What makes a thriller thrilling? In this episode of Writing Break, we discuss pacing, stakes, suspense, and more. We also look at what, if anything, BookTok can do for you.

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Overthinking Couch Topics:

• The key differences between suspense and thrillers
• How to raise stakes that truly matter
• The secret to pacing that keeps readers hooked without burning them out
• Pitfalls to avoid when writing thrillers
• Thriller and suspense subgenres

• Black British Book Festival born from 'frustration and vision' as festival enters fifth year
• Warsaw opens metro station ‘express’ library to get commuters off their phones | Poland | The Guardian
• The #BookTok Connection: Examining Cultural and Linguistic Identity Expression in Online Reading Communities
• Why I Won’t Quit BookTok | Vogue
• The #BookTok Connection: Examining Cultural and Linguistic Identity Expression in Online Reading Communities
• The Influence of BookTok on Literary Criticisms and Diversity
• BookTok is reviving publishing – but at what cost? | The Week
• Free Style Sheet Templates
• Free Writing Tips

Music licensed from Storyblocks.

Season 8 of Writing Break sets sail with mystery and detective fiction. From archetypal sleuths to red herrings and fair-play clues, learn how to craft puzzles that keep readers guessing. Plus, the latest publishing news, including a $1.5 billion AI copyright settlement and turmoil at the Library of Congress.

Overthinking Couch Topics:

• Why it matters to revisit genre basics in an AI-dominated landscape
• What readers and publishers expect from mystery and detective fiction
• Classic detective archetypes: from loners to gentleman sleuths to amateur nosy neighbors
• The art of fair-play clues, hidden details, and red herrings
• How to reverse-engineer your crime
• Delivering the big reveal without cheating your reader

• New AI text-to-speech audio app launches with '60% of every sale going to authors'
• Anthropic to pay authors $1.5bn to settle lawsuit over using pirated books to train AI - Music Business Worldwide
• AAP Endorses the US$1.5 Billion AI Settlement Proposed in Bartz v. Anthropic
• Who Is in Charge of the Library of Congress? - UnderstandingCongress.org
• Former Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden Speaks Out on CBS
• Fresh off Trump firings, Library of Congress stares down a proposed cut
• Library of Congress Reaches Major Milestone in Bringing Collections to Users
• Welcome to the New Library of Congress Catalog! - Catalog Help and Documentation - Research Guides at Library of Congress
• Fired copyright chief lawsuit over Trump powers
• Todd Blanche, a Justice Department official, as acting Librarian of Congress
• President Trump fires Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden
• Free Style Sheet Templates
• Free Writing Tips

Music licensed from Storyblocks.

In this bonus episode, we’re wrapping up Season 7 with a stitched-together master episode featuring all five segments from our Querying Literary Agent series.

Whether you're just starting your submission journey or navigating the silence after sending your pitch, this complete guide has you covered.

• Part 1: Big Five Dreams or Indie Vibes?
• Part 2: Where the Lit Agents Are and How to Find Yours
• Part 3: Writing Your Query Letter
• Part 4: What Happens After You Hit Send
• Bonus: What to Do While You Wait

This episode is your one-stop-shop for understanding the querying process from beginning to end.

Plus, I give you a sneak peek into what’s ahead:

Season 8: Mastering fiction genres

Season 9: Breaking the rules with experimental and hybrid work

Season 10: Mastering nonfiction, including memoir, journalism, essays, and more

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• Free Style Sheet Templates
• Free Writing Tips

Music licensed from Storyblocks.