Harlan Coben
Writing Thrillers
Hook your reader and write jaw-dropping twists with the legendary author behind 10 New York Times Bestsellers.
This course includes:
What you'll learn
Join Harlan as he shares his secrets to building suspenseful stories, and craft novels your readers simply can’t put down.
- Perfect the art of pacing
- Master suspense, tension and plot twists
- Learn about structure, dialogue, setting and character
- Beat writer's block
- Adapt your novel for TV
- Get industry insights from Harlan’s editor and agent
Learn even more with a subscription
Access all 44 courses to learn from the world's greatest authors, chefs, entrepreneurs and more.
Harlan Coben is the #1 New York Times author of more than 36 novels including The Boy from the Woods, Fool Me Once, Tell No One and the renowned Myron Bolitar series. His books have been published in 46 languages around the globe, and many have also been adapted into television dramas including The Stranger, Stay Close, and Shelter to name but a few. Harlan Coben has been awarded the Edgar Award, Shamus Award and Anthony Award – he was in fact the first author to win all three – and was the first writer in more than a decade to be invited to write fiction for the New York Times op-ed page. His essays and columns have appeared in many top publications including the New York Times, Parade Magazine, and Bloomberg Views.
-
Isabel Allende
Magical Storytelling
-
Jojo Moyes
Writing Love Stories
-
Ken Follett
Writing Bestselling Fiction
-
Alan Moore
Storytelling
-
Julia Donaldson
Writing Children's Picture Books
-
Lee Child
Writing Popular Fiction
-
Bill Lawrence
Writing Comedy for Television
-
Carol Ann Duffy
Writing Poetry
-
Malorie Blackman
Writing for Young Adults
-
Jed Mercurio
Writing Drama for Television
-
David Walliams
Writing Books for Children
Course preview
Lesson plan (23)
-
01
Writing Thrillers Introduction
05:53
-
02
Being a Writer
18:14
-
03
Inspiration - The idea
13:38
-
04
Inspiration – In Practice
15:01
-
05
Perspiration – The Work
07:01
-
06
Desperation – The Motivation
10:56
-
07
Research
08:49
-
08
The Plot
12:03
-
09
Characters
18:08
-
10
Villains
11:34
-
11
Starting from the Middle
10:30
-
12
Setting and Atmosphere
08:55
-
13
Dialogue
09:07
-
14
Pacing
06:22
-
15
Suspense and Secrets
10:28
-
16
Plot Twists and Rabbit Holes
12:37
-
17
Reframing Writer’s Block
12:03
-
18
Memorable Endings
15:12
-
19
Editing
23:23
-
20
Considering Audience
09:13
-
21
Getting an Agent
13:52
-
22
Writing for Television
13:59
-
23
Conclusion
01:56
Thanks for signing up
Check your inbox - your free lesson is on the way!
Oops! Something went wrong
Please try again later
Get a free taster lesson
Sign up for Harlan Coben’s free introductory lesson, which will give you a flavour of what’s to come on his course, and get you inspired to start writing.
Reviews for BBC Maestro
Pricing options
- Watch on computer, TV, phone, or tablet
- Change or cancel your subscription any time
One course |
Best value Every course |
|
---|---|---|
Price |
$89 $53.40 / year |
$120 $72 / year |
Number of Maestro |
1 (Harlan Coben only) |
35+ (incl. Harlan Coben) Across 7 categories |
Access to new releases |
Not included | Included |
Downloadable course guide |
Included | Included |
Money back guarantee |
14 days |
30 days |
Buy | Subscribe |
Looking to inspire the aspiring novelist in your life?
Explore all courses
All coursesCommon questions
BBC Maestro is a subscription-based streaming platform, created to educate and inspire people to explore their creativity. Through pre-recorded lessons and detailed course notes, anyone can learn a wide range of disciplines and follow in the footsteps of experts respected all over the world.
BBC Maestro offers single course purchases or an annual subscription.
Simply purchase an individual course or an All Courses pass and get access to easy-to-follow video lessons. Watch on your computer, tablet or mobile and learn on demand, wherever and whenever you like.
Our courses are beginner-friendly and you can watch as many times as you like, at your own pace.
BBC Maestro is currently available in the following territories: United Kingdom, Isle of Mann, Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, Australia, South Africa, Canada, India, Brazil, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal, Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong, UAE and USA. We are planning on launching BBC Maestro in other territories in the future. Please subscribe to our mailing list and follow our social media channels for updates.
Yes, you can buy an annual subscription to get full access to all BBC Maestro courses, lessons and course notes for one year. Find out more
Yes, all our courses have English subtitles that can be accessed by clicking the CC button on the video player. We also have downloadable PDF course notes to go with each course, which offer more detailed information and tips.
No, all our courses are self-paced and no courses will be removed from the site or ‘expire’. If you have an all-access annual subscription, you can watch any content while your subscription is valid. If you don’t have an all-access subscription, but instead have bought one or more individual courses, the purchased content is yours to keep for life, and lessons can be watched as many times as you like.
Yes, you can see a full list of our current courses here.
We offer a 30-day money back guarantee for your first all-access annual subscription, if you aren't completely satisfied with your purchase. See our terms and conditions for details, or email [email protected].
You can choose between buying a single course as a one-off purchase, or you can sign up for an annual subscription which gives you access to all BBC Maestro courses for one year.
If you buy a single course, then you can access it for one year. You can watch the course as many times as you like, whenever you like. Our single courses include downloadable course notes to complement the video lessons. Your access to the course will expire after one year from the date of purchase.
Alternatively, if you buy an annual subscription to BBC Maestro, you can access every course for one year. You can watch each course as many times as you like within the year, and you’ll also be able to download the course notes for each course.
After one year you’ll have the option to renew your subscription, or you can choose not to renew once your subscription year is over. Subscriptions are billed annually, and we offer a 30-day money back guarantee to receive a full refund if you’re unhappy with your purchase.
Subscribers will have instant access to new courses as they are released. Please note that any courses in the Upcoming Courses section may be released outside of your annual subscription period. If you have any questions about an upcoming course, please email [email protected].
You can buy a gift card for any individual course or an All Courses Pass on our gift cards page. When you buy a gift card, you can choose to send the email with the gift card PDF attached to yourself or directly to the recipient. You can also choose to specify which date you would like the gift card email to send to your recipient.
Gift cards can be redeemed on the Gift Cards page. Once the card is redeemed, if the gift is for a single course the giftee will have lifetime access to the course and be able to re-watch as many times as they like. If the gift is for an All Courses Pass, the giftee will have one year’s access to all BBC Maestro courses, and immediate access to any new courses that are released within their yearly access period – from the date that they redeem their gift code.
Please note, anyone outside of our available regions will not be able to redeem a gift card.
Thanks for signing up
Check your inbox - your free lesson is on the way!
Oops! Something went wrong
Please try again later
Get a free taster lesson
Sign up for Harlan Coben’s free introductory lesson, which will give you a flavour of what’s to come on his course, and get you inspired to start writing.