Turn Your Manuscript into a Page-Turner Using The Central Question Framework with Julie Tyler Ruiz

Every thriller, mystery, suspense, and crime writer faces the same dilemma…

How do you craft a story that keeps readers turning pages? 

In this episode, Julie Tyler Ruiz reveals a simple framework that separates forgettable genre fiction from the stories readers obsess over for years. 

You'll discover…

• How to identify the one central question that must drive your entire manuscript
• Learn the specific prompts that will transform vague plot ideas into page-turning gold
• Master the art of creating payoffs that leave readers breathless. 

Whether you're stuck in the middle of a manuscript or planning your next story, this conversation will give you the confidence to craft questions worth answering. 

And (most importantly) answers that readers will never forget.

What You'll Learn:

• How to transform questions into page-turning hooks
• Why character stakes must connect to your main question
• How to build toward answers that create lasting impact

Click here to learn more about Julie Tyler Ruiz

Connect with Julie on Instagram

Guest Bio: Julie Tyler Ruiz, PhD, is a writer, educator, and creator of StoryBold. With a decade of experience in higher education and a PhD in English, she combines business savvy with a deep passion for storytelling to help writers craft their best work. Through self-study courses, group masterminds, in-depth articles, and private coaching, Julie empowers writers to unlock their authentic voice and bring their stories to life. Now a sought-after voice in the writing world, she’s dedicated to guiding storytellers toward clarity, confidence, and creative success.

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4. Literary Agent Jennifer Chevais Shares What Grabs Attention in a Query Submission

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Transcript

David Gwyn: 0:00

Okay, this week we're heading back into the Storyteller Society vault here. Julie Tyler Ruiz is a Ph. D. She's a writer, educator and creator of story bold with a decade of experience in higher education and a Ph. D. In English. She combines business savvy with a deep passion for storytelling to help writers craft their best work through self study courses, group masterminds, in depth articles and private coaching. Julie empowers writers to unlock their authentic voice and bring their stories to life. Now she's a sought after voice in the writing world. She's dedicated to guiding storytellers toward clarity, confidence, and creative success. And today she's here to talk to us about crafting a question worth turning pages for and an answer that pays off in thriller, crime, and mystery specifically.

