One of the joys—and challenges—of writing a good thriller is keeping readers on their toes. Twists, red herrings, and surprise reveals are essential tools in a writer’s arsenal. After all, no one wants to breeze through a story and correctly guess the ending halfway through.
In my Neil Hammers series, I’ve always enjoyed weaving in subtle layers of intrigue. One of those layers is Neil’s belief in numerology. In those books, it’s more of a character quirk—something that adds flavor without driving the plot too hard. But with my current project, tentatively titled Operation WTF, numerology isn’t just a detail. It’s the engine.
This time around, numerology is deeply embedded in the storyline—so much so that it’s kicking my analytical a**. I’ve found myself circling back to earlier chapters, tweaking scenes, revisiting symbolic hints, and making sure all the numbers line up—literally and figuratively.
Writing these scenes feels a bit like solving a puzzle I created but can’t quite remember all the rules to. Decoding the numerology references, ensuring continuity, and keeping it clear enough for readers (without becoming a math textbook) has been a real mental workout.
The biggest question I’m wrestling with: Am I making this a richer experience for the reader—or just a confusing one? That’s the line I’m walking every day as I chip away at this manuscript.
Hopefully, when it’s done, readers will enjoy peeling back the layers as much as I’ve enjoyed constructing them—even if this one is, admittedly, kicking my a**.