Mayra Calvani's Blog - Posts Tagged "how-to-write-thrillers"
Talking Craft with George A. Bernstein, Author of ‘The Prom Dress Killer’
George A. Bernstein is the retired President of a Chicago appliance manufacturing company, now living in south Florida. Able to retire early and looking for something to do besides play golf, he leaned on a life-time flair for storytelling and turned to writing novels. He spent years attending writing seminars and conferences, learning to polish his work and developing a strong “voice.” Bernstein is acclaimed by his peers as a superb wordsmith.His first novel, Trapped, was a winner in a small Indie publisher’s “Next Great American Novel” contest, and received high praise, gaining many mostly 5-star reviews at Amazon (reaching their “Top 100”) and Goodreads. His 2nd novel, A 3rd Time to Die (A paranormal Romantic Suspense) has also garnered mostly 5-Star & 4-Star reviews, with one reader likening him to the best, less “spooky” works of Dean Koontz & Stephen King.
The Prom Dress Killer is the third of his Detective Al Warner Suspense series, with the first, DEATH’S ANGEL, and the second, BORN TO DIE, already garnering rave reviews. Bernstein has the next Warner novel already in the works, to be published in 2017. Readers have likened Bernstein’s Detective Al Warner to Patterson’s Alex Cross.
Bernstein works with professional editors to ensure his novels meets his own rigorous standards, and all of his books are currently published by small indie press, GnD Publishing LLC, in which he has an interest.
Bernstein is also a “World-class” fly-fisherman, setting a baker’s dozen IGFA World Records, mostly on fly-rods, and has published Toothy Critters Love Flies, the complete book on fly-fishing for pike & musky.
Connect with Berstein on the web:
http://amazon.com/author/georgeabernstein
http://facebook.com/georgeabernstein
Q: Congratulations on the release of your latest book, The Prom Dress Killer. To begin with, can you gives us a brief summary of what the story is about and what compelled you to write it?
A: The Prom Dress Killer begins with a psychotic serial-killer abducting young auburn-haired woman, and eventually killing them, leaving their bodies in peaceful repose, donned in fancy prom dresses.
Miami’s crack homicide detective, Al Warner, is on the case, but has no inkling as to why these girls were taken and then executed? What was their connection besides their red hair, and why the prom dresses?
Warner’s hunt for this clever psycho is stymied by a lack of clues, as bodies begin to pile up. As he desperately searches for the latest victim, the murderer finally makes one tiny error, possibly exposing his location.
As Warner and the FBI doggedly zero in on their fleeing prey and his newest captive, the action escalates. Unlikely players are drawn into a tense, deadly game. As the stunning climax plays out, Warner is trapped in a classic Catch-22. In order to snare this lethal psycho, he must make a decision that may haunt him forever.
I wrote this novel as a natural progression for my Detective Al Warner series. This is the 3rd, and I’m well into the 4th, with at least 2 others outlined.
Q: What do you think makes a good suspense novel? Could you narrow it down to the three most important elements? Is it even possible to narrow it down?
A: Suspense, thriller and mystery often get lumped together. For me, it’s first about who the characters are; secondly, a deadly terror threatens them, putting them in fear for their lives; and third, an action-packed climax, with a surprise the readers doesn’t expect. A mystery is more about solving a crime, while a suspense is about extreme jeopardy.
Q: How did you go about plotting your story? Or did you discover it as you worked on the book?
A: When I begin a novel, after conceiving the overall plot, I imaging my main characters, and use 4 x 6 cards to detail their physical and psychological make-up. I list their cars, their homes, their pets – anything I may need later. It’s important to keep all their data straight.
Next I outline the novel, chapter by chapter, with only a few sentences for each as a guideline. This is very flexible, as once I begin writing, the characters inevitably take over the action, often leading me to places I never expected. And they evolve into more complicated, more deadly (in the case of the antagonist), more loveable people.
Q: Tell us something interesting about your protagonist and how you developed him or her. Did you do any character interviews or sketches prior to the actual writing?
