From unexplained disappearances to murderers that leave no trace, crime and thriller books have a long history of keeping us on the edge of our seats, and turning those pages late into the night. But how do they get us so hooked?
Join master of suspense, author Vanessa Walters (The Lagos Wife) for this online masterclass on writing suspense. She'll delve into how you can use character, setting and atmosphere to create a world of 'what ifs'. And Vanessa will discuss structure and detail, and offer advice on how you can build tension into every part of your story.
Plus Vanessa will discuss her own publication journey, and her experience of pivoting from YA writing to adult writing.
The session will end with a brief Q&A, so come ready with your questions.
The masterclass will take place online via Teams. It will also be recorded so if you are unable to attend live, you'll be able to catch-up and access the recording for up to two weeks after the event has taken place.
This event is being run in collaboration with Book Aid International, with proceeds from ticket sales going towards the brilliant work they do!
Vanessa Walters was born and raised in London. She has a background in international journalism and playwriting and is a Tin House and Millay Arts fellow. She is the author of two previous YA books and The Lagos Wife. Film rights for The Lagos Wife have been optioned by HBO. Her forthcoming novel, Black Excellence, will be published next year.
About Book Aid International
By 2030, over a third of the world’s young people will be in Africa. Millions of them will have no books at all. That’s an estimated 733 million children and young people who could become future doctors, teachers, business leaders, writers and more.
But, for millions of children and young people in Africa there is a real risk they will not realise their potential and be able to lift themselves out of the cycle of poverty, because they lack access to books and quality education. Together, we can get them the books they need.
Through Generation Reader we will work with our partners to scale up our vital work, creating access to books in even more schools, more public and community libraries and more universities across sub-Saharan Africa. We must act now to have an impact on the next generation of young people in Africa.
Proceeds from your tickets sales will go towards Book Aid International’s Generation Reader campaign. You can find out more, and donate further, here.
The workshop fee of £30 (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 masterclass 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]
