From SRP author Mark Posey:
Readers sometimes ask why I put my characters through so much. Why Jacobine never seems to catch a break, why Billings is always in danger, why even the side characters often end up battered, betrayed, or worse.
The short answer is: because stories need conflict.
If Jacobine lived a comfortable, peaceful life, there would be no reason for you to keep turning pages. Thrillers thrive on tension, and tension comes from taking characters we care about and testing them in the most extreme ways possible. Without danger, without pressure, the story has no spark.
But there’s more to it than just keeping you entertained. Struggle reveals character. Every time Jacobine faces a setback or a loss, she changes. She adapts. She hardens. The scars she collects, both physical and emotional, are what make her the fascinating, complex character readers want to follow. If she never bled, she’d never grow.
The same applies to Billings and everyone else in the cast. Their failures and their pain shape them into who they are — and sometimes, who they’re destined to become.
And yes, I’ll admit: part of my job is to keep you turning pages long after you meant to stop. When you’re sitting on the edge of your seat, heart pounding, wondering how on earth Jacobine is going to get out alive…that’s when I know I’ve done it right.
So am I a sadistic author? Maybe. But it’s not cruelty for its own sake. It’s the engine that drives the story forward, the crucible that forges the characters, and the reason you can’t look away.
Because thrillers aren’t about comfort. They’re about watching ordinary people face impossible odds — and seeing who they become on the other side.
–Mark
