STRUCTURING PLOT: three steps Plot and character can't be separated, especially in thrillers. These books have "character driven plots" that require the kind of planning you've done through the other sections of this web site. Your work on the social context and on the character studies has already fused plot and character into a fairly coherent problem. Saving society is emblem for the redemption of the characters, and saving the characters is equally an emblem for the redemption of society. In short, you've built a thick weave of material that needs to be "chunked out" into a sequence. Chunking out this sequence enables you to start drafting the novel. It's crucial to remember that you're likely to go back and change what you've already done. There's a dynamic among plot, character, and setting; changes are a sign that the work is taking on a real life of its own. The link for each of these provides practical tools and advice for creating the characters of (y)our novel.