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What if the tropes you love are actually holding your thriller back?

In this episode, Charlene Wang reveals how she transformed the beloved campus novel into a feminist revenge thriller by strategically subverting genre expectations.

And the results landed her a major book deal.

You'll discover the counterintuitive truth about "wasted" drafts (spoiler: nothing is ever wasted), learn how to weaponize social media as a character psychology tool rather than just a plot device, and understand why the most compelling morally gray characters make us root for their goals while questioning their methods.

If you're struggling to make your thriller feel fresh or your contemporary setting feel authentic, this conversation will fundamentally change how you approach revision and might just save you years of trial and error.

Learn more about Charlene

Bio:
Charlene Wang was born in Beijing and, after immigrating to the US when she was three, has lived in seven different cities from Los Angeles to Rockville to Biloxi. Graduating with a B.A. in English from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from University of Virginia School of Law, she worked as a litigator for six years before quitting to pursue her childhood dream of becoming an author. She now lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her fiancé and their dog Winky.

Episodes I think you'll love...

1. Agent Carleen Geisler Reads a Submission & Shares How Agents Evaluate Opening Pages
2. Writing Your Opening Scene with Thomas Mullen
3. Writing Unique Openings to Grab Literary Agent Attention: Jason Powell Author

Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction

Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

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What if I told you that right now, while established agents are drowning in hundreds of submissions, there's a brand new literary agent who's actively building his client list and genuinely excited to discover your manuscript?

In this episode, Tommy Dean shares what makes him your ideal partner in this industry.

Tommy shares...

• the insider secrets that separate professional queries from amateur ones
• why newer agents might actually be your best bet for building a career-long partnership,
• some hard truths about what's instantly killing your chances in the query process.

If you're serious about traditional publishing, this conversation could be the game-changer that gets your work noticed.

Bio: Tommy Dean is an associate literary agent with Rosecliff Literary, the author of two flash fiction chapbooks, Special Like the People on TV (Redbird Chapbooks, 2014) and Covenants (ELJ Editions, 2021), and a full flash collection, Hollows (Alternating Current Press, 2022). He lives in Indiana, where he is currently the editor of Fractured Lit and Uncharted Magazine. A recipient of the 2019 Lascaux Prize in Short Fiction, his writing can be found in Best Microfiction 2019, 2020, 2023, and Best Small Fiction 2019 and 2022. His work has been published in Monkeybicycle, Laurel Review, Moon City Review, Pithead Chapel, Harpur Palate, and many other litmags. He has taught writing workshops for the Gotham Writers Workshop, The Writers Center, and The Writers Workshop. Find him at tommydeanwriter.com and on Twitter @TommyDeanWriter.

Episodes I think you'll love...

Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction

Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!

You’re going to love this exclusive conversation with Chantelle Aimée Osman, Senior Editor at Simon & Schuster's new imprint, Simon Maverick.

Chantelle reveals how the publishing industry is evolving to meet indie and hybrid authors where they are.

And why audio is becoming the new frontier that could transform your writing career.

Discover the submission strategies that actually work, learn why your biggest strength might be the one thing editors can't fix, and find out how to reframe rejection in a way that accelerates rather than derails your publishing journey.

Whether you're traditionally published, indie, or still figuring out your path, this conversation offers insider insights that could change everything about how you approach your writing career.

Past Episodes with Chantelle

What You'll Learn:

• Why audio publishing is the new gold rush opportunity
• The one manuscript element editors absolutely cannot fix
• How to reframe rejection as progress toward your goal

Click here to learn more about Chantelle Aimee Osman

Guest Bio: Chantelle Aimée Osman (she/her) is senior editor at Simon & Schuster's newest imprint, Simon Maverick. Prior to joining Simon & Schuster, Chantelle Aimée Osman was an acquiring editor at Amazon Publishing, where she worked with bestselling authors such as Robert Dugoni, Mark Sullivan, Suzanne Redfearn, Megan Chance, Victoria Helen Stone, and Simon Tolkien. Previously, she helped found Agora Books, an imprint of independent press Polis Books, focusing on crime fiction and horror with unique social and cultural voices—themes which still hold a special place in her heart. She's online at chantelleaimee.com

Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction

Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now