Thorne was born in Washington, D.C. After a successful career as a television actor including portraying police officer Wilson Sweet in the television series In the Heat of the Night from 1988 to 1993, Thorne began writing professionally, winning Second Prize in Simon & Schuster's sixth annual Strange New Worlds anthology with his story "The Soft Room."

As a screenwriter, Thorne was a writer for Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Ben 10, Ultimate Spider-Man, Leverage, and The Librarians, among others.

[1] In 2017 Marvel Entertainment tapped Thorne to be head writer and showrunner of the fifth season of Avengers Assemble, Black Panther's Quest.

[citation needed] Thorne is also a co-founder and writing partner of GENRE 19, a studio he formed with artist Todd Harris in 2008.

[citation needed] The Winterman Project is a small press established by Thorne in which he produces shorts, comics and ebooks.