Key details
- Date: 27 April - 25 May 2024
- Sessions: Saturdays: 10:30am - 12:30pm
- No. sessions: 5
- Venue: West Bridgford Library, Nottingham
- For ages: 19+
- Group size: 5 - 15
- Cost: FREE - £30
About this course
Do you love crime fiction? Have you ever wondered how a crime story is written, or wanted to write your own? If so, come along to West Bridgford Library and be introduced to many aspects of writing crime fiction, including research, creating characters, dialogue and plotting. You will also engage in your own creative writing.
Discover the history of crime fiction – from the first detective story through to today’s themes and trends - and how to write it through a series of illustrated presentations from a published crime writer. There will also be videos, discussion and creative writing exercises as we look at what makes a great crime novel.
What will learners achieve by the end of the course?
You will widen your appreciation of crime fiction and its many sub-genres, from the British ‘golden age’ and American hardboiled novels, through to legal thrillers, spy novels, procedurals and psychological crime, in a course that spans the centuries. You’ll also be able to match crime writers with their famous novels.
Through the teaching and writing exercises you’ll learn how to plot (understanding the difference between character-driven and plot-driven writing), generate ideas, create characters and thrill readers, developing your own ideas and being inspired. You will even create your own protagonist and have a go at creative writing and editing. Finally, you will come to appreciate the difference between a blurb, a synopsis and an outline, and how these can be used to sell a novel, to agents, publishers or readers.
What skills or knowledge do learners already need to have to attend the course?
An interest in reading crime fiction and a desire to write crime fiction is desirable but no prior experience is required.
Suggested Reading for the course:
‘Howdunit’ edited by Martin Edwards.
‘On Writing’ by Stephen King.
Booking your place and fee information
If you are in receipt of certain benefits you will be offered the course for free, however if you have a financial barrier which may prevent you from enrolling on the course please visit our webpage for further information https://www.inspireculture.org.uk/skills-learning/funding-your-courses/
To secure your place on the course BOTH the following must be done:
- Complete the EVENTBRITE BOOKING.
- Complete our INSPIRE ONLINE ENROLMENT FORM for each person attending the course.
You should be redirected to the Inspire Online Enrolment Form after completing the Eventbrite booking. If you are not redirected, please use the link supplied in the Eventbrite booking confirmation email.
To book and enrol on one of our courses, you must have been living in England and have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years.
Some exceptions may apply if you are living in England with evidence of the right to remain and are from an EEU/EEAU country (completion of a questionnaire will be required).
As we no longer receive funding for our ESFA-funded courses for learners living in the devolved areas listed below, full cost fees would apply to these courses if you live in these areas:
- Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
- Greater London
- Greater Manchester
- Liverpool City Region
- Newcastle Upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland
- Tees Valley
- West of England
- West Midlands
- West Yorkshire
Any questions?
Check the FAQs page, or get in touch:
Book your place
Visit the Inspire website for full details and booking options
