James N. Frey Quote

So far, we’ve discussed how you start with a germinal idea and what makes a good one; then we discussed the villain profile and how to create a villain with a dark mission, who will take actions to get what he wants. These actions are the plot behind the plot. The hero’s job in a thriller, remember, is to foil evil. The villain’s plot behind the plot is the evil the hero must foil. These actions the hero and others take to counter the plot behind the plot make up the plot of your thriller. Simple, no?

James N. Frey

So far, we’ve discussed how you start with a germinal idea and what makes a good one; then we discussed the villain profile and how to create a villain with a dark mission, who will take actions to get what he wants. These actions are the plot behind the plot. The hero’s job in a thriller, remember, is to foil evil. The villain’s plot behind the plot is the evil the hero must foil. These actions the hero and others take to counter the plot behind the plot make up the plot of your thriller. Simple, no?

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About James N. Frey

James N. Frey (born March 15, 1943, in Syracuse, New York) is an American writer and creative writing teacher. Frey has written both fiction and non-fiction and is known for his book called How to Write a Damn Good Novel. He has written novels, plays, and several guides on writing. In addition to being an author, he is a lecturer at schools and conferences. Frey was selected Honored Teacher of the Year in 1994 for his novel writing classes at the University of California, Berkeley. Currently, Frey lives in Berkeley, California.