This workshop is designed for crime writers of all levels working on all sub-genres. It’s suitable if you:

• Would like to make the forensics and crime-scene elements of your writing more accurate
• Want to know more about forensics, crime-scene procedure and debunk myths
• Would like insight from insider professionals
• Like experimenting with writing prompts and learning new techniques
• Enjoy the discipline of deadlines and peer feedback
• Want to join a friendly and supportive group of up to 30 learners
• Can dedicate 10am-4pm (UK time) to participate in the live workshop, or are happy to watch back the recordings afterwards.

This workshop allows you to:

• Understand how the police respond to, protect and examine crime scenes, and avoid cross contamination
• Become familiar with who’s who at the crime scene and who really calls the shots
• Learn about different crime scenes and how the police ensure they harvest the best evidence
• Know how fingerprints, DNA and other trace evidence is recovered and examined
• Learn what’s possible and what’s not in terms of forensic science
• Find out about poisons, interpret blood-splatter and learn what actually happens when a gun is discharged
  
• Write more accurate and effective forensic scenes that add gravitas, tension and drama to your writing
• Develop the professional skills writers require (eg discipline, attention to detail, ability to work to deadlines)
• Practise giving effective feedback to other writers and receiving critical notes
• Build greater independence, autonomy and critical judgment as you work on a final assignment.

Session 1: Morning session on Zoom –

• 10am Introductions and icebreaker exercise
• 10.30am Graham introduces the day’s themes, with practical interactive exercises throughout:
• How the police respond to different types of crime scenes and avoid cross-contamination
• Who’s there at the crime scene and who’s in charge
• How the police ensure they harvest the best evidence
• All about fingerprints, DNA and other trace evidence, poisons and weapons
• What forensic science can and can’t do
• Learn about blood spatter and its interpretation #bartlettsbloopers – avoiding common mistakes crime writers make
• 12.45pm Forensics Q&A
• 1pm Lunch

Session 2: Afternoon session on Zoom –

• 2pm Writing exercise brief and Q&A
• 2.15pm Writing time
• 3.15pm Q&A – turning fact into fiction
• 4pm Close.

After the course ends, you can continue to chat and share work with your group on our forums. We’ll also upload recordings of the Zoom sessions for you to watch back. Graham will give individual feedback on your writing and answer queries in our online classroom during the week following the session.

Join our alumni community 

After your course, you can join our online alumni community – a friendly group of writers supporting each other as they continue to explore and develop their writing. There’s no cost for this. It’s easy to access via the online classroom, where you can:

• Revisit all your courses materials, including tutor notes, feedback, videos, podcasts and forum posts
• Rejoin your classmates, and continue working together in a private space
• Meet alumni from other courses to find beta-readers and share work on our critiquing forum
• Network with other writers working in your genre or area of interest
• Take part in regular ‘sit and write’ Zoom sessions, to push forward with your work-in progress
• Join our monthly live alumni events with our expert tutors and industry guests, including agents, editors, publishers, competition and festival organisers, and prizewinning writers

Feedback on your work

At the end of the course Graham will give feedback on the procedural aspect of your final submission. If you would like more detailed or ongoing feedback on your work or consultancy for an extra fee, please email [email protected] for details.

Taking things further
If you’d like to continue on to another Professional Writing Academy course, please get in touch for more details.