Creating Memorable Characters in Crime Fiction

I will be teaching an intermediate workshop at the 10^th Annual Taos Summer Writers Conference at the Sagebrush Inn from July 13 to July 20, 2008. The class is limited to 12 participants and will focus on creating unforgettable characters and integrating them into suspenseful and compelling plots. We will discuss ways for writers to get a sense of their characters as well as techniques for bringing them to life for the reader through description, dialogue, action and reaction. Conflict and resolution are essential to crime novels and the workshop will explore ways to accomplish this by dynamic interactions between protagonists and antagonists. Since crime novels deal with the best of human nature and the worst we will work on developing the characteristics that are essential to protagonists (such as intelligence, curiosity and persistence) plus the motivations of those who commit crime and the traits of those who work in law enforcement. Protagonists often have sidekicks and we will consider how to balance the two as well as how to create believable suspects. Students will be asked to submit samples of their work for discussion.

I will meet individually with each class member and help with any particular problems students are having.

More information may be found on the conference website www.unm.edu/~taosconf

Intensive Workshop in the Crime Novel

This workshop is for committed writers who are nearing completion of a crime novel and are interested in polishing the work and preparing the manuscript for submission to editors and agents. At this point feedback from peers is invaluable and students in my previous master classes at the Taos Writers Conference have benefited enormously from each other’s positive critiques. Manuscripts may be up to 300 double spaced pages. The class is limited to six students who will be admitted based on a 25 page writing sample from their novel. In the workshop particular attention will be paid to elements essential to successful crime fiction: plotting, pacing, revealing critical information about solving the crime, creating suspense, and building to an exciting and satisfying climax. Point of view, characterization and character development will be discussed, as well as relationships between protagonists and sidekicks, protagonists and antagonists, protagonists and suspects. We will talk about the differences between the crime genres of mysteries, suspense novels and thrillers. A session will be devoted to agents who are successful with crime fiction and how to bring your work to their attention. I will meet with class members individually and help with any particular problems students are having.

The weeklong workshop will take place in Albuquerque in August, 2008.