How to Write an Electrifying Heist-Thriller That Steals the Show

By Kayvion Lewis | Review

How does one write an intensely engaging, high-stakes heist-thriller? There are a couple of places you can start.

Option one: Assemble a crew of misfits and execute a heist of your own. (Given the low success rate for this one, I'd recommend going another route.)

Option two: Research! Media is full of enthralling heists and action stories. I myself started writing Heist Royale, the sequel to Thieves' Gambit, by watching Casino Royale. (Can you see the homage in the title?) I also revisited a series I loved as a kid--The 39 clues. When looking for inspiration from great works of fiction that came before, I think it's smarter to look for stories that capture the feeling that you want to capture in your own story as opposed to books or movies that are technically the same genre. Heist stories can come in so many different shades; serious and gritty, puzzling and intellectual, or--like Thieves' Gambit and Heist Royale--bombastic and fun. I go hunting for inspiration in things that "taste" like the story I want to craft, even if it doesn't look like the dish I'm making at first glance.

Real life is also stuffed with surprisingly insane heists and robberies, and we writers of today are so lucky to live in this digital age, where access to any kind of information is a few taps away. Google "weird heists". Watch the Youtube videos about strange but true adventures people have lived through. You will come across some fascinating stuff and unexpected ideas.

Finally, real-life adventures always come in handy for writing your own--even if they don't include executing a heist. No need to catch a flight halfway across the world or sail the seven seas to be adventurous either. Sometimes it's as simple as visiting a festival you've never been to before, or trying a dessert you didn't think you'd like. Meet new people, and try new things. If you live life with a sense of wonder and imagination, you'll be able to transfer those feelings into your writing too.

At least, that's how I think I did it.