Painless Research with Kathy Lynn Emerson (Limited to 50 participants)

A workshop on how to dig up those elusive details that make historical mysteries--whether they're set 30 years ago or 200--come alive . . . and have fun doing it. Among the topics covered are how to evaluate a printed source, tips on using library resources, the benefits of hands-on research, the pitfalls of doing research online, and why historical accuracy is important, even though you're writing fiction. There will be time for participants to ask questions at the end.

"Point of View" with Hallie Ephron (Limited to 50 participants)

Writing crime fiction, or any other kind of fiction for that matter, is all about making choices, and one of the first choices you make when you sit down to write fiction is point of view. The tried and true point of view in the mystery genre is first person, but more and more authors are using multiple viewpoints to tell their stories. This workshop, we'll explore:

• Choosing a point of view for your novel, assessing the tradeoffs, how to tell if it works
• How to make a point-of-view character's voice unique and compelling.
  Clue: It's about dialogue, internal dialogue, and telling gesture
• How point of view alters story
• Mixing it up: handling point of view shifts
• Keeping the viewpoint under control
• Using multiple viewpoints to paint a picture, create drama, build suspense

Ten Key Ingredients For a Successful Thriller with Gary Braver (Limited to 50 participants)

After distinguishing the fundamental differences between mysteries and thrillers, Gary will discuss ten basics that are found in successful thriller novels, referencing bestsellers known to most readers. Whether or not you're writing a thriller, the discussion will offer some insights into the essentials common to both thrillers and mysteries as well as requisites of good fiction.

Writing for Young Audiences with Peter Abrahams (Limited to 50 participants)

Peter Abrahams, thriller writer and author of the award-winning and bestselling Echo Falls mystery series, will talk about writing mystery fiction for young audiences. His class will address:

• Problems of credibility in amateur sleuth stories - especially with young protagonists - and how to solve them. We'll work on finding believable ways > of involving the amateur sleuth in a mystery, and also solving them (mostly) on his or her own. We'll also go over clues - how to introduce them, and how to find them in ordinary teenage life.
• Respecting the readership: we'll deal with the risk of being patronizing, of talking down to the reader. How do you find the right language? We'll discuss the merits of different POV techniques.
• Characterization and plot: how to create characters of depth and subtlety without slowing down the story, with special attention to the power of dialogue.