I Finished the First Draft of Book Three! Here’s How It Happened.
Yesterday at 1:50 PM, I typed two of the most satisfying words a thriller writer can write: The End. With that keystroke, I completed the first draft of the third book in the Marty Schott and Bo Bishop series. Start to finish, it took just under ten months—my fastest book yet.
But the journey to this draft began long before I wrote the opening line. Read on to get an inside look at my thriller writing process.
How a Crime Thriller Idea Takes Shape: Early Outlines and Inspiration
Back in December of last year, even as The Vatican Deal was moving through the final editing stages, I told my newsletter readers that I was already thinking about Marty and Bo’s next adventure. I even teased that I had “a killer idea.”
With some help from my lovely wife, Suzanne, I outlined the first ten chapters and started shaping a larger, twist-filled plot. I knew exactly how I wanted the story to end—and that it would shock readers. What I didn’t know yet was how to navigate the complicated middle.
By April, I proudly reported that I’d written the first seven chapters. The story was alive, but still full of unanswered questions.
Building Momentum: Developing the First Half of a Thriller Novel
By July, the novel found its stride. I had reached chapter 16—about a third of the way through—and shared this update:
Murder, Smuggling, and the FBI: A Killer New Story Is Coming
The book opens with a murder at a Portland strip club—the victim is Bo’s own brother-in-law. What follows pulls Marty and Bo into an international crime ring, a smuggling network, and the FBI.
Inspired partly by a real FBI sting from 2005, this plot pushes their loyalty to the breaking point and tests the partnership at the center of the series. At the time, I promised readers the ending would haunt them. I still stand by that.
Strengthening the Story: Feedback and Mid-Draft Refinement
September brought a turning point. I gave Suzanne the first twenty chapters to read, expecting the usual reaction—encouragement, along with a long list of things that needed work.
Instead, she surprised me. She thought the manuscript was far more polished than my first drafts of Chasing Money and The Vatican Deal. She said the plot was propulsive, the pacing sharp, and the tension working well.
That version was 32,281 words—about 46% of the final length. And even though I had created a convincing setup, I still didn’t know how I was going to resolve several major plot challenges. It took a lot of research, discussions, and long days at the keyboard to unravel those knots.
Finishing a Thriller Draft: The Final 20,000 Words
By November, with Charlevoix quiet after the summer season, I settled into a steady rhythm. The final stretch brought its share of hurdles—legal questions to investigate, plot threads to weave together, and a climactic action sequence that demanded extra care and precision.
But the writing pace held: 600–1,000 words a day, nearly 20,000 for the month. And yesterday, I crossed the finish line.
The first draft clocks in at 70,501 words across 42 chapters.
And yes—I’m thrilled. Exhausted, but thrilled.
What Happens After a First Draft: Revisions, Beta Readers, and Publication
Finishing a draft is only the beginning of the thriller writing process.
I actually started revising yesterday afternoon, beginning a full read-through from chapter one and tightening as I go. I already know where a few early chapters need rewrites and where some middle sections need adjustments to align with late-breaking plot shifts.
Once this revision pass is complete, Suzanne will read the full manuscript and give me her notes. After incorporating those, I’ll send the book to a small group of beta readers—likely just before Christmas.
From there, the manuscript goes to my publisher, Mission Point Press, in mid-January. It will go through copyediting, more revisions, proofreading, layout, and design.
If all goes well, Book Three will launch in July 2025.
I can’t wait to share more about the process and the story as we get closer to release. For now, I’m taking a moment to enjoy this milestone—and to celebrate a draft that took a lot of heart, research, and grit to bring to life.
Don’t want to miss an update? Sign up for my newsletter here >