A: I wanted Detective Al Warner to be human, not a super hero, despite being labeled “The Hero of Miami” because of his killing a previous serial-killer, while almost dying himself from a gunshot wound. He’s a tough, street-wise homicide cop with great instincts, but has a softer side. He takes the death of ever victim very personally, and has an unshakeable morality. He’s the kind of guy who rescues a wounded golden retriever and brings the newspaper to the door of his elderly neighbor to save her the steps. He never expects to find love, but when he does, with surprising partners, he’s a tender and expert lover. On the other hand, he has no qualms over killing a vicious psycho. He would rather see him dead than in custody, but he fights that urge, trying to apprehend rather than kill. Readers tell me the love his character.
I’ve done some character interviews for Warner, but they’ve all been after the novels have been published.
Q: In the same light, how did you create your antagonist or villain? What steps did you take to make him or her realistic?
A: He just comes to me. His physical characters just “pop out” of my mind. As I mentioned earlier, he really creates who he is, psychologically, as the story develops. A lot of that comes to me at night, while awaiting sleep. Suddenly, I see him doing things I hadn’t imagined earlier … always worse things, at that. My critique group love how “creepy” (their words) he’s become.
Q: How did you keep your narrative exciting throughout the novel? Could you offer some practical, specific tips?
A: At a writers’ seminar, they asked, “What’s the worst thing that can happen to your protagonist?” When we came up with an answer, they asked, “What can be worse than that?” And then later, “Even worse than that?” In a suspense or thriller, you have to make bad things happen to your characters … even sometimes, the villain … and things have to go downhill from there. A scene of trauma or danger can’t be over in a half page. It should be even chapters long, and while your readers know everything will end up well, you’ll have them on the edge of their seat … and sometimes you’ll make them wrong. That’s what readers say about my novels: they never know what’s going to go wrong next.
Q: Setting is also quite important and in many cases it becomes like a character itself. What tools of the trade did you use in your writing to bring the setting to life?
A: I find that many writers err on both sides of what’s right here. Some are so into the story they forget to tell the reader what the characters look line, where they are, and don’t describe the setting. Others bury the reader in mountains of description that takes them right out of the story.
I like to feed descriptive information in a bit at a time rather than do it all in a “dump.” A quick mention of a silk Armani suit. That he smoothes his sparse moustache; she ran her fingers through her wavy auburn locks. The shriek of circling sea gulls; Smells of oregano and garlic; The sense of feel – the moist, salt-laden breeze wafting with a gentle caress. Small, quick things that set a scene without overburdening the reader. Smell is one of the senses many author forget to use, and it can be an important memory trigger in the novel.
Q: Did you know the theme(s) of your novel from the start or is this something you discovered after completing the first draft? Is this theme(s) recurrent in your other work?
A: I had an idea I liked: Scheherazade. I know that sounds strange, but I love the stories and concept of A Thousand and One Nights. I thought of writing a current day novel where a desperate woman uses her story-telling ability to delay and entertain a killer until she can be rescued. Rochelle Weitz becomes that woman in Prom Dress Killer.
Q: Where does craft end and art begin? Do you think editing can destroy the initial creative thrust of an author?
A: I’m not sure. I was always an “artful storyteller,” But after attending a plethora of writing classes at conferences, I blended that with skillful craft. Some of the simpler things were to keep it short: sentences, paragraphs, and chapters. How to build tension is craft. How WELL you build that tension is art. How beautifully you write scenes may be art, but how you blend it together for a seamless story is craft.
Where many new authors fail is that they may have the art, but lack the craft to make it compelling. Those are things I learned at the many conferences and seminars I attended.
Q: What three things, in your opinion, make a successful novelist?
A: First, the love of writing. We do it because we’re impelled to tell a story. Secondly, the imagination to conceive of people, places, and things to make a great story. And last, but far from least, the willingness to accept expert constructive criticism from editors and agents, and be willing to make changes to improve your work.
After Trapped was selected as “The Next Great American Novel,” my editor there made many great suggestions on how to improve it, including turning the whole novel into First Person POV of the protagonist, Jackee. That required a lot of rewriting, but made for a much more powerful narrative.
On the other hand, she also asked me to change the ending, but I refused – and argued my case successfully with the editor. One of the most common comments I get on that novel is, “I loved the ending.” So you have to be open to change, but also be willing to stand up for what you feel is right.
Q: A famous writer once wrote that being an author is like having to do homework for the rest of your life. What do you think about that?
