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First Blood. Write Your Debut Crime Novel

This MasterClass course is designed for writers who specifically want to write within the Crime and Mystery genre.

Writers on this intensive course will develop their ideas, together with growing an understanding of the market and industry trends. Crime is a specific genre, with many sub-cultures, and targeting readers and understanding their specific needs is key. We spend time on finding the right place for you in the market, developing your hook, your brand, and building the structure of your crime debut (twists, reveals etc). We do this be working with writers who are masters of their craft. Such as Araminta Hall, Simon Toyne, Elly Griffiths, Dorothy Koomson, Graham Bartlett, and P. D. Viner.

Throughout the course, you’ll be able to stress-test your ideas by pitching them to agents, such as DHH and Capital Crime Founder David Headley, and commissioning editors from major publishers who specialise in crime, like Katherine Armstrong from Simon and Schuster.

Applications Deadline

  • Tuesday April 27th 2027
  • Allows for 1-1 meetings before course begins

Duration of Course

  • 12 weekly sessions. Starting on Tuesday May 11th 2027, and finishing on Tuesday July 27th

Writing Community extras

  • Access to Write Here Write Now sessions
  • Invitations to My Writing Life events
  • Weekly catch-up and target setting sessions

Price £750

Numbers are capped at 12 students maximum

Course Overview

What does the course consist of?

  • Understanding the Crime landscape and genres within the crime designation. Layering plot and seeding ideas — with course director and crime novelist P. D. Viner
  • How to develop the hook of your novel, giving it a story structure and a plot that thrills and excites — with top thriller writer Simon Toyne
  • Insight into police procedures and how law enforcement works. Ideas and strategies for developing contemporary crime stories with real-world characters and issue-led storylines — with retired Chief Superintendent and best-seller Graham Bartlett
  • Character development and relationship-building, for creating suspense and incredible twists and turns — with bestselling psych thriller writer Araminta Hall
  • An in-depth analysis of a new crime novel with the debut author and editor, to analyse their relationship, and the process of publishing a debut crime novel
  • Understanding the agent-author relationship. Considering the wider rights possibilities of your novel (TV, Film, Games etc). How to pitch your idea (and get immediate feedback) — with top agent, and founder of the Capital Crime festival, David Headley
  • Writing series and ensemble crime, creating the team and story and character arcs over multiple books — with bestselling author Elly Griffiths
  • Creating standout characters, and killer twists, with Dorothy Koomson
  • Opportunities to pitch to top commissioning crime editors  —  the real-world gatekeepers, including Katherine Armstrong from Simon and Schuster, and Jennifer Hunt from Bookouture
  • An evening with agent Emily Glenister in conversation with her client, top crime writer Becca Day, to look at how the editorial work between agent and author happens and to get their tips on how to find and hook an agent.
Apply

Let’s write together.