Julie Tyler Ruiz: 0:47

Thank you very much, David. And the Thriller 101 community. I'm very excited to be here. and let's get rolling. So yeah, a question worth turning pages for, getting those readers to turn pages and an answer that really pays off at the end. To my mind that is really important to these three genres which are really, you know, Related and to any story, really, but I was very excited about the opportunity to talk about these genres because I think they're really fun. They're fun to read and they keep readers on the edge of their seats. So what today's presentation is going to be is, well, how do you get the readers turning pages and then feeling like they get to the end? And they're like, yes, this is the ending of a lifetime. I'm so flabbergasted by how it turned out, or like, you know, this feels really satisfying and juicy, and I'm never going to forget this story. So when I was thinking about it and doing some research, it, it occurs to me, and also thinking about the books that I've read in this genre or the movies that I've seen in these genres, there's this question that arises in the mind of the reader and it has to be so compelling. And so in these genres we have a really especially juicy opportunity to think about the question because readers They want to be on the edge of their seat. So that question has to really jump out at them and make them turn those pages so that they get to the end and get the answer that they really want. So it doesn't just kind of happen. We really have to think about it as the people in charge of the story crafting every bit of the experience. So you want to have a really well crafted question in your mind. Like even if readers don't actually have the same worded question in their minds. It'll be something, you know, along the same lines, but you want to build your story around this idea of a question and leading to that really, really powerful answer. And what I want us to all be thinking about is in this genre in particular, Or these three genres, or any genre that you might find yourself in, in your writing journey. Like how do you keep the readers engaged, and how do you get to the end and really really satisfy them with answers. Alright, quick overview. So essential questions in thriller, crime, and mystery this is what shapes the plot. Everything in your story works toward answering that question. It does work for you in terms of creating suspense and creating that feeling of, I just have to find out what's going on here. And it actually is pretty intertwined with character motivations. Every action, every clue that they find, every twist needs to connect to that question. So if you're thinking about your own story, that central question should be direct and also very unique to your story. So let's get into a few examples. So in crime fiction, you know, it's kind of the classic whodunit set up here. And the question is really going to drive the investigation that's going on. Like, how do we find out who did this crime? All of the plot twists, everything that comes up. At various junctures in the in the journey that we're following, and then ultimately the resolution. So, how do you kind of specify to make it really particular to your story? So you might start off with something a little vague, and it's not necessarily wrong to say, well, the central question is, who committed this crime? Why did they do it? How did they do it? There's nothing wrong with that. But let's try to get it. Stronger and more unique and specific to your story. So for example, well, who left the victim's body in this abandons church? And why did they carve symbols into the wall? So there's all these like details here. It works because of these details that are going to be driving the investigation. And they hinted these deeper motives, like this weird person in a church carving symbols and, you know, whatever, like, however their mind works. You know, the question is really about this individual who's doing these weird things. So an example for mystery. So here, the big thing is really set up to unravel a truth, So the basic central question is, well, what happened and what's the truth behind it? So the protagonist is uncovering missing pieces. In some cases, there might be a bunch of layers of deception that they have to get through in order to get to the truth. And so the central question is really about revelation. Let's see what we can reveal here throughout the course of the story. So a really broad. Version you might start with would be like, well, what happened to the missing person? There's somebody missing. We want to know what happened. Maybe there wasn't a crime. Maybe there was, but it's really about revealing the truth to make it a little bit stronger. You would get into the details of your story. Well, why did Claire's best friend disappear after their argument? Hmm, that's strange. And what does the cryptic note she left behind really mean? So here, the question would really tie into the character relationships. That's part of the theme of the story is these two people, they, they were best friends and now one of them's gone. And there was a letter. And maybe it suggests a few layers of deception that we would want to uncover somehow throughout. And then a thriller example, so in thrillers, it seems to me like there's, there could be elements of crime, there could be elements of mystery, but there's also this race against time. There's an urgency in thrillers and maybe some other like really scary, horrific elements too, but that urgency there is really at the heart of, of that genre. So the basic central question would be, well, is the protagonist going to stop the threat in time? Whatever that may be, the stakes are really high. Either way, maybe their life and death. Maybe there's a catastrophe that's happened and maybe another one coming, coming just on the heels of it or some kind of major consequences. And so the question is going to fuel urgency and this relentless momentum to stop whatever it is. So a really general one could be, could this protagonist stop the villain? Let's make it stronger. Can Agent Carter stop the bomber before he detonates his final device? There's like more, you know, more explosions and before her own past mistakes get her removed from the case. So maybe she's the perfect one to be doing it, but she's got this past that, you know, her bosses or whatever, like, okay, well, you, you can't be involved here. And there would be a lot at stake in her being taken off. So this one would work because it would build the urgency and, and the stakes like you would need for a thriller. And there's also like a personal obstacle that heightens the tension, like something, some, some set of mistakes that would get in the way of her you know, resolving this. So there's some examples of how you could get them more specific. And now what I have is a set of prompts that you can use to really sit down, pause, whatever scene you're writing or wherever you are in your process and see if you can do some refining and really. Understand that the question, central question for your story. And the answer that you're leading up to, this is what you're building everything that you're doing around. And this gives your story, the structure, it gives it the, the oomph, the suspense and that page turning quality that readers really crave when they come to these three genres. So it's not just about the plot and like what happens, but it's about shaping these characters and their journeys and what they're all about, who they really are. Deep down inside, also creating that suspense and the emotional depth that makes stories and storytelling so special, so human, and it's something that AI is just not going to be able to do because AI doesn't live the human experience and the human condition like we do. So that's, that's what I want is to, to give you the, the questions and the