One Piece of Advice From 49 Mystery and Thriller Authors in 2024

Here I’ve collected one piece of advice from 49 mystery and thriller authors who were featured in our author spotlight series in 2024. Be sure to click the author names if you’d like to read their full author spotlights from earlier this year.

“Practice being a storyteller as much as you practice writing beautiful sentences with good grammar, if you want to become a great fiction writer.” –Elom K. Akoto, author of Blindspot in America (Red Hen Press)

“Be relentlessly, illogically positive. I’ve had so many setbacks in the past few years, and there have been times when I’ve wondered if I’m cut out for this industry. I know every writer feels this way at some point in their career but the difference between those who find success and those who don’t is resilience and perseverance. If you want to be an author, you have to learn to accept moments of failure and disappointment, and then lean to move past them.” –Tess Amy, author of The Confidence Games (Berkley)

“As simple as it sounds, write the story that excites you most. Never write for what you think a mass audience will want to buy. You must live with this story and these characters for long, long time. Day in and day out. If you love them and love telling their story, that enthusiasm will be contagious to readers.” –Ace Atkins, author of Don’t Let the Devil Ride (William Morrow)

“The best advice I can give to any writer, aspiring or otherwise, is to keep writing. Don’t wait for an agent, a publisher, a contract, just keep writing and editing, every single day. Treat your writing like the job that it is. Set your alarm and go to ‘work’ every day, five days a week, because if you wait for inspiration to strike—or for a story idea to land in your lap—you’ll never get anything written. Some days you’ll end with a lot of words, other days you’ll stare at your screen and pull out your hair. In the end, it all evens out and before you know it, you’ll have a whole book.” –Kimberly Belle, author of The Paris Widow (Park Row Books)

“Every day. You need to work on the piece of writing every single day. Even for an hour. Even if you are in no mood for it (especially if you are in no mood for it). Because it’s work. And the pleasure comes, I promise, in the salt-mine day-to-day struggle. Also: Get outside of yourself. I don’t believe you have to write what you know. Don’t listen to that. Write a character utterly unlike you. Go from there.” –Christopher Bollen, author of Havoc (Harper)

“As crazy as it might sound, I meet a surprising number of fledgling authors who don’t read very widely and can’t really discuss books other than their own. I think one of the secrets of being a novelist who lasts is to read across genres and not be confined to fiction, nonfiction, or other specialty lanes. I’ve learned much more from deconstructing books that moved me than from any writing instructor or writers’ group. Also, embracing the real world and encountering people from every walk of life (and not just other academics or writers) will help ground the writing and the writer.” –C.J. Box, author of Three-Inch Teeth (Putnam)

“This is for those writers who can’t yet see their way to a finished book (which was me until my late-30s): Pay attention to the story that won’t leave you alone. Write it one way, and if it doesn’t work, try telling a different version, and then another. Keep chipping away at the layers of your idea until you get to the core of what you really want to say. Writing is this weird process, where you’re both building something new and stripping it back to its essence at the same time, and it helps to get comfortable with that contradiction. This means not expecting your first draft—or second or fifth—to look anything like a published novel, whether in style, word count, or expression. You’ll type out ‘The End’ many times before it really is, so my advice is to simply stick with the story that’s sticking to you, then take your time finding out the best way to tell it.” –Jacqueline Bublitz, author of Leave the Girls Behind (Emily Bestler Books)

“My best advice for other writers is to write what you truly love. It might sound cliché, but I think it can get tough in today’s publishing landscape to avoid getting wrapped up in trends or trying to write to place something in the market. I’ve always found that if I try to write even a short story, let alone a novel, that’s not directly related to a greater interest of mine, or a greater truth, something I want to explore or probe, something I’m frightened of and want to examine, the writing process grows convoluted to the point of being unenjoyable. If you write to please yourself, about a topic, setting, issue, historical figure, etc. that you adore or can obsess over, you’ll always get something out of the experience, and readers can absolutely sense that joy and appreciation for the themes or storylines in a writer’s work. Enjoying the process is important to me, so I aim to choose characters, topics, and/or settings for which I’m utterly stoked to fall down the rabbit hole while writing. Penning a novel is no small feat, and if you’ve got to stay down among the mushrooms and Mad Hatters while you complete it, it’s essential to enjoy the scenery!” –Christa Carmen, author of Beneath the Poet’s House (Thomas & Mercer)

