At the end of this MasterClass, I am going to admit something to you that I have never admitted to anyone on Earth. I’m also going to show you an artifact that nobody except me has ever seen. And that is your first lesson in suspense.

Dan Brown, MasterClass Chapter 1: Introduction

After so much formal training in capital “L” Literature, I wanted more perspective on pure genre writing. I took Dan Brown’s MasterClass to learn more about how to hook readers and keep them glued to the page, which is something thrillers tend to do better than classic literary pieces.

Dan Brown is clearly passionate about his craft, and it really shows in this MasterClass. Throughout each lesson, he’s constantly engaged and eager to pass on his writing techniques and skills to his students. It’s almost as if writing thrillers full-time has given him a perpetual state of alertness and excitement for the task at hand. The energy and personality he brought to the class is a significant part of why I enjoyed it so much.

No matter how good your idea is, or how fast you write, the sheer size of the project means you’re going to be doing this for a long time. Choose a topic that you’re really excited about.

Dan Brown, MasterClass Chapter 3: Finding the Idea

As far as the content goes, Dan does a great job of plainly laying out the groundwork for how to create an engaging thriller novel. A lot of his advice applies to other genres and modes of writing as well, not just thrillers. If you’re like me and want to learn more about how to use thriller writing techniques in any genre, you’ll get lots of great insights.

Suspense is all about making promises. It’s about telling a reader, ‘I know something you don’t know. And I promise, if you turn the page, I’m going to tell you.’

Dan Brown, MasterClass Chapter 2: The Anatomy of a Thriller

If you only have the time/budget for one MasterClass and thrillers aren’t your cup of tea, you probably want to start with an instructor whose writing taste is closer to yours (perhaps Neil Gaiman’s or Margaret Atwood’s). On the other hand, if you do have space in your schedule or you are really into thrillers, the class is fantastic and definitely worth the time.

Some of the most fun you’re going to have as a thriller writer is misdirecting your reader.

Dan Brown, MasterClass Chapter 7: Character Case Study of The Da Vinci Code

As a final note, the set for the class is gorgeous – there’s a secret passageway through a rotating mahogany bookshelf! After playing so many Nancy Drew video games as a kid and working at an escape room as an adult, secret passageways now make me as giddy as a kid in a candy store. While the set and cinematography doesn’t change the class content, the MasterClass film crew did a fantastic job and made the class even more enjoyable.

Writing a novel is not all about inspiration and craft. It is about process . . . about making sure that you set aside time every day to do your work.

Dan Brown, MasterClass Chapter 17: Protecting Your Processes