This is a guest post by Jennifer Chase, author of the novel Dead Cold

I love movies. What else can I say? I have always enjoyed all genres of movies—with my preference for the mystery, suspense, and thriller flicks of course. There was no doubt that my movie enthusiasm (specifically the 1980s action films like Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Terminator, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Predator, Rambo, and many more) helped to shape my novel writing style. I wrote more than a dozen screenplays before writing my first novel, Compulsion.

It is true that many movies are adaptations from bestselling books. What about movie inspiration for a storyline or a character in a novel? Thriller authors can find inspiration from many different sources, such as headlines, high-profile criminals, and even interesting characters that we meet along the way.

What is a screenplay? In a very simple definition, a script is comprised of action and dialogue with action/reaction as the primary building block that sets the pace of the story. It is perfect for the thriller or action adventure story in novels. I found that my skill as a screenwriter came in handy when I wrote my first thriller novel. In fact, my favorite part of writing a novel is the action scenes.

I enjoy all types of action films, so in my opinion, there is no doubt that moves can influence novels. In my Emily Stone Thriller Series, I’m always working out in my mind how she can catch the bad guy and what type of escape would be exciting and move the story forward. I see scenes visually like it were a movie.

As I outline an action scene in my books, I ask myself questions like:

What pushes the protagonist?
What pushes the antagonist?
What will ultimately be the goal or outcome for all characters involved?
How can these characters use the surrounding areas or limitations to their advantage?
What clever or hair-raising way can the protagonist get out of this predicament?

I don’t think that we’ve seen the last of female actions stars in movies as well as in novels. Time.com wrote about the “future of the female action star” and referred to the female lead’s success of such action thriller films as The Hunger Games with Jennifer Lawrence, Underworld series with Kate Beckinsale, Kill Bill with Uma Thurman, Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie, and Alien with Sigourney Weaver. Forbes also noted “the rise of the female action hero”, which referred to the movie Lucy with Scarlett Johansson. No, I don’t believe we’ve seen the last of strong female action heroes.