The ideal course for those looking to learn the fundamentals of writing their first work of crime fiction with this online course.
Early Bird Offer
Save 10% when you book before 31 August!
6 starting dates
-
Starting date:
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Time: to
- Fees: £299
(£269 with discount)
(no VAT)
Save £30 - book by 31 Aug 2026
- Occurs: Tuesday
- Location: Online
- Booking deadline:
-
Starting date:
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Time: to
- Fees: £299
(£269 with discount)
(no VAT)
Save £30 - book by 31 Aug 2026
- Occurs: Tuesday
- Location: Online
- Booking deadline:
-
Starting date:
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Time: to
- Fees: £299
(£269 with discount)
(no VAT)
Save £30 - book by 31 Aug 2026
- Occurs: Tuesday
- Location: Online
- Booking deadline:
-
Starting date:
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Time: to
- Fees: £299
(£269 with discount)
(no VAT)
Save £30 - book by 31 Aug 2026
- Occurs: Tuesday
- Location: Online
- Booking deadline:
-
Starting date:
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Time: to
- Fees: £299
(£269 with discount)
(no VAT)
Save £30 - book by 31 Aug 2026
- Occurs: Wednesday
- Location: Online
- Booking deadline:
-
Starting date:
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Time: to
- Fees: £299
(£269 with discount)
(no VAT)
Save £30 - book by 31 Aug 2026
- Occurs: Tuesday
- Location: Online
- Booking deadline:
Want to find out more?
Testimonials
Crime and Thriller Writing Course overview
This ten-week crime writing course will include an in-depth look at how to write a thriller and what makes a good crime novel. It aims to make your own writing strong, compelling and ready to submit.
Areas covered will include plotting, characterisation and analysis of all the elements that give a book that page-turning quality.
This crime and thriller writing course is suitable for both beginners and also those who have already started writing but need some direction.
After this crime and thriller writing course, students might also be interested in Short Story Writing, Novel Writing and Longer Works, and Writers' Workshop. We also offer a follow-on Crime Writing Intensive Intermediate course over one week in the summer.
Who is it for?
For new and more experienced writers who want to learn the fundamentals of writing crime fiction.
Find out more about our Creative writing and publishing courses
Timetable
Teaching takes place once a week for ten weeks, from 6.30-8.30pm.
City St George's Short Courses follow the academic year, delivering courses over three terms. These include:
- Autumn - October
- Spring - January
- Summer - April
Benefits
- Unique opportunity to learn craft of crime fiction from a best-selling thriller writer
- Online, intimate classes
- Awarded a City St George's, University of London certificate
What will I learn?
You will learn a variety of techniques from creating characters that live off the page, to how to build a plot and how to use effective description. Other topics include building tension and pace into your writing; creating crime scene settings; and how to use research to bring veracity to your stories.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Define what makes a crime story work
- Create believable characters that will live off the page
- Understand plot twists and how to use them to the best effect
- Use effective description in your writing
- Build tension and pace into your writing
- Create settings that evoke a strong sense of place.
Assessment and certificates
There is no formal assessment for the course, but students are expected to contribute to class discussions. Sharing work is encouraged, even though it isn’t a formal workshop setting.
Students who attend 70% of the classes will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course.
Eligibility
No prior knowledge of crime fiction required as course is suitable for beginners or those who would like more direction.
English requirements
You will need a good level of spoken and written English to enrol on this course.
Recommended reading
- Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn, Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 2013
- Someone Else’s Skin, Sarah Hilary, Headline, 2016
- And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie, Harper Collins, 2007
- Slow Horses, Mick Herron, John Murray, 2017.
Tutor
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Caroline Green
Caroline Green’s debut adult novel The Woman Next Door was a Number 1 e-book bestseller. In A Cottage, In A Wood was a Sunday Times top ten and USA Today bestseller. She is also an award-winning author of fiction for young people. Her genre-busting crime series for adults (writing as CS Green) starts with Sleep Tight. Writer in Residence at East Barnet School and Thameside Prison, she also teaches for City St George's, University of London.
