How to Get Published

by New York Times bestselling author, Joseph Finder

VANISHED, the book that’s coming out in just a few days (!), will be the first in a series featuring Nick Heller, a high-powered investigator with a private intelligence firm . . . and his friends and family.

Creating Nick’s world took longer than I expected, because it was so important to me to get these characters right. It wasn’t just the facts about what guys like Nick - “private spies” - do. It was the essence of the man, the personality, the likes and dislikes, the quirks and the rough edges. It’s always been important to me to like my characters - even the bad guys - and since this gang will be with me for years to come, if all goes well, it was even more important than usual.

Never forget: novels are about people. The more interesting the character, the more interesting the book. Good characters can sometimes save a bad plot, but - with very rare exceptions — good plots can’t save paper-thin characters.

But does that mean that your hero, or your main protagonists, have to be likable? Yes, I really think so. When you’re writing a thriller, it’s especially important. (more…)