"What makes a thriller or a suspense novel a medical thriller? A successful novel in this genre needs more than a few scientific terms tossed in at random. Placement of the plot points and the medical aspects must be carefully spaced. How does one weave these together to make a coherent work? For the framework, you need a sound storyline. The plot must build and pull the reader along. The scientific/medical aspects of the story should be sprinkled through the manuscript like breadcrumbs; a literary trail for your readers to follow..."
"Where does one get inspiration for their medical suspense/thriller novel? Scan the titles on the shelves in your local bookstore. The phrase “ripped from the headlines” can be applied to many. When an unusual cause of death or public health issue hits the news, expect to see it in the next wave of bestsellers. With the rise of serious infections with scary acronyms such as MRSA and VRE (not to mention “flesh-eating bacteria!”) it is no surprise that these have followed AIDS into the areas of medical fiction. One key to a successful thriller is that it incorporates scientific fact. The story must be plausible, not matter how unlikely. Picture a “perfect storm” of one bad event leading to another, which might be nearly impossible to replicate in reality, but nevertheless is possible..."
"Writing a medical thriller requires mastery of two worlds: constructing a good story and finding interesting medical points to thread into that story. This is a difficult task, but one that when done well, is extremely satisfying both for the author and for the reader."
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