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Do you want to learn how to plan a murder?
This one-day online crime novel workshop is aimed at writers who have either completed their crime novel or are working on a first draft, as well as beginners who hope to turn a promising idea into something more. It will focus on developing a victim, an investigator and a group of suspects – all from scratch. You will then use this cast of characters to create the outline of a crime novel - from the crime to its resolution. The course will explore the construction of a crime novel using multiple breakout sessions to give practical guidance and advice that can be taken away and applied to your own work.
Course Outline:
Session 1: William will explain how to develop a victim. How were they murdered? Why were they murdered? Who do they appear to be? Who are they really?
This will be followed by a breakout session in which you will develop a potential victim for the story.
Session 2: William will discuss how to develop an investigator. What is it in their character or situation that makes the crime important to them? Is their backstory relevant to the crime? What is it about them that will create conflict and tension with the other characters?
This will be followed by a breakout session in which you will develop potential investigators.
Session 3: William will explain how to create a dramatic world and how to populate it with suspects, and how to use the suspects to create challenges, obstacles and opportunities for the investigator.
This will be followed by a breakout session in which the you will develop suspects and a dramatic world for the story.
Sessions 4 onwards: William will explain how to develop a convincing structure for the crime story with a beginning, a middle and an end; as well as momentum and tension.
He will discuss how to introduce the characters, the crime, and the setting as well as give the story momentum. He'll also share advice on how to create escalating challenges and obstacles for the investigator, and how to use narrating points of view to create tension, explain motives and mislead.
You will then, with William's assistance, develop the outline of a crime novel using the elements already developed over 3 breakout sessions.
You will finish the course armed with tools to create your own crime novel or redraft one that is already written.
Testimonials from other W&A courses led by William Ryan
'Joining the W&A course with Bill Ryan was a real turning point for a floundering writer! The combination of teaching, talks and workshopping gave me the skills to structure, critique and edit my novel properly. Bill is both kind and exacting - the perfect combination for guiding writers to improve and go forward to submission to agents and publishers. He is extremely generous with his time and feedback, creating a supportive and constructive space to examine your own and fellow students' work. This has extended beyond the course: several of us still meet monthly to share and discuss our writing. I highly recommend Bill's course and teaching - it was a fantastic investment and a lot of fun.' Heather Critchlow, author of Unsolved (publishing with Canelo Crime in May 2023)
'Taking Bill Ryan’s novel course was one of the best decisions I have made as a writer. His classes combined useful lessons on crafting a novel in all its component parts with the close reading of each writer’s text. His insightful critique of my prose cut to the heart of what did and did not work in the scene, and his kind encouragement left me motivated to keep pushing myself to grow as a writer. All this while creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere where students felt confident to share their work.' Tammye Huf, author of A More Perfect Union (Myriad Editions)
'Bill gently teases the story out, with the sort of questions readers would ask. He helps writers understand that every sentence is important, that every conversation must add to the overall narrative arc, and that there is no valid ‘filler’. His feedback plus the feedback of others on the course, was invaluable for getting outside the writer’s point of view and into the reader’s.' Michele Kirsch, author of Clean (Short Books), winner of the RSL Christopher Bland Prize
'I’m finishing this course in a completely different place to where I started it and I’m SO glad I made the investment to sign up for it! I’ve relished the opportunities you’ve given me each week to get to grips with the different aspects of the writing process, and I’ve seen (with glee) how my approach to writing has developed over the weeks. (I noticed improvements from the very first workshop in Week 1 and knew then that the course was entirely worth its salt).' Julie Christi
'I was very impressed with the amount of work Bill put in, and the overall standard of work was very high indeed. It was a good catalyst for getting people writing, and the criticism from other students was, in the main, helpful.' Liz Newman
'[T]his was superb. One of the best writing courses I've been on.' Wassim
'Thank you for a useful and inspiring course. The weeks flew. I feel I’ve improved as a writer and also as a reader; I find I’m looking for the ‘strings’ when I’m reading published novels now, and marvelling when an author has hidden them well. The tutor was encouraging, as were the other writers on the course. Some of us are keeping in touch to give continued feedback on one another’s work.' Marie Kreft
'This was my first course on creative writing and I feel like a whole new world has opened up for me. I can now see so many more ways to improve my writing. Now I just need to put them into practice. Bill was patient and encouraging for those who needed support to boost their confidence. He created an environment that urged improvement in a comfortable way. Thank you!' Beth Rehman
'This was the first online course I’ve taken. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was delighted. I learned so much from Bill’s feedback in the workshops – not just with me but also with the other participants. And I gained a lot too from exchanging feedback with my fellow course participants. I don’t hesitate to recommend the course to anyone with a first novel in progress.' John Nixon
'I have been on courses before, but haven’t experienced such a solid, useful mix of the tools of the trade and feedback. Inspiring, practical, enjoyable.' Clare Palmer
'Bill gave very detailed feedback, sometimes quite challenging. He made a real effort to balance criticism with encouragement – not easy […] There was a real sense of progress, especially in the last couple of weeks where everyone seemed to have raised their game. […] Insightful. Challenging. Encouraging.' Stuart Blake
William Ryan has written six historical novels which have been shortlisted for numerous awards, including the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year, The Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award, the HWA Gold Crown for Historical Fiction, the Crime Writers Association’s Steel, Historical and New Blood Daggers and the Irish Crime Novel of the Year (four times). William has previously taught creative writing at City, University of London and at the University of East Anglia as well as being the author of the Writers' & Artists' Guide to How to Write. His latest novel, The Winter Guest, was published in January 2021 by Bonnier Zaffre.
The workshop fee of £95 (incl. VAT) is payable in full online. Please note that payment instalment plans are available for all W&A events, writing courses and editing services. Contact W&A Admin on [email protected] so that we can find a payment schedule that works for you.
This is a live online event which will be presented using video conferencing software. Joining instructions and full guidance will be provided by the W&A Team a week before the event start-date. Please note, all event timings are in UK time.
To view our event refund and cancellation policy, please click here.
Accessible to All
- It’s of real importance to Writers & Artists that our events and courses remain accessible to all.
- Writers & Artists has made one bursary place available for this event as part of our accessibility scheme. Please visit our bursaries page to find out how to apply for a bursary to the event.
- Payment instalment plans are available for all W&A events, writing courses and editing services. Contact W&A Admin on [email protected] so that we can find a payment schedule that works for you.
- At the speaker's discretion, event materials will be made available to attendees after the masterclass.
- A link to a recording of the presentation sessions will be circulated after the event. This will be made available to event attendees only, and for a time-limited period.
- If you'd like to receive a transcript of the session, please do let us know and we can circulate following the session.
- This event will include written text and visuals. Please contact us in advance so that we can make arrangements to be sure all documents appear in a format that works for you.
- If you’d like to attend but have any questions or concerns regarding accessibility, then please email [email protected]
