Award-Winning Writer Uncovers the Secrets of Mystery Writing

We all love a good mystery—from compelling characters to exciting cliff hangers, the thrill of a suspenseful tale is unmistakable. But have you ever wondered what drives a riveting page-turner and keeps audiences coming back for more? Now’s your chance to find out with the upcoming Writing Mystery course.

Taught by award-winning writer Emily Kellogg, learners can explore the skills and techniques needed to craft engaging mystery and thrillers including how to create suspense, develop characters, and build tension.

“In a nurturing and supportive environment, students will learn to develop complex plots that keep readers guessing and write dynamic jump-off-the-page characters that leave a lasting impression,” says Kellogg. “Through an equal mixture of reading and workshopping, this hands-on course will immerse you in one of the most beloved genres of literature.”

With the mystery and thriller genre making up a significant 28% of fiction book purchases in Canada* alone, there’s no denying the continuing demand for a well-crafted mystery. And Kellogg is no stranger to the alluring genre, bringing her real-world experience to the course.

“As the co-creator and co-writer for the horror-thriller fiction podcast, Parkdale Haunt, I’ve come to love keeping audiences on edge,” she explains. “Over the course of three years and 30 episodes of a harrowing story of friendship, family secrets, and homicidal cults, I honed my craft, creating characters that audiences invest in and sustaining long-term elements of surprise.”

Through a combination of lectures, writing exercises, and workshopping, students can work with Emily to bring their own mystery to life.

“As an instructor, I value working with students individually to fully understand their specific writing goals and help achieve them,” says Kellogg. “In this course, I’ll teach you how to weave together plot, narrative, and character to write a perfectly paced story of your own.”

With audiences craving the next story to get hooked on, there’s never been a better time to explore the art of Writing Mystery.

*According to a 2022 survey by Booknet Canada