prompts to. Get your mind spinning and to be thinking about what's going to make your story so juicy and so satisfying when the readers get to the end. So the questions and prompts here would be what personal stakes. Does your protagonist have in answering the question, like whatever their question is in their mind? So an example for crime might be that a detective isn't just solving a murder. He's haunted by a case that he failed to close years ago. So that gives you some insight. Any answers that you could provide for, you know, something along those lines would give you insight into What really makes him tick, what he's got going on in his life, and what personal attachment he has to old cases, new cases, his whole career, and even victims. Next one, what is driving your antagonist to act the way that they do? So an example for a thriller might be, while the terrorist Here, it doesn't just want chaos, they're doing all these horrible, catastrophic things and hurting people. They want revenge against the government that betrayed them. So it gets a little political, maybe. it gives us some way to connect it to the, to the real world here. What hidden secrets, lies, or past events shape your character's choices? So a mystery example would be, well, the missing woman isn't just gone, she left a trail of lies and double identities behind. So there's a lot of juicy stuff there about whoever this woman is that, yeah, maybe we want to find her, but what kind of person even is this? Like, if we do find her, like, I don't know, is this a good thing? Let's see. Let's read the book and see what we get to at the end with this, with this missing individual. So there's some prompts for, like, getting into your character, really understanding who they are really deep down. And then I've got some ones around whatever the threat is or the central conflict. You know, whatever the problem is that, that we want to have solved. So first one, how does the central question escalate tension at key points in the story? So a thriller example. Each new piece of evidence In a manhunt puts the protagonist in more danger until they become the next target. So it's not just about maybe who might be the victims out there. We, of course we care about them, but now we've got this protagonist who's, you know, he's getting, he or she is getting more and more implicated in, in what might happen, you know, like bad things happening to people. Next one. How does the central conflict deepen, twist, or take on unsettling new dimensions? So maybe it starts to get weirder and weirder. And here's an example for a crime. A detective tracks a brutal serial killer until they find evidence suggesting that the killer might actually be multiple people copying each other's crimes. And so now This protagonist, this detective, they can't just chase a single warped mind. They've got all these crazy people. Very disturbing network of killers feeding off the chaos and like, what's their relationship? And how are we going to herd the cats? These killer people, you know, so it would sort of take on that weird twist. And then how does the protagonist's journey to find the answer test their limits? So now they're like up against something that they never have been before. So, thriller example, a cop investigating a serial killer starts breaking laws herself. How far will she go before she's no better than her target? So now we have some you know, ethical and moral questions here and like, an identity crisis for maybe a cop who considered herself one of the good guys. All right, and then next category, stakes and the payoff for the reader. So readers don't just want that answer. They want that payoff that lingers after the final page. That feeling that like, God, this was so juicy and I will never forget this. And if I could have a, like a reading thrill like that again, I don't know what I would do. They would just like be the answer to my, my prayer. So why does this question, this central question for your story, why does it matter just to It's like, like beyond just the plot mechanics, like what happened in the story, A, B, C, D, 1, 2, 3. Why does it matter beyond that? Okay. So crime crime example, the murder isn't just a puzzle to solve. It actually reveals a deep corruption that threatens the entire town that this is set in. So we, we learned something about people and communities and how this particular one is operating. So there's like a thematic payoff, like some bigger. Sense of issues and problems. How does the answer to the question change the protagonist or other key characters? Like, fundamentally, like, who they are. So in mystery example, the detective who cracks the case realizes his best friend is guilty. And so solving the murder just really cost him everything. Not only does he, like, he has spent all this time, but now, like, a really important relationship. Might not exist anymore. Will the answer be a twist, a confirmation of suspicions, or an unsettling revelation? So, a thriller example of the hero trying to stop the terrorist realizes too late that they've been the villain all along. You know, in some kind of way, like, whatever their actions have been, they've actually, you know, not really contributed in a positive way to society. So there's kind of a a really big twist where we have to question, like, why were we rooting for this person at all? They were horrible. And then my last category of, of prompts themes, emotional residence, you know, that really sort of like deep stuff that beyond the plot, it really gets us to think about the human condition and what it really means to be a part of this life, a part of the universe. So a great central question connects to a deeper theme like justice, revenge, redemption, or love, and the list keeps going, like whatever your, your themes are, besides the actual like plot you know, like the mystery or the thriller element that needs to be resolved. So beyond these mystery or thriller elements, what deeper themes are at play? So see if you can make a list of these because this is going to give it that texture, that emotional resonance that all stories need to have. So for example, a revenge thriller isn't just about catching the killer, it explores the cost of vengeance. Like, what does it do to a person when they are so dead set on getting back? Like, how does that change a person's very soul? Does the central question tie into the themes that you're working with? in a really meaningful way. So mystery example, A Missing Woman's Case isn't just a whodunit. It exposes cycles of generational trauma in her family. I think generational trauma is a really juicy theme that could work for, you know, all kinds of genres. But put it with a mystery or a crime or a thriller and I think that's a really unique combination that would give readers a lot to think about and really kind of land for them. And then how do the choices characters make reflect these underlying themes. So crime example, a cop covers up a crime to protect his partner showing that loyalty can be just as dangerous as betrayal. So one, another one of those like morality or ethics issues where you've got this character who's you want to root for him, but you're like, what are you doing, dude? Like, this is kind of not something that we admire, but wow, it's really cool to read. So those are some prompts for you and just some ways to reorient yourself to your story. It doesn't matter where you are in the process. I think you could productively pause for a little bit, try some of these out and see if you can really clarify that question so that when you get back to your scenes or get back to your outline or however it is that you build the actual story. You have that clarity and you have more of an incentive to, to keep going and the confidence to know that you're going to raise a really good question and you're going to answer it in a way that deeply satisfies.