A: Nope. Homework was a drag. I rarely needed it to excel, even for the toughest math classes. But writing is a joy, so I find them nothing alike.
Q: Are there any resources, books, workshops or sites about craft that you’ve found helpful during your writing career?
A: The library, of course, but mainly Google. Surgeons asked if I were a doctor because I got the medical details of Locked-in Syndrome so perfectly for Trapped, but it was all there on Google. And I was able to download a 30 page symposium from the BAU division of the FBI, regarding serial killers, and I’ve used that in two of my Warner novels.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers about the craft of writing?
A: For many new novelists, writing is an avocation, hoping to become a vocation, but for all but a very slim few, there’s not a lot of money in it. Do it because you love it and because there’s a story there fighting to get out. Don’t chase trends, because by the time you finish your work, that fad will have burned out. In other words, write what you feel you MUST, not what you SHOULD. Your outcome will be better for it.
Talking Craft with Thriller Author Jody Gehrman
Jody Gehrman has authored eleven published novels and numerous plays for stage and screen. Her debut suspense novel, Watch Me, is published by St. Martin's Press. Her Young Adult novel, Babe in Boyland, won the International Reading Association’s Teen Choice Award and was optioned by the Disney Channel. Jody’s plays have been produced or had staged readings in Ashland, New York, SanFrancisco, Chicago and L.A. Her newest full-length, TribalLife in America, won 
the Ebell Playwrights Prize and will receive a staged reading at the historic Ebell Theater in Los Angeles. She and her partner David Wolf won the New Generation Playwrights Award for theirone-act, Jake Savage, Jungle P.I. She holds a Masters Degree in ProfessionalWriting from the University of Southern California and is a professor of Communications at Mendocino College in Northern California.
Q: Congratulations on the release of your latest book, Watch Me. To begin with, can you gives us a brief summary of what the story is about and what compelled you to write it?
A: Watch Me is a dark psychological suspense novel about a professor caught up in a dangerous relationship with her charming but psychotic student. Writing this book felt important and cathartic. “Watch Me” is a dare, a command, and a plea. I was trying to put into words an experience I think many women can relate to. We go from always being on display in our twenties and early thirties to suddenly feeling invisible. The minute we hit puberty we start to feel eyes on us; we get so used to that state, we unconsciously accept it as a law of nature. When all those eyes turn away from us, it’s as if we disappear. My protagonist is thirty-eight, divorced, emotionally bruised, and disappearing. That perfect storm makes her vulnerable to an obsessive sociopath. He may be dangerous, but at least he sees her.
Q: What do you think makes a good psychological suspense novel? Could you narrow it down to the three most important elements? Is it even possible to narrow it down?
A: I suppose this is painfully obvious, but it has to be suspenseful. The reader has to feel a sort of dread that’s at once scary and also weirdly pleasurable.
The second element is also somewhat obvious but worth mentioning: the nature of the suspense should be psychological. What that means to me is we’re drawn into each character’s secrets; we get to explore his or her dark side, and in doing so, we explore our own. The element of fear isn’t centered on the supernatural or jump-scares but rather the shadow side of human nature.
The third element I look for as a reader and strive to achieve as a writer is atmosphere. I love it when the world of the book is so palpable I can lose myself in it, no matter what’s going on in my real life.
Q: How did you go about plotting your story? Or did you discover it as you worked on the book?
A: I’m a playwright and a screenwriter in addition to my work as a novelist, so I’ve learned a lot about plotting from the screenwriting community. I’m a huge fan of the late great Blake Snyder’s book on screenplay structure and storytelling, Save the Cat. Once I got the basic idea for Watch Me I ran it through Snyder’s fifteen story beats. The overall premise came to me in a heated rush, but I was able to refine the various plotting elements by looking at it through the lens Snyder explains so beautifully. If you struggle with plotting I highly recommend his book.
Q: Tell us something interesting about your protagonist and how you developed him or her. Did you do any character interviews or sketches prior to the actual writing? In the same light, how did you create your antagonist or villain? What steps did you take to make him or her realistic?
