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Beyond the Query: The First 50 Pages

July 23, 2025
Chantelle Aimée Osman, senior editor at Simon & Schuster's newest imprint, Simon Maverick, will examine what agents and editors hope to see in the first 50 pages of your manuscript. Join us for an insider's advice for improving your odds of success.

Book Pipeline

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Spies, Lies, and the Secrets We Keep – Spy fiction, what is it and how do we write it?

Recorded

April 1, 2025

Duration

4 Hours

Cost

$65

Subject

Publishing

Topic

Craft

Two-Part Event:

This two-part symposium explores the unique elements and techniques for writing spy fiction.

Adam Sikes, a former paramilitary officer with the CIA and a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran, opens this symposium with a discussion about the real world of espionage and intelligence agencies, but the focus is to examine the following:

  • The basic components of spy fiction
  • The traditional as well as unique facets of character and character arcs
  • How to develop intrigue and conflict in an espionage context
  • How to use dialogue and setting
  • The various writing styles that comprise spy fiction
  • Research methods
  • Q&A

At the conclusion of this two-part event, the intent is for attendees to have a deeper understanding of what makes a novel fall into the spy fiction genre, as well as how to write stories that possess the basic elements of spy novels.

Additionally, although the majority of the discussion will be around spy fiction, the principles discussed are applicable to thrillers and mysteries in general.

What attendees have said ...

"Loved it. I didn't think I had it in me to write a thriller when I signed on to the program (I wasn't in the CIA or FBI), but Adam's presentation makes the genre feel more approachable. I'm finishing work on a YA novel these days, but I'm thinking about the next book—a thriller. Thanks for the inspiration!"

"I was very pleased with Mr. Sike's two presentations. I'm currently working on my new MS which is a political thriller with an espionage twist. His information came at an ideal time for me which I will use to strengthen my MS. Keep these valuable webinars coming."

Host

Adam Sikes
Adam Sikes is a former paramilitary officer with the CIA and a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran. He has operated around the world, and his experiences now inform his writing. His first novel, Landslide, was a finalist for the National Indie Excellence Awards, and his latest novel, The Underhanded, was a finalist for the American Fiction Awards. Adam holds […]

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Upcoming Events

Beyond the Query: The First 50 Pages

July 23, 2025
Chantelle Aimée Osman, senior editor at Simon & Schuster's newest imprint, Simon Maverick, will examine what agents and editors hope to see in the first 50 pages of your manuscript. Join us for an insider's advice for improving your odds of success.

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Symposium, presented by Pipeline Artists, is a year-round virtual conference empowering creatives with honest, no-nonsense guidance across the arts. Through seminars, industry panels, and Town Hall discussions on screenwriting, filmmaking, publishing, and career-building, Symposium offers grounded advice from working professionals to help you forge your own unique path.

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