Tips from Jennifer Hilt and Sara Rosett: Mystery and Thriller Tropes that Hook Readers

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Previously titled “Jennifer Hilt and Sara Rosett on Mystery and Thriller Tropes” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 5, 2026

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Recorded28 Jan 2026

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Handlerec:15552488

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302 / We’re talking about the power of tropes in storytelling with Jennifer Hilt, uncovering why elements like scars, secrets, and shame drive compelling mysteries and thrillers—and how they show up in every genre. Jennifer shared insights from her Trope Thesaurus series, and both guests revealed how understanding and leveraging tropes isn’t just a writing shortcut—it’s a way to deepen character, amp up conflict, and even supercharge your marketing.Tips for handling co-writing and collaborationBreaking down “scars and secrets” as trope superstarsHow to make the tropes unique and memorable to your storyUsing tropes to analyze popular media with examples from Severance, The Housemade, and JustifiedThe storybeats of tropesPlus we brainstorm a story with the armenia trope💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support or https://wishidknownthenpodcast.substack.com/subscribeAccess to backlist of exclusive supporter episodesShoutout on a future episode📥 Send us a Text Message ⚡Links:www.jenniferhilt.comMystery and Thriller Trope book: https://books2read.com/MysteryandThrillerJennifer Hilt on Trope Con and Planning Online Events: https://wishidknownforwriters.com/262-2/How to Use Tropes to Create Strong Characters and Deepen Conflict with Jennifer Hilt: https://wishidknownforwriters.com/155-2/Send us a textSupport the show🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/ 📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast

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