“The timeless advice is read, read, read. Write, write, write. Just to add value, I’d throw in Make sure you have a strong pitch for why you are writing this book now. And if you’re trying to pick a debut manuscript, the best advice I ever came across is, ‘Write the book only you can write.'” –Alexia Casale, author of The Best Way to Bury Your Husband (Viking)

“You can always use fewer words. Also, be lucky enough to find something you love to write or paint or sculpt about, and then make it.” –Oliver Clements, author of The Queen’s Lies (Atria)

“The one piece of advice that is universal to all writers is to read. Read everything (and often). This is a direct correlation between input and output.” –Josh Corin, author of Assume Nothing (Thomas & Mercer)

“I have something that I call ‘good brain time,’ which is when I’m functioning at my best and I try to reserve as much of my good brain time as possible for writing. It’s easy to fall into a trap where you say something like ‘let me do these five tasks so that I can focus on writing’ and then never end up writing at all. The other tasks can wait until you’ve written something. You can do the other tasks with the dregs of your brain. Outside of my family, writing is the most important thing in my life.” –Tasha Coryell, author of Love Letters to a Serial Killer (Berkley)

“Read. Read well and read often. Read books written 50 years ago and read current bestsellers. Read outside of your genre, and outside of your comfort zone. A tennis player gets better by playing superior opponents. A writer improves by reading exceptional authors.” –Will Dean, author of The Chamber (Emily Bestler)

“Writing is so subjective: There are no rules for when, where, how, or what to write. But there is a good rule for why to write a particular story—because it interests you. Don’t work on a book because it seems like bestseller material or a juicy concept to pitch to an editor. I made that mistake myself, starting a novel about a podcast just because podcasts were having a big moment—I somehow discounted the fact that I didn’t particularly care about podcasts! Pay attention to what excites you, what makes you furious, what moves you. Watch the news, listen to gossip, dig into history books—inspiration is everywhere. Don’t worry that other people may not be as drawn to the subjects as you are: by writing with passion and knowledge, you’ll attract readers.” –Kelsey Rae Dimberg, author of Snake Oil (Mariner)

“Trust your instincts. If it rings true to you, chances are you got it right.” –Mailan Doquang, author of Blood Rubies (Mysterious Press)

“Probably: keep going. Even if it’s only one line at a time, one word at a time, just keep moving forward, inch by inch, and eventually you’ll get there.” –Pip Drysdale, author of The Close-Up (Gallery Books)

“Write the story that excites you—the one that you’d want to read, not the one you think others want to read. Mystery and thriller readers are a savvy bunch; they can tell when an author is truly vested in the plot and characters. Trust your instincts. Take risks. Don’t be afraid to explore the more unexpected corners of your imagination. And, perhaps most importantly, develop thick skin. Rejection is the handmaiden of a professional writer’s life. It’s true that everyone’s a critic. Take seriously the criticism that makes sense to your objective self and round-can the rest. Do not be discourage. And never, ever quit. As they say in Hollywood, keep giving them you until it’s you that they want.” –David Freed, author of Deep Fury (Blackstone)

“Read! Widely and eclectically and passionately. Then find what gives you the most pleasure in reading and try to pass that on in your own work.” –Carol Goodman, author of Return to Wyldcliffe Heights (William Morrow)

“Don’t waste your time chasing a publishing trend or writing what you think the big publishing houses want to see. Think of the story that you desperately want to read—for yourself, for your own pleasure—and then write it. Above all, live inside this conviction: there is a story out there waiting to be told—a story nobody else on the planet has the capacity to tell—waiting for you to have the courage to tell it.” –Nathan Gower, author of The Act of Disappearing (Mira)

