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In this episode Jeffrey James Higgins and I discuss:

• How to maintain tension and conflict for your character during slow scenes
• When to incorporate social and cognitive psychology into your writing
• How to write about the will to survive in a character that is suffering grief

Plus, his #1 tip for writers.

About Jeffrey James Higgins

Jeffrey James Higgins is a retired supervisory special agent who writes thrillers, short stories, scripts, creative nonfiction, and essays. He has wrestled a suicide bomber, fought the Taliban in combat, and chased terrorists across five continents. He received the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism and the DEA Award of Valor. Jeffrey has been interviewed by CNN, Fox News, and The New York Times. He is a #1 Amazon bestselling author and has won sixteen literary awards, including PenCraft’s Best Fiction Book of 2021. He was just nominated for Silver Falchion Awards for Best Suspense and Best Thriller and a Claymore Award for Best Mystery. 

You can find him on his website or follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Goodreads, IMDB, Amazon, and BookBub.

Furious: Sailing into Terror

Trapped on a storm-damaged yacht, a grieving woman must conquer her worst fears and fight for her life when her ocean voyage turns into a nightmare. It’s “Dead Calm” meets “Sleeping with the Enemy.” Dr. Dagny Steele is on the verge of fulfilling her lifelong calling to become a pediatric surgeon when the sudden death of her daughter sends her into a crushing depression. Grief stricken and desperate to heal, she takes a leave of absence and sails across the Indian Ocean with her husband. Dagny begins to recover from her tragic loss when her voyage descends into horror. Isolated and hunted at sea, can she survive a deadly crucible?

Unseen: Evil Lurks Among Us

Rookie Homicide Detective Malachi Wolf investigates a string of murders in Washington, DC and uncovers both a vigilante killer and a terrorist conspiracy—turning himself into a target. It’s Dexter meets Homeland. After his father’s murder, Malachi abandoned his economics doctorate to become a police officer and protect the innocent. Now, he must solve his first homicide to prove himself worthy of the badge. The body count grows as Malachi hunts a brutal assassin and unearths a sinister scheme that threatens the country. The former academic seeking justice and a vigilante set on revenge travel on a collision course—two men fighting evil by different means. Can Malachi stop the murders and expose the plot before the streets run with blood?

If you decide to check out the books, we hope you’ll do so via these Amazon affiliate links: Furious: Sailing Into Terror and Unseen: Evil Lurks Among Us, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 429

(Right-click to download.)

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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 429: World Building and Pacing in a Closed Setting Thriller – Interview with Jeffrey James Higgins appeared first on DIY MFA.