A cardinal rule of fiction is not to bore the reader. The principles of fiction can be extended to business/technical presentations.

Being poised, lowering the stakes at the most critical moment, and focusing on the imperative of the moment, can be the key to victory. Translated to the writing sphere, there are moments when you’ve got to let the story and words come to you.

Autobiographical accounts give exposure to the inner workings of the minds of C-Suite executives and leaders of all stripes.

Clear stakes, a human story, and a running clock are the ingredients to captivate audiences.

Compressed character development, clever raising of stakes, and tossing in dilemmas might be the key to revving up boardroom conversations.

In literary fiction, the portrayal of the minefields, dilemmas, and power dynamics in the C-Suite remains under-explored. Thus, the corporate thrillers genre is ripe for fiction writers’ contributions and readers’ indulgence.

Technical writing informs; creative writing entertains. But after completing his first novel, Thomas V. Papa found that rhythm, structure, and the engineering of a good hook matter just as much in both.

Preparing to launch his debut novel, Black & White Smoke, novelist Thomas Papa sat down with us to talk about the inspiration for the book, and its characters and plot.