Brittany Butler spent 10 years as a CIA targeting officer running spies in the Middle East and war zones. Now she writes espionage thrillers for Crooked Lane Books and the operational world she lived in shows up on every page. In this episode Brittany breaks down how she builds characters using goals, motivations, and conflicts before writing a single scene, how she balances three interlocking plot lines without losing the reader, and how she transfers the real psychological cost of espionage work onto the page. She also talks about the moral weight of running sources she couldn't always protect, and the moment she knew it was time to leave the CIA. Brittany Butler's book The Patriot's Daughter: https://www.amazon.com/Patriots-Daughter-Novel-Brittany-Butler/dp/B0FJDHLKRN Follow Brittany Butler online: https://www.instagram.com/brittanybutlerbooks/ Join the After Show on Patreon and get early access to episodes, bonus after-show segments with guests, and my free novella Cognitive Breach. You’ll also be able to support the show and help me keep bringing on great thriller authors. https://patreon.com/markpjnadon Mark's Thrillers Psychological tech thrillers from your host, including The Treatment Room: https://mybook.to/marksthrillers Authors: Want to be a guest? Apply here → https://markpjnadon.ca/the-thriller-pitch-podcast Follow on Social: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markpjnadon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markpjnadon_thrillerauthor/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mark_pj_nadon

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related