“So much of the publishing process is outside of your control. If you let the industry or the people within it determine your self-worth or the value of your art, that process will crush you. Pin your joy and creative satisfaction instead on what you can control: your craft. Success at writing is the act of writing itself.” –Juliet Grames, author of The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia (Alfred A. Knopf)

“Discipline and commitment are the only way I know to go deep, to stay connected to a piece of work, and get through the gnarly struggles of successive drafts. Write every day, and never give up.” –Sydney Graves, author of The Arizona Triangle (Harper Paperbacks)

“There’s always that moment amid the writing process when a little bit (or a lot) of terror settles in. Can I still do this? Is the story any good? Will anyone want to read it? When I get here (and I always do), I take a step back and remind myself that I’ve been in this spot before and have always found my way through these thorny brambles of uncertainty. I walk, I read good books, and I keep writing, knowing and believing the story will find its way to me.” –Heather Gudenkauf, author of Everyone Is Watching (Park Row)

“Love what you do. The more you enjoy writing, the more your readers will enjoy reading your work. Use feedback to improve and don’t be put off by rejection. It’s just a part of the process. On paper you are without limitation so revel in the exploration of your ideas—set your characters free and let them lead you to places you never thought you could go. Most of all: Enjoy it! You’re infinitely luckier than the majority of people in human history, because you can tell your story.” –Janice Hallett, author of The Examiner (Atria)

“If you really want to write, then keep working until you’re so good at it your work can’t be ignored. Which means a lot of patience. That’s a little simplistic, but it’s really the only way.” –Steve Hamilton, author of An Honorable Assassin (Blackstone Publishing)

“I offer the same advice that every good writer I know offers: Put your ass in the chair and write. Soon enough you will run out of material from your own head, and you will be forced to interact with the outside world, through art, conversation, observation, argument, etc., all of which you will exploit and drain, like a vampire, to keep writing.” –Hart Hanson, author of The Seminarian (Blackstone Publishing)

“Find a number of words you can write with good energy every day. And write them. Every single day. Never write less, and never write much more. Just go a little past your quota until you are in the middle of a scene or idea that excites you and make yourself stop. That way you are not stopping at a double return, at the end of a section, at a transition, at white space. And then you can jump out of bed in the morning. All the energy you have stored by making yourself stick to your quota will be humming inside you. You will generate incredible momentum. Your relationship to your writing will change. Amen.” –Peter Heller, author of Burn (Knopf)

“Write. It’s the most basic advice, but I can’t count the number of aspiring writers I’ve met who have been carrying around an idea for years and have never put anything to page. The only way to figure out whether you can do it is to do it—and remember, it doesn’t have to be good yet. You can make it good later, in the second or fourth draft. But the words on the page can’t be good if the words on the page don’t even exist.” –Monica Hesse, author of The Brightwood Code (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

“Choose your own path. It’s so easy to get caught up in the comparison game. I think it’s important that we all recognize that we each have our own path. Stay true to your writing style and passion, and your success will come.” –Melissa Holtz, author of An Enchanting Case of Spirits (Berkley)

“Be honest with yourself about your talent. The business of writing is a tough one, and it doesn’t always make sense. A lot of bad books get published, and even sell, while some decent or even good ones never do. In general, though, if you have the goods as a writer, your work will get noticed and sell, at least to a publisher, if not to millions of readers. Cling to that as you go through the lean parts of waiting, but be ready when you get your chance. Give them a book no sane editor would reject. Make the ones who reject you go through the rest of their lives feeling like the record executives who turned down The Beatles.” –Greg Iles, author of Southern Man (William Morrow)

“As mentioned above, I’m not particularly swift at churning out pages. While I do get frustrated at my own pace, I try not to sink into self-recrimination. The advice I give myself, anyway, is don’t get too caught up in the idea of what being a writer means, adhering to a certain system, hitting a rigid word count per day, etc. Find a method that works for you, that gets you to your desk—or bed, coffeehouse, garret—and propels you into that next scene. It’s all allowed. Also, protect your writing time. I’m thinking of that warning from one of Agatha Christie’s early mentors: ‘Life knocks the art out of a good many people.’ Writers are the ones who choose writing again and again.” –Nova Jacobs, author of The Stars Turned Inside Out (Atria)

