Writing Detective and Thriller Fiction

Detective and thriller fiction are enormously popular. For the writer, these genres demand intricate plots, detailed research, and the ability to create ‘deep’ and complex characters. This module will identify the historical contexts of both genres from their beginnings in (for example) the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. We will also explore the wide range of sub genres-from cozy-crime to the literary, to contemporary visceral, Nordic crime. Students will analyse and compare the work of a wide range of published fiction. Each student will also be guided in the key skills of writing effective detective and thriller fiction as they identify their own particular genre ‘position’ and style.

This online learning course enables you to study from home and participate in an online community of other students. The module is delivered through Blackboard, our online learning environment.

This module can be studied as a stand-alone course, but it is also an optional module for the Certificate of Higher Education in Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University.   

ASSESSMENTS

A critical synopsis, which records and reflects on the process of working up the synopsis, and how this work is positioned within genres of either thriller or detective fiction 600 words (40%)
Extract from a proposed novel or short story 1500 words (60%)

Note

This module is at CQFW Level 4