Writing an espionage thriller as a former CIA officer | Brittany Butler

Brittany Butler spent 10 years as a CIA targeting officer running spies in the Middle East and war zones. Now she writes espionage thrillers for Crooked Lane Books and the operational world she lived in shows up on every page. In this episode Brittany breaks down how she builds characters using goals, motivations, and conflicts before writing a single scene, how she balances three interlocking plot lines without losing the reader, and how she transfers the real psychological cost of espionage work onto the page. She also talks about the moral weight of running sources she couldn't always protect, and the moment she knew it was time to leave the CIA. Brittany Butler's book The Patriot's Daughter: https://www.amazon.com/Patriots-Daugh... Follow Brittany Butler online:   / brittanybutlerbooks   Join the After Show on Patreon and get early access to episodes, bonus after-show segments with guests, and my free novella Cognitive Breach. You’ll also be able to support the show and help me keep bringing on great thriller authors.   / markpjnadon   Mark's Thrillers Psychological tech thrillers from your host, including The Treatment Room: https://mybook.to/marksthrillers Authors: Want to be a guest? Apply here → https://markpjnadon.ca/the-thriller-p... Follow on Social: Facebook:   / markpjnadon   Instagram:   / markpjnadon_thrillerauthor   TikTok:   / mark_pj_nadon   00:01:28 - Pitching The Patriot's Daughter 00:03:48 - The Dedication and What It Really Means 00:07:40 - The Moral Weight of Running Spies 00:12:09 - Balancing Authenticity and Pacing 00:14:39 - What Operational Life Actually Felt Like 00:22:16 - How Much of Ava Is Really Brittany 00:25:10 - Managing Three Plot Lines at Once 00:32:39 - Building Characters with Goals Motivations and Conflicts #BrittanyButler #EspionageThriller #ThrillerWriterLab #SpyFiction #WritingCraft