“Write for five minutes a day, at least four days a week. (It’s amazing how often a five-minute session can turn into 30 minutes, or 60…) If you can’t think of anything to write, find a book or a screenplay or any written work you love, and copy it word for word, typing as fast as you can with no regard for errors. Nothing has improved my craft more than this.” –Marcus Kliewer, author of We Used to Live Here (Emily Bestler Books)

“Take it easy on yourself and read widely. Once you’re in it, writing can mean so many things. An interview, or an event, or a Zoom, or social media, etc. While all of that stuff’s important at a certain point, none of it will help you to write a novel. I’ve found that the more I can keep ‘writing’ to just me and a notebook, the happier I am.” –Joseph Knox, author of Imposter Syndrome (Sourcebooks Landmark)

“The biggest piece of advice I can share is to go easy on yourself and to know that every book once started as an awful first draft. It’s a process, and few—if any—authors sit down and write a masterpiece on the first try. All books go through many drafts. Getting feedback from others is extremely valuable too, so be open to that, but also know that feedback is subjective and you don’t have to take every bit of advice you receive.” –Mary Kubica, author of She’s Not Sorry (Park Row Books)

“A lot can be said for being stubborn! This is a tough, but beautiful business. Perfect your craft and don’t give up. Love it more than anything. Believe—foolishly, hopefully, endlessly, passionately. You only lose if you stop trying. I was once asked, after many years and many a rejection, why I didn’t just stop trying. My reply was fervent and fevered: ‘I will never quit. If I have to write 99 novels and do it until I’m 100 years old—I will do that. I will never quit.’ Keep your eyes on your own page and ink your pen. One foot in front of the other. One word before the next. Stories are built one character at a time. You’ve got this.” –Dawn Kurtagich, author of The Madness (Graydon House Books)

“Dream big and don’t limit yourself. You’d be surprised what you can accomplish when you combine drive and work ethic. Also, never worry that someone else’s success diminishes your own progress. We are all on our own trajectories, and the goalpost for our respective careers is always moving. A rising tide lifts all boats.” –Elle Marr, author of The Alone Time (Thomas & Mercer)

“Above all, focus on your job, which is to trust yourself to write the best story you can. You have to take your work seriously, if you want readers to take it seriously.” –Rick Mofina, author of Someone Saw Something (MIRA)

“I think the most important thing about the writing process is knowing enough about how you personally work best. This is something I’m always learning more about—what helps me focus? How do I deal with problems in my outlines, or if I’m procrastinating (which I have a huge tendency to do), what’s the reason behind it? Keeping a writing journal has been essential for learning how I function best as a writer. I’ve got a document on my computer that I open at the start of every writing session (and often add to throughout the day), where I dump all my frustration, questions to myself, excited side-ideas, and generally anything I need to get out of my head before I start writing. It gets my fingers typing and, in many cases, helps me solve problems simply by talking them out with myself in that document. Another bonus of the writing journal is that I can search back to entries from a year ago, or two years ago, and see what my thoughts were at various times in the process of drafting, editing, or brainstorming other books. If I’m grumbling about hating my work at the 20,000-word mark on a previous book, I can look at my current feelings at that point in a new book and think, ‘Oh, this is actually quite a normal feeling for me at this point in the process! And I pushed through and felt better about it back then, so I can do that again.’ It’s amazing how much you forget about how you feel while drafting or doing major edits, and being able to go back and reflect and apply things I’ve learned has made a huge difference for me.” –Kristen Perrin, author of How to Solve Your Own Murder (Dutton)

