Low/high concept thriller?
I've been mulling over the quality of my novel, and the more I think about it, the more I feel it could be understood as a low-concept story.
It is unusual, refreshing, thought-provoking, and not what one would expect from a profiler versus a serial killer thriller. The main thing is that it's character-driven.
I mean, it's about a trauma-afflicted transgender woman and ex-profiler being stalked by a serial killer. It explores the emotional effects of trauma on the main character.
Plot twists and the narrative are vital to my thriller, which occurs in an everyday rural setting. There are plenty of interpersonal relationships and interactions.
The premise is simple: she must stop the killer before he makes her his ultimate victim. The story is fast-paced and suspenseful. Yet, enough space is allowed to dive deep into the main character's past to flesh her out.
I may be wrong in my assessment, which wouldn't be the first and only time in my life, but I'm feeling it in my bones.
If we compare it, not by the quality of writing or prose, but because of its attention-grabbing premise and easy-to-grasp plot, there might be a latent high-concept thing going on. For months, I have been searching to find my niche, my place in the universe of storytellers. I can only say that I feel a deep kinship with a type of story in the thriller genre. I was smitten by The Silence of the Lambs, Red Dragon, and Hannibal by Thomas Harris. I feel head over heels in love with Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and Karen Slaughter’s books. In recent years, I found other thrillers that also take my breath away. That makes my heart skip a beat. Thrillers by Renee James, Robyn Gigl, and the always fast-paced and exciting books by Dharma Kelleher touch me on a personal level.
I’m not comparing myself to any of the wonderful authors mentioned. I still have a long road ahead and only wish to be me.
Joelle