A: The book bounces between two very different voices—a writing professor and her protégé. It’s funny; since I’ve worked as a writing professor for two decades, I assumed her voice would dominate the book. Nobody was more surprised than me when her unhinged student took on a voice that just exploded on the page. I guess we all have a bit of crazy in us. I’ve discovered that taking on the point of view of a sociopath is both fascinating and weirdly therapeutic.
Q: How did you keep your narrative exciting throughout the novel? Could you offer some practical, specific tips?
A: The great thing about fiction is we get to fast-forward through the boring parts. I try to find the most dramatic, tense moments that will tell the story best.
In early drafts, it’s natural to avoid conflict to some extent. We get our characters into a tight spot, but we love them, so we want to make it easy for them to escape. In later drafts, my focus is on cutting off those escape routes and forcing the characters to sweat it out. I try to lose anything that slows the pace too much. I’m learning to put my beloved characters into impossibly tense situations and then, just when I can barely stand it, I turn the screws just a little more.
Q: Setting is also quite important and in many cases it becomes like a character itself. What tools of the trade did you use in your writing to bring the setting to life?
A: I love weather. It sounds cliché, but sprinkling a scene with just the right wind or rain or sun really can add to the tension. I’m also very olfactory. Smells play an important part in my books. It’s one of the most powerful senses when it comes to connecting with emotion. If I could write a novel with scratch-and-sniff pages that would awesome : )
Q: Did you know the theme(s) of your novel from the start or is this something you discovered after completing the first draft? Is this theme(s) recurrent in your other work?
A: The idea that people—especially women—feel invisible after a certain age is central to this book. It’s what makes my protagonist vulnerable to a dangerous stalker. This is something I’ve thought about for years, but wasn’t able to express until now.
Q: Where does craft end and art begin? Do you think editing can destroy the initial creative thrust of an author?
A: I do think that’s possible, especially if you’re working with an editor who doesn’t fully get your vision. Both my agent and my editor were so completely on board with this book, though, I never worried about that. They saw ways to make it better, but the fundamental bones of the book remained unchanged.
Many writers, myself included, want to please everyone. This can be dangerous. I caution my writing students to sift through the feedback they receive with an open mind, but only act on the notes that truly resonate. The longer you do this work, the clearer you get about which voices to listen to and which ones to ignore.
Q: What three things, in your opinion, make a successful novelist?
A: Perseverance, audacity, but most of all a deep love of the work itself.
Q: A famous writer once wrote that being an author is like having to do homework for the rest of your life. What do you think about that?
A: I guess that’s sort of true. I loved being a student, so I guess it makes sense that I’d want nonstop homework forever.
Q: Are there any resources, books, workshops or sites about craft that you’ve found helpful during your writing career?
A: Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat is my Bible.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers about the craft of writing?
A: It’s important to surround yourself with people who take your work as a writer seriously. Authors have enough rejection and ridicule to contend with in the public sphere; there’s no need to invite the same sort of energy into your home.
the Ebell Playwrights Prize and will receive a staged reading at the historic Ebell Theater in Los Angeles. She and her partner David Wolf won the New Generation Playwrights Award for theirone-act, Jake Savage, Jungle P.I. She holds a Masters Degree in ProfessionalWriting from the University of Southern California and is a professor of Communications at Mendocino College in Northern California.Q: Congratulations on the release of your latest book, Watch Me. To begin with, can you gives us a brief summary of what the story is about and what compelled you to write it?
A: Watch Me is a dark psychological suspense novel about a professor caught up in a dangerous relationship with her charming but psychotic student. Writing this book felt important and cathartic. “Watch Me” is a dare, a command, and a plea. I was trying to put into words an experience I think many women can relate to. We go from always being on display in our twenties and early thirties to suddenly feeling invisible. The minute we hit puberty we start to feel eyes on us; we get so used to that state, we unconsciously accept it as a law of nature. When all those eyes turn away from us, it’s as if we disappear. My protagonist is thirty-eight, divorced, emotionally bruised, and disappearing. That perfect storm makes her vulnerable to an obsessive sociopath. He may be dangerous, but at least he sees her.
Q: What do you think makes a good psychological suspense novel? Could you narrow it down to the three most important elements? Is it even possible to narrow it down?
