Hone your understanding of the crime genre and push your fiction in new directions, on this advanced course for crime writers. This course is for experienced writers who are developing ongoing projects.
Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
This interactive workshop will focus on the most important elements of writing in the crime genre, from crafting murder mysteries to weaving in the tropes of hardboiled detective thrillers. You’ll receive peer and tutor feedback on extracts of your manuscript-in-progress, whilst learning from the stalwarts of crime fiction.
What will we cover?
- Structuring plot twists for crime fiction
- Developing your detective
- Building suspenseful prose
- Giving and receiving feedback on extracts of your crime fiction manuscript.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Write suspenseful prose, which includes well-structured plot twists
- Write effective setups and payoffs
- Create dramatic, well-rounded characters
- Write new passages in response to in-class exercises and homework
- Plan the next steps for your manuscript.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The course is an intermediate course and assumes some prior experience of writing crime fiction.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
This is a highly practical course with a focus on both group and individual work. We will have discussions about extracts from novels and short stories, you will produce your own material, and there will also be activities to complete outside of the classroom.
City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
No other costs. Please bring writing materials or a laptop.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
City Lit runs a range of prose writing courses, including our top-level ‘Masterclass’ courses in fiction.
All students are invited to join us at Late Lines, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to Between the Lines, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on Facebook and Bluesky.
Anna is the author of Little Gods, which was longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize for first novels, and led to her being chosen as one of the twelve best new writers by The Guardian and BBC's Culture Show. She earned her PhD in The Contemporary Novel: Practice as Research at the University of Kent, and is currently completing her new novel.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/advanced-crime-fiction-workshop1737790Advanced crime fiction workshophttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/a/d/advanced_crime_fiction_workshop-hw701_copy.jpg279279GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Writing/Novels and short stories/Novels and short stories/Courses/Writing/Courses/Writing/Novels and short stories/Courses/vm/Halloween Courses/Courses/Online courses2285158813581135991348217311228513581135991653<p>Hone your understanding of the crime genre and push your fiction in new directions, on this advanced course for crime writers. This course is for experienced writers who are developing ongoing projects.</p>003035914Advanced crime fiction workshop279279https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/a/d/advanced_crime_fiction_workshop-hw701_copy_2.jpgInStockEveningTueOnlineAvailable courses11 weeks or longerWeekday2026-09-22T00:00:00+00:00AdvancedSep 2026WritingHW701279279Advanced crime fiction workshop279181279Anna Richardsadvanced-crime-fiction-workshop/hw701-2627<p>Hone your understanding of the crime genre and push your fiction in new directions, on this advanced course for crime writers. This course is for experienced writers who are developing ongoing projects.</p>0000-Available|2026-09-22 00:00:00<p>This interactive workshop will focus on the most important elements of writing in the crime genre, from crafting murder mysteries to weaving in the tropes of hardboiled detective thrillers. You’ll receive peer and tutor feedback on extracts of your manuscript-in-progress, whilst learning from the stalwarts of crime fiction.</p><p>Hone your understanding of the crime genre and push your fiction in new directions, on this advanced course for crime writers. This course is for experienced writers who are developing ongoing projects.</p><p>- Structuring plot twists for crime fiction</p><p>- Developing your detective</p><p>- Building suspenseful prose </p><p>- Giving and receiving feedback on extracts of your crime fiction manuscript.</p><p>- Write suspenseful prose, which includes well-structured plot twists</p><p>- Write effective setups and payoffs</p><p>- Create dramatic, well-rounded characters</p><p>- Write new passages in response to in-class exercises and homework </p><p>- Plan the next steps for your manuscript.</p><p>The course is an intermediate course and assumes some prior experience of writing crime fiction.</p><p>This is a highly practical course with a focus on both group and individual work. We will have discussions about extracts from novels and short stories, you will produce your own material, and there will also be activities to complete outside of the classroom.</p> <br />
<br />
City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/expectations-for-participating-in-writing-courses" target="_blank">expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit</a>.<p>No other costs. Please bring writing materials or a laptop.</p><p>City Lit runs a range of prose writing courses, including our top-level ‘Masterclass’ courses in fiction. </p><p>All students are invited to join us at <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/latelines" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Late Lines</a>, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/betweenthelines" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Between the Lines</a>, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/citylitcreativewriting" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/citylitwriting.bsky.social" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bluesky</a>.</p>Novels and short storiesNovels and short storiesvirtual279279181HW701NONETue22/09/26 - 01/12/2619:00 - 21:0019:0021:0011 sessions (over 11 weeks)1111 weeks or longerWeekdayOnlineOnlineAnna RichardsAdvancedAvailable courses2026-09-22T00:00:00+00:00EveningSep 2026Writing279279Advanced crime fiction workshopadvanced-crime-fiction-workshop/hw701-2627<p>Hone your understanding of the crime genre and push your fiction in new directions, on this advanced course for crime writers. This course is for experienced writers who are developing ongoing projects.</p>0000-Available|2026-09-22 00:00:00<p>This interactive workshop will focus on the most important elements of writing in the crime genre, from crafting murder mysteries to weaving in the tropes of hardboiled detective thrillers. You’ll receive peer and tutor feedback on extracts of your manuscript-in-progress, whilst learning from the stalwarts of crime fiction.</p><p>Hone your understanding of the crime genre and push your fiction in new directions, on this advanced course for crime writers. This course is for experienced writers who are developing ongoing projects.</p><p>- Structuring plot twists for crime fiction</p><p>- Developing your detective</p><p>- Building suspenseful prose </p><p>- Giving and receiving feedback on extracts of your crime fiction manuscript.</p><p>- Write suspenseful prose, which includes well-structured plot twists</p><p>- Write effective setups and payoffs</p><p>- Create dramatic, well-rounded characters</p><p>- Write new passages in response to in-class exercises and homework </p><p>- Plan the next steps for your manuscript.</p><p>The course is an intermediate course and assumes some prior experience of writing crime fiction.</p><p>This is a highly practical course with a focus on both group and individual work. We will have discussions about extracts from novels and short stories, you will produce your own material, and there will also be activities to complete outside of the classroom.</p> <br />
<br />
City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/expectations-for-participating-in-writing-courses" target="_blank">expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit</a>.<p>No other costs. Please bring writing materials or a laptop.</p><p>City Lit runs a range of prose writing courses, including our top-level ‘Masterclass’ courses in fiction. </p><p>All students are invited to join us at <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/latelines" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Late Lines</a>, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/betweenthelines" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Between the Lines</a>, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/citylitcreativewriting" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/citylitwriting.bsky.social" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bluesky</a>.</p>Novels and short storiesNovels and short storiesconfigurable
158813599Novels and short storieshttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/writing/novels-and-short-stories/novels-and-short-stories-11/2/285/13581/13599/1588/Courses/Writing/Novels and short stories/Novels and short stories
