On Technical Genre Fiction by Glenn Parris M. D.
What could be easier to sell than a good conspiracy? Unfortunately, the public seems to be only too willing to accept the worst of celebrities, politicians and our institutions. I say “unfortunately” only in the context of the real world that we live in, but as creators of fiction, this trend is a bonanza. As mystery and thriller writers, we fuel the fire. This genre probably leads every other, with the possible exception of romance, in books, television and movies. The adage, “write what you know” certainly holds true if you want to suspend disbelief about a story. As a physician, I find that wrapping a good lie in some truth and solid medical methods is the best way to reel an audience in. Everyone wants a peek behind the curtain, regardless whether you’re writing police/detective thrillers, or medical/science novels. One of the most fascinating phenomena that I’ve noticed about writing in the medical thriller genre is the fact that readers rarely question the aspects of t...