David Gwyn: 17:00

Yeah, that was awesome, Julie. Thank you so much for, for sharing. I, and I also feel like you gave me about 10 book ideas as we were talking there. Which is also really cool. I know you work with people on this. And so my question is, when do you think is the ideal time to develop a question for your story? Do you think it's like. Before you start writing between writing and editing while you're editing, like when, when is, when is it a time that you found either in your own writing or through clients? That is a really good time to, to, to kind of buckle this question down. So you're sure you have it

Julie Tyler Ruiz: 17:34

Yeah. Yeah. I like that question because it really kind of boils down to our individual, like way of going about this and our individual like process. For, if I, if I were going to. Do it for myself or some of the writers that I work with, and they've kind of like taken on my approach. What I would say is maybe get some scenes under your belt. Write a real rough outline of like the whole story, just so you kind of know like what even happens here. Like get an idea of the plot. Know who your characters are in a very basic sense, like the cast, what their basic motives are, what role they play in the story, and their relationships. And then before you hit a snag and before you get to that point in the writing process where you're like, Oh my God, this is like too hard. It's too big. I'm fatigued. And I've lost that inspired feeling before you get to that point Or if you sense that you're there, sit down with these questions because they're going to bring you some clarity and they'll get you excited again, because now you have that, like that juiciness, you know, that you can execute, you can execute on your vision. Knowing that it's really going to pay off. That's what I

David Gwyn: 18:47

think. I love that. I think having a question like this provides a lot of clarity to the work that when you're doing, you know, over months and thousands and thousands of words having a level of clarity is always a good thing. Great. So Julie, I don't know if I'm putting you on the spot a little bit here, but if you want to share a little bit about Storybold and just, you know, where people can find you if they want some more information and then I've got some of your stuff that I've, I've also linked, but they can hear it from you.

Julie Tyler Ruiz: 19:15

Yeah, perfect. Thank you. Yeah, storyboldstudio. com is the website and there you'll kind of see a little bit about my services. I have a blog where I write articles on different hot topics on writing, publishing even professionalizing, you know, if you want to like get a writing gig or a writing job or something like that. So what my goal is is with. Storybold is to get more stories into the world and to work with writers who are just so impassioned about storytelling and they feel that it is their duty to get the story outside of their mind and to get it into reader's hands. Any genre. I work with non fiction writers, fiction writers so I don't have, you know, any sort of restrictions on topic or genre or anything like that. I, my, my, my only restriction is that you have to be really passionate, you need a good work ethic, and you have to feel like this is your calling. So, you know, I work with people in different ways. and yeah, I started it out of a deep need to tell stories myself, but also surround myself with writers who love it. Cause I, I like to have these conversations. Cool.

David Gwyn: 20:29

Thank you so much. And Julie, thanks again so much for your time. We really appreciate it.

Julie Tyler Ruiz: 20:34

Thank you. It's been a real pleasure to be here with you all. And I, I'm so glad I was able to contribute to your process and give you some new ideas. Hope you all will keep in touch and you know, tell great stories and let me know how they're, how they're going for you.