Let's Make A Murder Mystery!

A collaborative mystery-writing workshop for all.

About the Class

This class is for anyone interested in writing a mystery — whether you love Sherlock Holmes or Inherent Vice, police procedurals or detective fiction that questions the very idea of justice. Each session blends creative prompts (absurd crimes with “obvious” solutions), discussion of classic and unconventional texts, and deep attention to student work. We’ll look at what makes a mystery tick, how genre can be subverted, and reality's place in relation to fiction. The structure is flexible and shaped by the students: we might spend more time on writing exercises, or dive deeper into real-world cases and critical questions about power, truth, and storytelling. No experience necessary. All ages welcome.

Incomplete, Unofficial Syllabus

  • "How Crime Writers Can Reimagine Public Safety Without the Police" by Amy Suiter Clarke (LitHub, 2021)
  • "The City That Really Did Abolish The Police" by Katherine Landergan (Politico, 2020)

  • "Pessimistic Police Abolition" (Harvard Law Review, 2023)

  • "A Class of His Own" by Josh Spiegel (Bright Wall/Dark Room, 2020)

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