“Be careful who you take criticism from. Never take it from somebody you wouldn’t ask for advice. Likewise, you’ll never please everyone, and your stories will read like they were written by committee if you try. Instead, pick maybe two or three people whose opinions—and ideally, whose writing—you respect, and get their feedback instead.” –Cherie Priest, author of The Drowning House (Sourcebooks)

“Take risks with your work. Seek out publication. Seek out an agent. All too often I encounter writers who fear rejection, so they write but don’t take the next step. There are so many stories that need to be told, need to be read, need to be heard. Just go for it.” –Marcie Rendon, author of Where They Last Saw Her (Bantam)

“Write YOUR story, YOUR way. Beta readers and critique groups are fine if you find them useful, but in the end, it’s YOUR voice that will make your books stand out.” –Karen Robards, author of Some Murders in Berlin (Mira)

“Stick to it.” –Stella Sands, author of Wordhunter (HarperCollins)

“Say your dreams out loud, farfetched as they might be—they just might come true.” –Kim Sherwood, author of A Spy Like Me (William Morrow)

“Be willing to play, to experiment with your story. Up until the moment a book is finalized, it will be revised and subject to change, in flux. Keep in dialogue with the story and its characters and see what new directions open up to you.” –Nicola Solvinic, author of The Hunter’s Daughter (Berkley)

“I wish there was a golden secret to making every story or novel materialize exactly as you envision, in a timely and painless manner. But the reality is, it takes time and perseverance. Ultimately, every writer has their own process and if someone else’s advice doesn’t ring true to you, don’t take it.” –Zoje Stage, author of Dear Hanna (Thomas & Mercer)

“Don’t listen to advice from authors. Figure out what works for you and do it!” –Maggie Thrash, author of Rainbow Black (Harper Perennial)

“Create a solid writing routine! I write every day, at least when I’m in the ‘composition’ phase of a book, and this consistency shelters me from all sorts of problems—procrastination, writers block, self-doubt. I think it was Picasso who said that ‘the muse finds me while I’m working.’ That’s true for me, as well.” –Danielle Trussoni, author of The Puzzle Box (Random House)

“I see people online talking about being ‘plotters’ or ‘pantsers’ as if they’re immutable character traits. I’m a pretty chaotic loosey-goosey person by nature and pantsed my first book, but my first contract required me to submit an outline for my works in progress. Having that outline to refer to when I’m really in the weeds while working on subsequent books has made my writing life 100 percent easier, even if I often still go way off-script and change things as I go. Because of that, one piece of advice that I have is to try not to wed yourself too completely to an idea of yourself as a specific ‘kind’ of writer. I think it’s a better idea to let yourself experiment with different ways of doing things until you find a method that makes the writing process as joyful and stress-free as possible, and results in completed, readable books.” –C.M. Waggoner, author of The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society (Ace)

“I cringe now when I think about the first drafts I sent out, honestly believing my manuscript—without any editing—was ready! Undoubtedly, the most important thing I have learned (so far) in my publishing journey, and the one piece of advice I would pass on, is how crucial it is to get work read and then to be open to feedback. That’s how You’d Look Better as a Ghost moved out of the slush pile and into bookshops!” –Joanna Wallace, author of You’d Look Better as a Ghost (Penguin Books)

“Use your imagination. I find it dispiriting how many young, aspirational fiction writers—including undergraduates, MFA students, and anyone learning the craft—don’t actually want to write fiction. They want to publish their diaries and draw rapturous acclaim. It’s OK to be a poet. Why not call yourself that? It’s totally fine to write nonfiction. Why not own it? Fiction that’s too reliant on autobiography tastes like, to me, milk that’s been left in the fridge past its expiration date. Don’t let your imagination curdle!” –Snowden Wright, author of The Queen City Detective Agency (HarperCollins)

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While there’s no shortage of writing advice, it’s often scattered around—a piece of advice here, words of wisdom there. And in the moments when you most need writing advice, what you find might not resonate with you or speak to the issue you’re dealing with. In A Year of Writing Advice, the editors of Writer’s Digest have gathered thoughts, musings, and yes, advice from 365 authors in dozens of genres to help you on your writing journey.

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