Top Thriller Elements Readers Love According to My Poll (And What They Hate)

Because my last poll about top thriller tropes was so much fun, I decided to conduct another one! This time I was curious about which elements you look for when you're deciding whether or not to pick up a new thriller. So, I asked my readers via my newsletter.

I know as a reader myself, looking over this list, I don't want to give up any one thing in favor of another. (Give me breakneck pace AND deep characters! Suspense AND all the twists!) But that's the fun of it. Which elements would you cling to for dear life and which would you be willing to compromise on? The results were surprising and really helpful.

(If you didn't participate in the poll, please feel free to comment below with your picks! Also, you can join my monthly newsletter for more polls and new release info.)

The results:

• Multiple Twists — 22%

• Villain or Killer's POV — 16%

• Multiple POVs — 16%

• A touch of speculative or paranormal elements — 12%

• Suspense as a priority over twists — 10%

• Multiple Timelines — 9%

• Breakneck pace even if it means characters aren't that developed or deep — 7%

• Slow burn that takes its time developing characters — 3%

• Historical elements (timelines that are 50+ years ago) — 3%

• Third Person POV narration — 2%

I was surprised to see "Killer's POV" so close to the top. I don't know why, I guess I assumed differently. (I love being wrong about things like this!) Tucking that into my writer's brain for later books.

"Multiple Twists" didn't surprise me, however. We thriller readers just adore that rug getting pulled out from under us. I wrote Don't Ask Why as an experiment in twists. I wanted to see how many I could get in there. So fun!

"Spec and Paranormal Elements" did surprise me. And made my lil horror heart happy. My only thriller with tiny spec elements is Make No Mistake. But I do have two horror novels and I love both thriller and horror.

As for pacing, it appears you guys like your books the same way I do: Fast paced, but with characters that you're invested in. That's not surprising. I think it's probably the basic hallmark of a good thriller and something I'm always striving toward.

It is a challenge to balance pacing and character development, though. They both seem to take from each other in a natural way. If you're spending a lot of time developing characters, that's time away from putting said characters into high-stakes situations that make the heart race. But what's the point of testing characters nobody cares about? They just feel like placeholders in service of the plot. This is a balance I am always working to improve in my writing.

You also apparently have very little love for Third Person POV narration—interesting. I wish we could have a conversation about this one because I'd love to hear more about your "why" there. Is it just an omniscient narrator you don't love? I don't think many of us readers enjoy the "head-hopping" narrator of the past. But Third Person POV can be very intimate—almost as close as First Person. What gives?

Sidenote: My thriller, The Final Scene is my only Third Person POV thriller. And I tried to do it in First Person. It just didn't work. Sometimes stories have opinions about the POV narration, which is always wild to run across as an author.

Okay, ending here before I just ramble on an on about my thoughts on these categories haha. Truly welome your thoughts if you want to share in the comments. I like analyzing what makes a killer thriller.

And thank you to everyone who participated in my poll! Again, if you'd like to be included in the next one I do, sign up for my newsletter. You can unsubscribe if you change your mind after a few emails.

XO,

Steph