FBCW Enrolled: CRIME AND MYSTERY WRITING: A DEEP DIVE, with Jonathan Whitelaw
Member price: $120 CAD (That's just $30 a session!)
Non-member price: $170 CAD
**This series will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants each week after the session. The recordings will be available for 45 days.
If you signed up after week one and are missing any recordings, please email hello@bcwriters.ca and let us know which sessions you are missing.
NOTE: Because this is a series of ongoing sessions, there will not be reminder emails about the individual sessions. This series uses the same Zoom link each week. We suggest saving the Zoom link in a calendar event, a Word Document, or the Notes app.
EVENT DESCRIPTION:
Every great crime novel starts with a question: What really happened? Over four weeks, award-winning crime and mystery author Jonathan Whitelaw guides students through the essential craft of mystery and crime writing, from finding your voice and building a compelling detective to plotting a twist-filled case and laying the red herrings that keep readers guessing. Along the way, we'll explore how setting and time period shape a mystery's atmosphere, and close with an insider's look at the publishing side of the genre, including what agents and editors want and where crime fiction is headed next.
Each week includes optional writing prompts, giving students the chance to put new techniques into practice and get feedback from the group. Whether you're starting your first manuscript or refining a work in progress, this course offers a practical, supportive introduction to writing mysteries that hook readers from the first page.
Join us on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m., October 6 to October 27, for this fun, fast-paced series on how to take your crime and mystery writing to the next level.
Dates and time, all via Zoom:
Tuesdays, October 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2026, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Weekly topics may include:
Week 1: We'll discuss: What makes a mystery and crime novel? What are the sub-genres? How to find your voice as a crime and mystery writer. And finally, what makes the perfect detective? There's also the first completely noncompulsory assignment for the class, usually a prompt relating to what we've talked about and a chance for people to have a go at some writing between sessions.
Week 2: We'll talk about where to get ideas for murder/mystery plots and how to develop these from the first spark to putting something down on the page. Students will also have a chance to reflect on the different subgenres of crime and we will discuss how your plots, characters, setting, etc., have to fit the "style." Week two is also the first chance to discuss week 1's assignment.
Week 3: We'll talk about what a "red herring" is in mystery fiction and how it's an important aspect of any and every crime plot. We'll dive into the importance of location to mystery stories, whether that's literal location (city vs. rural) or the time period.
Week 4: A look at the "mystery writer's mentality," which is a recap of everything we've talked about. Jonathan will also examine and share the professional and industry side of mystery writing: what agents do, what publishers are looking for, what the industry is expecting/looking for, as well as expected trends in mystery writing in 2027 and beyond.
Bio:
Jonathan Whitelaw is an award-winning author, journalist and broadcaster. After working on the frontline of Scottish politics, he moved into journalism. Subjects he’s covered have varied from breaking news, the arts, culture and sport to fashion, music and even radioactive waste—with everything in between. Jonathan’s work has appeared in The Sun, Daily Mail, Scotsman, STV, and The Scots Magazine as well as numerous international newspapers and websites. He is also a regular contributor to both BBC and CBC. He is a multi-published author of the Bingo Hall Detectives series as well as his latest release, All At Sea, available now from HarperCollins.
For more info about Jonathan, follow him on Instagram, @jdwhitelaw13, or visit www.northbanktalent.com/clients/jonathan-whitelaw.
