Writing a Medical Thriller Part Two

When to know when enough is enough.

In recent years, the bar for surprising or shocking the reader has been raised ever higher, and the literary net has been cast out to ever greater distances in search of new areas to trawl for plot inspirations. At some point, the writer has to sit back and decide when he or she has found a reasonable level of “shock and awe” or has crossed the line into a realm of violence, revulsion or depravity for its own sake. The goal of a well-constructed thriller is to offer surprises without painting situations that would unnecessarily repulse the reader.

This can be the equivalent of walking a verbal tightrope. We have all experienced the excitement of a scary story or an amusement park thrill ride, but part of the ability to enjoy these sensations comes from knowing that in the end, we will emerge unharmed. Similarly, fictional characters we love may encounter physical or emotional difficulties, but somehow, we know that they will live and become stronger as a result of their trials. Such is the time-tested formula of soap operas, though in that medium, reality is often suspended beyond a level that would be credible for a writer of a novel.

As a reader, I do not like to see a beloved character so scarred, physically or emotionally, that it becomes painful to read any further adventures. More than one popular fiction series has ventured perhaps too far into the darkness. Once that line is crossed, it is difficult to return. The joy the reader has come to expect from following their favorite character can be forever diminished by the memory of a repulsive prior encounter.

With the continued “pushing of the envelope” in all media, there is a danger to assume that readers are so jaded and bored that only the most extreme situations and the most graphic descriptions of violence or calamity will hold their interest. Readers primarily want a good story, and a book should be a welcome escape. Of course, we as writers need to include surprises and scary moments, but we need to remember that even a thriller does not require a certain body count to make us turn the page.

The level of emphasis on the personal lives of the characters in a thriller can also be tricky. One needs to create multi-dimensional characters without throwing in large amounts of detail that is not relevant to the story.

Another possible pitfall on the road to writing a medical thriller is to become so involved in the technical aspects that the book reads more like a text. This is not to say that an author cannot impart significant amounts of interesting and useful information via the story. No, it means that it must be integral to that story and presented through the characters so that it drives the plot. Indeed, learning more about subjects that are of interest to a compelling character is one of the enriching aspects of reading.

Part One: What makes a thriller a medical thriller?

Barbara Wilhelm (Mela Barrows Bennett) is the author of Murder Makes the Rounds. Click here to read an interview with Barbara Wilhelm.