ThrillerFest 2014: Writing About the White House, President & Secret Service in Thriller Fiction
International Thriller Writers (ITW) has invited me back to make a presentation at its annual ThrillerFest conference in New York on July 9 at the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan. I will be instructing at the CraftFest segment. Subject:
"How to Write About the White House, President & Secret Service in Thriller Fiction"
Make your thriller stand out with real life descriptions of the Executive Mansion, the President and his staff, drawing on open source materials. Learn how a Secret Service Presidential Protection Detail is structured and operates.
Needless to say, this is quite an honor for me. Last year, I spoke on "How to Write the National Security Thriller." I enjoyed it immensely and received positive feedback from attendees and organizers alike.
ITW describes ThrillerFest as "The premiere conference for thriller enthusiasts" and "A five-day celebration of thriller books, the authors who write them, and the fans who read them." I don't think it's a stretch to describe it informally as the Oscar night for thriller writers and their fans. This year's "ThrillerMaster" will be bestselling novelist Scott Turow. The conference will be held July 8-12 at the Grand Hyatt in midtown Manhattan.
ThrillerFest is invaluable for learning the craft of thriller writing, but also for networking with fellow authors, agents and publishers. Steve Berry, Steven James, John Lescroart, and David Morrell were among the instructors at last year's CraftFest. "CraftFest is a one-of-a-kind intensive retreat on the craft of writing. Whether you’re a new writer or an established author, the talented instructors can help you hone your craft and take your work to the next level," says the ThrillerFest website.
I've presented quite a challenge for myself: instructing fellow writers in the space of forty minutes on how to make their fiction shine with highly credible depictions of how the U.S. President, White House staff and Secret Service function -- or don't. I am fortunate to have spent a lot of time dealing with the White House in the course of my twenty-three years as a Foreign Service officer with the Department of State. I've met or attended ceremonies presided over by five presidents. I've dined at the White House and have attended meetings in the West Wing, the Situation Room and the Executive Office Building. The Secret Service once included me in a Presidential Protective Detail for President Clinton. Over the course of my government career, I rubbed elbows with senior White House staff, including National Security Advisors and a Chief of Staff. And I've worked closely with working-level staff. I've witnessed the runaway egos, intrigue, leaks and scandals. On the latter, I was recruited to work with the chief investigator into the Iran-Contra scandal during Reagan's presidency, but the job was nixed at the last minute for political reasons (keep those pesky career people out of scandal investigations!) As a consolation prize, I got to work on Afghanistan for almost three exhaustive years. But that's another story.
Anyway, if you're planning on attending ThrillerFest/CraftFest, I look forward to meeting you. Sign up for my class. You won't regret it.
Copyright © 2014 JAMES BRUNO - MASTER OF THE POLITICAL THRILLER, All rights reserved.
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