A: I suppose this is painfully obvious, but it has to be suspenseful. The reader has to feel a sort of dread that’s at once scary and also weirdly pleasurable.The second element is also somewhat obvious but worth mentioning: the nature of the suspense should be psychological. What that means to me is we’re drawn into each character’s secrets; we get to explore his or her dark side, and in doing so, we explore our own. The element of fear isn’t centered on the supernatural or jump-scares but rather the shadow side of human nature.
The third element I look for as a reader and strive to achieve as a writer is atmosphere. I love it when the world of the book is so palpable I can lose myself in it, no matter what’s going on in my real life.
Q: How did you go about plotting your story? Or did you discover it as you worked on the book?
A: I’m a playwright and a screenwriter in addition to my work as a novelist, so I’ve learned a lot about plotting from the screenwriting community. I’m a huge fan of the late great Blake Snyder’s book on screenplay structure and storytelling, Save the Cat. Once I got the basic idea for Watch Me I ran it through Snyder’s fifteen story beats. The overall premise came to me in a heated rush, but I was able to refine the various plotting elements by looking at it through the lens Snyder explains so beautifully. If you struggle with plotting I highly recommend his book.
Q: Tell us something interesting about your protagonist and how you developed him or her. Did you do any character interviews or sketches prior to the actual writing? In the same light, how did you create your antagonist or villain? What steps did you take to make him or her realistic?
A: The book bounces between two very different voices—a writing professor and her protégé. It’s funny; since I’ve worked as a writing professor for two decades, I assumed her voice would dominate the book. Nobody was more surprised than me when her unhinged student took on a voice that just exploded on the page. I guess we all have a bit of crazy in us. I’ve discovered that taking on the point of view of a sociopath is both fascinating and weirdly therapeutic.
Q: How did you keep your narrative exciting throughout the novel? Could you offer some practical, specific tips?
A: The great thing about fiction is we get to fast-forward through the boring parts. I try to find the most dramatic, tense moments that will tell the story best.
In early drafts, it’s natural to avoid conflict to some extent. We get our characters into a tight spot, but we love them, so we want to make it easy for them to escape. In later drafts, my focus is on cutting off those escape routes and forcing the characters to sweat it out. I try to lose anything that slows the pace too much. I’m learning to put my beloved characters into impossibly tense situations and then, just when I can barely stand it, I turn the screws just a little more.
Q: Setting is also quite important and in many cases it becomes like a character itself. What tools of the trade did you use in your writing to bring the setting to life?
A: I love weather. It sounds cliché, but sprinkling a scene with just the right wind or rain or sun really can add to the tension. I’m also very olfactory. Smells play an important part in my books. It’s one of the most powerful senses when it comes to connecting with emotion. If I could write a novel with scratch-and-sniff pages that would awesome : )
Q: Did you know the theme(s) of your novel from the start or is this something you discovered after completing the first draft? Is this theme(s) recurrent in your other work?
A: The idea that people—especially women—feel invisible after a certain age is central to this book. It’s what makes my protagonist vulnerable to a dangerous stalker. This is something I’ve thought about for years, but wasn’t able to express until now.
Q: Where does craft end and art begin? Do you think editing can destroy the initial creative thrust of an author?
A: I do think that’s possible, especially if you’re working with an editor who doesn’t fully get your vision. Both my agent and my editor were so completely on board with this book, though, I never worried about that. They saw ways to make it better, but the fundamental bones of the book remained unchanged.
Many writers, myself included, want to please everyone. This can be dangerous. I caution my writing students to sift through the feedback they receive with an open mind, but only act on the notes that truly resonate. The longer you do this work, the clearer you get about which voices to listen to and which ones to ignore.
Q: What three things, in your opinion, make a successful novelist?
A: Perseverance, audacity, but most of all a deep love of the work itself.
Q: A famous writer once wrote that being an author is like having to do homework for the rest of your life. What do you think about that?
A: I guess that’s sort of true. I loved being a student, so I guess it makes sense that I’d want nonstop homework forever.
Q: Are there any resources, books, workshops or sites about craft that you’ve found helpful during your writing career?
A: Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat is my Bible.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers about the craft of writing?
A: It’s important to surround yourself with people who take your work as a writer seriously. Authors have enough rejection and ridicule to contend with in the public sphere; there’s no need to invite the same sort of energy into your home.
