There’s nothing like a good psychological thriller, full of twists, turns and suspense. And with the success of recent bestsellers such as Gone Girl and Before I Go to Sleep, there’s never been a better time to turn your idea for a novel into a thrilling page-turner.
During this interactive course with Erin Kelly, bestselling author of The Poison Tree, you’ll learn everything from how to create compelling characters to how to build suspense within your novel. You’ll also receive advice on how to pitch your book to publishers through a guest session with Ruth Tross, senior editor at Mulholland Books. Plus, you’ll soak up insights on the writing process from guest speakers Anya Lipska, author of Where the Devil Can’t Go, and crime novelist Helen Giltrow.
Content
- Borrowing the best from crime fiction in your psychological thriller
- How to hook your reader in those first crucial pages
- Advice on creating dynamic characters and settings
- How to create suspense using viewpoint, structure and misdirection
- What editors are looking for – plus advice on writing a query letter and synopsis for your novel
- Practical writing workshops, with opportunity for feedback on work carried out during the class
- Re-drafting – changes you may have to make to your manuscript and how to handle them
- Q&A and group discussion
Course preparation
- One week before the class, you’ll be invited to submit the first 500 words of your novel should you wish to do so – although this is not essential to attend the class
Tutor profile
Erin Kelly is the author of four acclaimed psychological thrillers. Her debut, The Poison Tree, was a Richard and Judy bestseller and a major ITV drama – Stephen King said he ‘wished he’d written it’. In 2014, Erin’s novelisation of the BAFTA-winning TV programme Broadchurch was an international bestseller. Find out more on her website.
Guest speaker profiles
Ruth Tross is a senior editor at Mulholland Books, an imprint of Hodder specialising in crime fiction and psychological thrillers. She tweets @ruthtross.
Anya Lipska is the pen name of a British crime writer whose thrillers include Where the Devil Can’t Go and Death Can’t Take a Joke. Her novels have won critical acclaim, which led to Anya being chosen for Queen of Crime at Val McDermid’s New Blood panel, during Theakstons Crime Festival 2013. She tweets @AnyaLipska.
Helen Giltrow is a crime writer whose first novel, The Distance, was published by Orion in the UK and Doubleday in the US in 2014. Helen’s writing has been shortlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award and The Telegraph Novel in a Year Competition. She tweets @HelenGiltrow.
Testimonials
I found it really informative – there are lots of general writing courses around but the fact it was tailored only to thriller writing made the course feel unique and extremely helpful.
Really interesting - felt like I was getting real ‘insider’ information on how to write a thriller, with Erin sharing all her tips, advice and picking apart her synopsis letter for her first novel. Her editor’s feedback was so useful and such a good insight into what the publishing world is looking for
You may also be interested in…
- The science of storytelling with Will Storr
- How to promote your book: A one-day workshop with Rachel Abbott
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Details
Dates: Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 April 2016
Times: 10am-4pm
Location: The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU
Price: £449 (includes VAT, booking fee, lunch and refreshments)
Event capacity: 16
To contact us, click here. Terms and conditions can be found here.
Returns policy
Tickets may be refunded if you contact us at least 14 days before the course start date. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.
