Support our Sponsors:

All ads on this website are unpaid and represent vendors, authors & publishers who support the community by donating their time, expertise and products to our membership. Let's show our support and click any ads of interest!
Writing a Mystery

Instructor: Misa Ramirez and Tonya Kappes. Plotting a mystery is different than plotting a romance or women’s fiction.  A mystery is about the puzzle, and crafting a puzzle to stump an avid mystery reader is no easy task.  This course uses the educational approach of backwards mapping to demonstrate how to plot a mystery, complete with red herrings.  

We’ll deconstruct a mystery novel to drive home the concepts.  This is an interactive class, so be prepared to share your observations about mystery books you’ve read!

WHEN:    Jan 3, 2011 - Jan 30, 2011

COST:   $15 for Premium Members
$25 for Basic Members

Cancellation policy: Registrations are non-refundable except when the workshop is cancelled by Savvy Authors.

REGISTRATION:      *** Registration Closed***

INSTRUCTOR:   
Misa Ramirez/Melissa Bourbon - Misa is the author of the Lola Cruz mystery series: Living the Vida Lola (January ’09) and Hasta la Vista, Lola! (2010) from Thomas Dunne Books / St. Martin’s Minotaur. Her new cozy mystery series will be out with NAL in fall 2011, published under the name Melissa Bourbon.  

A former middle and high school teacher, this blonde-haired, green-eyed, proud to be Latina-by-Marriage girl loves following Lola and Harlow, her two sleuths, on their many adventures. Whether it’s contemplating belly button piercings or visiting nudist resorts, she’s always up for the challenge. Misa/Melissa also has two middle grade series for girls in development, is published in Woman’s World Magazine and Romance Writers Report, and has a children’s book published. 
 
Tonya Kappes - The queen, princess, and jester in her family of 4 boys, 2 dogs, and best friend super tiger husband, writes contemporary women’s fiction with quirky characters and quirkier situations.  Her paying job, the one she is forced to go to every day until she signs with her dream agent and hits the big time, is as a developmental intervention therapist working with kids from birth to three.  Being the gun-totin’, Gucci-packin’ high class hillbilly she is, she prefers vodka to beer, can hold her own against anyone on the west side, and most importantly is co-founder of the web site The Naked Hero.

Tags:    Craft, Genre





*** PERMISSION TO FORWARD GRANTED AND ENCOURAGED ***

Website Instructions

All workshop registrations include FREE Basic Membership in Savvy Authors.

Savvy Authors' workshops are held on a forum: a bulletin board based system. Instead of an invitation to join a loop you will receive a reminder notice one or two days prior to the start of the workshop that includes your user name, password and instructions on how to access the workshop forum. If you have not received instructions by the day the workshop begins, please check your spam filter.

The forum will be available the morning (EST) of the day the workshop starts and will remain accessible to all participants thereafter, even after the workshop ends (unless otherwise stated by the moderator).

Participants can "subscribe" to the forum at any time after receiving initial access to automatically receive notice of all posts made to the forum via email. Participants will receive a link in each email which will take them directly to that area of the forum where one can post a reply.

A moderator is assigned for each workshop and will introduce himself/herself on the first day of class. The moderator is available to answer any website questions, assist the instructor, and address any concerns. We urge every participant to contact the moderator immediately if you feel the workshop experience falls below expectations so we may address issues promptly before the workshop ends. Savvy Authors strives to offer an educational and satisfying workshop experience for everyone, and we treat complaints with utmost urgency.

Questions or concerns may also be sent to workshops@savvyauthors.com.

Payment is due at the time of registration to guarantee your seat in the course. Registrations are non-refundable except when the workshop is cancelled by Savvy Authors.

Upcoming Events:

WORKSHOP: The Purpose Driven Scene
Scenes are the building blocks of a novel. But while a scene is advancing the book’s story question, each scene is, in itself, a story in miniature. This workshop focuses on how to develop a scen... (May 27 - June 23)

WORKSHOP: Active vs. Passive Voice
What is passive voice? Why should it be avoided? How can you make your writing more active? We will look at how to recognize and change passive into active writing. We will also look the rare occasion... (May 27 - June 23)

WORKSHOP: Hunting the Elusive Hook
What is a hook and how can I use it? Whether you've never heard of hooks or have been writing hooks for years, this workshop will take you through the whole gamut of ways to write hooks and use them e... (May 27 - June 23)

WORKSHOP: Book Your Blog
Did you know that if you have a blog you may already have a book with built-in readers? And if your goal is to finish your book this year, why not use your blog to make it happen? Attract the attentio... (May 27 - June 23)

WORKSHOP: Using Astrology to Add Intensity to Your Characters
How readers connect to your character determines if they finish your book and if they become your fan (and buy more of your books). Readers connect with characters that are authentic and have depth. A... (May 27 - June 23)

CHAT: Honey, I've Got a Headache: Embrace writing sex scenes
Do you dread writing sex scenes? Are you pulling your hair out trying to figure how to keep it sizzling and fresh? Do you struggle with how to make it hot when you close the bedroom door? Well, you d... (May 29 - May 29)

WEBINAR: Self-Publishing and Marketing a Book
This seminar is not a how-to lecture, but rather one that addresses a catalog of issues, decisions and pitfalls facing the new author who intends to publish a book on their own. Author Hank Quense, w... (June 2 - June 9)

WORKSHOP: Seven Secrets of the Prolific
Secrets of the Prolific: How to Overcome Procrastination, Perfectionism and Writer’s Block will forever change your relationship with your writing. People suffering from procrastination or a block oft... (June 3 - June 30)

WORKSHOP: Making Scenes Come Alive
MAKING SCENES COME ALIVE (A workshop by Dee Lloyd) Think of your story as a series of scenes. Then make every scene vibrant and engrossing. MAKING SCENES COME ALIVE workshop will ... (June 3 - June 23)

WORKSHOP: Writing Regency-Set Novels
For all that it covers an amazingly short time span (1811 to 1820) the English Regency has a remarkable allure for writers and readers. Mystery writers, including the great John Dixon Carr, have chose... (June 3 - June 30)