Class Description

Building a Mystery: Plotting Your Crime Novel The mystery genre has been thrilling readers for more than hundred years. From intricate plots that challenge readers to match wits with the detective to hard-boiled private eye stories that turn a clear and cynical eye on society, there are no limits to what a writer can accomplish in novels of mystery and suspense. In this two-hour workshop, acclaimed author Howard Shrier will show you how to keep readers guessing from the first chapter to the last. A two-time winner of the Crime Writers of Canada’s highest fiction prize, Howard has been named “One of Canada’s top thriller writers” by NOW Magazine and “My top find of 2012” by Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Working with Howard, you’ll cover every element of crime fiction: the murder or other crime that kicks off the story; the sleuth who sets out to solve it; the perpetrator who throws up obstacles to that quest, forcing the sleuth to take action that reveals character; the many witnesses, antagonists and allies who round out your cast; how to use red herrings, clues and misdirection; and ways to outline your story to maximize thrills and avoid writers’ block. You’ll explore how to leverage research to generate plot and character ideas. You’ll emerge with a clearer plan of how to see your story from the inciting incident through to a breath-taking climax. All sessions will be recorded and the recording made available to all registered participants. Instructor bio: Howard Shrier is the author of six novels and one collection of stories, including four titles in the acclaimed Jonah Geller series. His debut novel Buffalo Jump, published by Random House/Vintage Canada in 2008, won the Crime Writers of Canada's award for best first novel. The sequel, High Chicago (2009), won the CWC award for best novel. Boston Cream received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Library Journal and a rare five-star review in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, while Miss Montreal was shortlisted for another CWC award. Howard’s 2025 novel The American Zone, set during construction of the Panama Canal in 1906, has been called “a masterpiece of historical crime fiction” by the Seaboard Review of Books. Howard has taught creative writing at the University of Toronto, Toronto Public Library, the San Miguel Writers Conference and Kingston Writers Festival, and runs his own online courses in the foundations of fiction.