TOP 14 TIPS FOR WRITING GRIPPING ACTION AND ADVENTURE THRILLERS

1. Read the genre. A lot. You’ll find what works . . . and what doesn’t. Turn to the masters like Robert Ludlum, Nelson DeMille and Dan Brown for inspiration.
2. Popcorn, anyone? Dedicate your movie night to watching action films. Jot down the beats. What could be better than bingeing Ian Fleming’s Bond films?  
3. Start with a bang. Your readers are expecting action and adventure. Draw them in from the first line.
4. The inciting incident. What event ignites the story? Is it a missing person? A hijacking? A terrorist attack? Make it compelling.
5. The quest. What is the hero trying to achieve? In the Raiders movies it’s to find a lost relic that others want to get to first. 
6. Up the ante. Make the stakes the highest they can be. It’s a tip an agent gave me at Thrillerfest years ago. I changed my protagonist’s girlfriend into a fiancée. Can you turn the threat of Injury into the threat of death? Can what’s at stake impact not only local business but destroy the entire city?
7. The setting. Choose those that excite you and lend themselves to nail-biting scenarios. If you’re pumped, your readers will be as well.
8. The villain. Create a devious antagonist. Without a villain, you have no conflict. Whatever the hero is pursuing, he needs a strong foil who attempts to thwart his quest at every turn. 
9. The showdown. The crescendo of your book is when your hero and villain struggle for the upper hand while the stakes are at their highest. Everything you’ve written till this point leads here.
10. Think ahead and keep it real. How will you get your character into that heart-pumping action scene? If it’s a car chase, that’s an easy one. But climbing a glacier? Ziplining across a rainforest? Is he a geologist or a regular guy? Be sure to create just enough backstory to make it plausible. 
11. Picture the scene in your mind. It’s important to get the action logistics down. If you’re writing a fight scene, how do the bodies move/punch/react?
12. Use your own experiences . . . or those you’ve read about. Been on a cruise to the Caribbean? Look at your photos, think about activities you did and use them in your stories. There’s no better narrative than one that emerges from personal experience. 
13. Research is your friend. No, really. If you’re unfamiliar with a setting, activity or topic, take the time to learn about it. Writing a boat chase? Watch videos about boats and take note of the relevant terminology. Do your due diligence. Your readers will know when you’ve made a mistake. 
14. Pace yourself. Readers of this genre are expecting to be kept on their toes. Give them what they want with quick pacing and unpredictable plot twists. And remember to end your story with your readers wanting more. Closing up loose ends is a must but a mini-cliffhanger will bring them back to buy for your next release.