I learned from that editorial process.

1. Always end each chapter with a question or an incident that pulls readers into the next chapter. It can be as simple as saying what the protagonist is going to do next. Avoid making your chapter feel complete, like you’ve tied up all loose ends, and they’ve reached a comfortable spot to take a break.
2. Once you’ve completed your scene or chapter, ask yourself, “How can I heighten the tension even more?” If it’s a sunny day, make it stormy. If the protagonist questions someone, have that individual be belligerent or hold back vital information. If they’re going on a trip, have them miss their connection. I get that we need a balance between quiet and action-packed scenes. But even if the protagonist is just sitting on a beach, we need tension. It’s okay if that tension is internal.
3. One of the best ways to add tension in a page-turner is to have the protagonist desperately want something in each scene, and that scene-wanting should relate to the main story goal. Maybe the protagonist wants to find a book that contains clues to her daughter’s murder. Her goal is to find her daughter’s killer. You get the picture.
4. Give your character’s relatable flaws. I once read a book about a sailor who could repair any mechanical problem, he was an expert navigator, he could tread water for hours, and he was a trained fighter, so when pirates boarded his ship, I wasn’t turning pages to see if he’d survive and make it back to land. In my mind, his survival was a given. I put the book down. If you want your readers to turn pages quickly, don’t make your protagonist Superman.
5. When you get to the final stage of editing and you think your book is good-to-go, read and edit your book again, then do it again, and again. Keep doing this until the narrative thread pulls you seamlessly through the novel. You want your transitions to be as smooth as possible, so readers aren’t yanked out of the story by poor logic or inconsistent character emotions.
6. Intentionally create a rolling effect with your protagonist’s choices. For example, because the protagonist chooses to do A, B happens. Because B happens, she chooses to do C. Because she decides to do C, D happens, and so on. Nothing slows a book down faster than when random life events happen to a character. (Unless we’re talking the inciting incident.) Floods, deaths, births, and illnesses happen in life, but “random” in books is a four-letter word. Give your protagonist the power of choice so that she can grow and learn like a well-developed character.
7. Keep your story moving with setting and character descriptions that occur in motion. Instead of saying, “She was a tall redhead,” say “she fingered a lock of her red hair and ducked beneath the door frame, hoping to remain out of sight.”
8. Make sure your characters’ emotions are clear. Try conveying them through inner thoughts or gestures, actions, and dialogue. The Emotions Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi is a great resource.
9. Take a cue from your favorite party guest and don’t overstay your welcome. Enter scenes late and leave early. You don’t need to show the protagonist driving to the murder scene, just put her there. Likewise, when the detective reveals the pivotal clue, you don’t have to bother with niceties by having him say goodbye.
10. Cut extra words and avoid overwriting. Remember, you’re not writing literary or historical fiction or romance. There’s a reason why mystery/thriller writers use clear, concise prose. These writers want their plots to move.

Thanks for reading my tips. Another great way to make your thriller into a real page turner is to read some great thrillers. Gone Girls by Gillian Flynn, Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell, and The Guest List, by Lucy Foley are three fantastic page turners. What are your favorite page turners? Do you have any tips for writing mystery/thrillers that keep readers turning pages?  I’d love to hear from you!