“There really must be a murder, or at least a major felony — otherwise, what’s the point? Who’s ripping off the hand towels at the Dorchester Hotel is hardly the business of a mystery novel.”
—HOWARD HAYCRAFT
“There simply must be a corpse in a detective novel, and the deader the corpse the better.”
—S.S. VAN DINE
“If in doubt, have two guys come through the door with guns.”
—RAYMOND CHANDLER
When it comes to writing mysteries, there are as many opinions ... view more »
“There really must be a murder, or at least a major felony — otherwise, what’s the point? Who’s ripping off the hand towels at the Dorchester Hotel is hardly the business of a mystery novel.”
—HOWARD HAYCRAFT
“There simply must be a corpse in a detective novel, and the deader the corpse the better.”
—S.S. VAN DINE
“If in doubt, have two guys come through the door with guns.”
—RAYMOND CHANDLER
When it comes to writing mysteries, there are as many opinions about how to construct a good whodunit as there are ways to commit the perfect murder. This much-read, much-beloved genre covers a wide spectrum (from cozy to hard boiled to police procedural and everything in-between) and the writers who spin these edge-of-your-seat tales must be adept at plotting the twists and turns that fans expect and, most especially, the ones they don’t expect, with red herrings and all.
This class, taught by an award-winning author in the genre, is for beginning and/or intermediate mystery writers who want to delve into what makes a mystery “work” — and how to write one effectively. Join Karen MacInerney and learn to commit murder yourself (on the page, of course).
Together, students in this half-day class will plot an entire mystery. The instructor will go step by step through the process of orchestrating the perfect crime, from structuring the story arc and selecting a victim (or victims), to developing a compelling sleuth and a convincing foe and placing both in the perfect setting suited to the story. In addition, students will learn about today’s marketplace for mysteries, including a look at the various sub-genres that make up the mystery category and the defining traits of each. By the end of the session, students will be well on their way to understanding the basics of mystery writing, the market, and how to find the tone, voice, and other key elements that will get their story-engine humming.
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