Insider's Guide to Writing Detective Fiction

How to Write Successful Detective Fiction

Detective Fiction covers a large area of mystery sub-genres and often includes thrillers.

From amateur detectives to hardened private eye novels, the techniques of detective fiction help shape novels into books readers enjoy.

Some of the most memorable characters in all of fiction have been a detective in one form or another.

This workshop covers the techniques that are required in writing and understanding successful detective fiction.

We teach an entire workshop on writing mystery and understanding all the different areas of mystery fiction. This workshop focuses down on just one area of mystery, the detective story. Yet, the closer you look at this form of mystery, the more you realize how much it covers.

I write a detective series in my Cold Poker Gang novels and Kris writes the acclaimed Smokey Dalton series. And her Retrieval Artist science fiction series is a detective series as well.

This workshop keeps the focus on the techniques of writing and understanding detective fiction.



Your Instructor


Dean Wesley Smith
Dean Wesley Smith

With over twenty-three million copies of his books in print, USA Today bestselling writer Dean Wesley Smith now brings you original fiction every month for the past three years in his own magazine, Smith’s Monthly.

Dean wrote over twenty-five original Star Trek novels, the only two original Men in Black novels, plus Spider-Man, X-Men, Iron Man novels, and others. He wrote many gaming novels including Final Fantasy.

He wrote novels and stories under almost fifty pen names and did scripts for Hollywood as well as being an editor for various magazines. He lives in Las Vegas with his wife, writer Kristine Kathryn Rusch. You can follow his writing life at www.deanwesleysmith.com


Course Curriculum


  Introduction to Insider's Guide Workshops
Available in days
days after you enroll

Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
For lectures and classic workshops, the course starts now and stays on your dashboard for as long as you like! They are completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish. For the monthly regular workshops, each has a start date and each week's lectures will appear on the same day. After the course is finished it will remain on your dashboard for as long as you like.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
How do I contact someone about a course?
If you have any questions at all about anything in a course, simply email dean with the word "workshop" in the subject line. His email is [email protected]

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