Olivia Kiernan is the critically acclaimed author of the Detective Frankie Sheehan series of crime and suspense novels. In this workshop she will cover the basics of constructing a plot and structure for a crime, thriller and mystery novel drawing on her experience of crafting a successful series.

What will you do in the workshop?

The two-hour workshop will include discussion to help demystify the genres as well as shorter exercises and a longer exercise aimed at supporting those who are new to writing crime, thriller and mystery fiction.

Who is this workshop for?

This workshop is aimed at writers who have yet to try to write a crime, thriller or mystery fiction novel, but have been actively writing in other genres and forms. The workshop is open to all and will be recorded for access purposes.

About Olivia

Olivia Kiernan is a writer of crime thrillers and suspense fiction. She holds an MA in Creative Writing and her novels have been published in multiple territories. The End of Us is her latest novel and first standalone thriller after the critically acclaimed Detective Frankie Sheehan series. LA based Freedom Films and actor/producer Victoria Smurfit have optioned the Frankie Sheehan series for TV. Kiernan’s fourth novel, The Murder Box, sees Detective Frankie Sheehan receive a murder mystery game only to discover that the fictional victim at the game’s centre bears a striking resemblance to a missing woman. On release, the Irish Independent said of The Murder Box: In the past, Olivia’s work has been longlisted for the Bath and Fish Short Story Awards, the Bath Children’s Novel Award and shortlisted for the BBC Writersroom.

About Case Closed

Case Closed is a new programme created in partnership with the C&W Literary Agency to find and develop new Crime, Thriller and Mystery Fiction writers from diverse backgrounds. The programme will include three writing workshops and one seminar about submitting to agents. In July we will be launching a First Chapter competition for unpublished and unagented writers based in the UK who are from a background underrepresented in UK publishing. Attendance for at least one of the workshops and/or reading the resource document will be a requirement of entry. For more information, please visit the programme page here: https://www.spreadtheword.org.uk/projects/case-closed-crime-thriller-and-mystery-fiction-cw-literary-agency/ 

We are also running a short survey to gain more insight on barriers and what support we can offer to those writing in these genres. Please visit here to complete it: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/case-closed

Image description

A composite rectangular image. On the left, a black-and-white photo of author Olivia Kiernan. Olivia is a white woman who smiles. She has black shoulder-length hair parted on the side. She wears a navy green cardigan with a black top beneath. The background behind her is black. On the right, bold text reads: CASE CLOSED: CRIME, THRILLED AND MYSTERY FICTION DEMYSTIFIED A C&W AND SPREAD THE WORD PROGRAMME. At top right corner is a C&W logo with grey and green font. At bottom right, a Spread the Word logo with a megaphone.

Olivia Kiernan, author and workshop leader for the Case Closed programme.