Writing Crime and Thriller Novels with Graham Bartlett
Learn to write a compelling crime or thriller novel
Join best-selling author and former police Chief Superintendent Graham Bartlett on our dedicated, genre-specific Writing Crime and Thriller Novels course. Over six weeks, you’ll learn the art of creating complex characters, building suspense and crafting thrilling plots. From understanding criminal psychology to mastering twists and red herrings, you’ll finish with the tools you need to captivate readers, keeping them on the edge of their seats.
Each week, you’ll complete a writing exercise and receive feedback from both Graham and your course mates. You’ll also join a live webinar, where you’ll dive deep into the week’s key topic, ask questions and share ideas. At the end of the course, you’ll submit the first 5000 words of your manuscript and receive personalised feedback from Graham on your writing. In addition, you’ll have the chance to submit your work for inclusion in the Jericho Writers anthology, which is sent to hundreds of literary agents, and receive a free one-to-one session with either Graham or a literary agent where you can discuss your work.
Suitable for all writers of crime and thriller novels, hoping to traditionally or self-publish.
What’s included in this course?
Weekly tutorials
Direct feedback on your work
Expert Advice
Indefinite access to course content
Get to know your tutor
At Jericho Writers, we’re a team of Big 5 published authors who’ve been exactly where you are now. We bring this experience together with expert tutors like Graham to create the best courses available. For over two decades, our approach has helped authors launch their careers, sign with top literary agents and even go on to become Sunday Times Bestsellers.
Graham Bartlett was Brighton and Hove Police’s Chief Superintendent, a senior homicide detective and a public order and firearms commander before becoming a best-selling crime fiction and non-fiction author. His debut non-fiction, ‘Death Comes Knocking’, written with Peter James, was a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller. As a police procedure and crime advisor, Graham works with over 150 authors and TV writers, helping them inject authenticity into their work.
Want to get a feel for what working with Graham would be like before applying for the course? Book a £20 Meet Your Tutor session. These short, one-to-one chats are the perfect way to sense check whether the course is the right fit for you. They’re also fully refundable against the cost of the course if you decide to go ahead and study with us.
Want to know more about the course?
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Writing Crime and Thriller Novels – pay in full
Writing Crime and Thriller Novels – instalments
Course Syllabus
Find out what you’ll learn in this week-by-week breakdown.
Our courses have helped hundreds of writers get their books published
Many of our alumni have gone on to win prizes, become bestsellers and successfully-self-publish. To name just a few, our Self-Edit Your Novel alumni Cathy Bramley is a Sunday Times bestseller and Marvellous Michael Anson’s epic fantasy trilogy will be published with Penguin Michael Joseph. From the Ultimate Novel Writing Programme, S. J. King signed a two-book deal with Storm Publishing and Alan Fraser was published by Lightning Books. Following on from the Simply Self Publish course, alumni Nitin Nanji was a Finalist in 2024 Next Generation Indie Book Awards & S. M. Davies was shortlisted for the Adult Fiction Prize at the 2023 Selfies Book Awards. Now it’s your turn.
We’ve helped hundreds of writers
But don’t take our word for it! Our authors have experience with our editorial services, online courses, and Premium Membership.
How can we help?
If you’d like to know more about the Writing Crime and Thrillers Course, book a call to speak with a member of our team at a time that suits you. We’d love to hear from you!
Frequently asked
questions
Who is the Writing Crime and Thriller Novels Course suitable for?
This course is suitable for anyone writing within the crime or thriller genres, as well as any of their many sub-genres! You don’t need a completed manuscript to enrol, but you do need an idea for your novel in order to get started.
If you’d like to study on a course that focuses on more than one genre, you might want to consider our Ultimate Novel Writing Programme or Novel Writing Course instead. If you have a completed novel and would like to focus on perfecting your submission pack and pursuing traditional publication, Path to Publication might be more suitable for you.
Which genres are suitable for this course?
All Crime and Thriller genres are suitable for this course. If you’re unsure whether your novel would be suitable, you can get in touch with the courses team at courses@jerichowriters.com.
Are there live calls included in the course?
There will be a live call each week with the tutor and other course students. All calls will be held in the evening (UK time) on Zoom, and will be recorded.
What if I don’t have much time?
We get it. Life is busy. That’s why this course is designed to fit around your schedule.
We suggest you spend 3-4 hours per week on the course, which will include one hour spent on a webinar with your tutor and course mates, plus an hour spent studying the materials shared. In addition, you’ll need to complete your weekly assignment. Don’t forget, though, that you’ll have indefinite access too all your course content – so if you fall behind, you won’t miss out.
Do you have any bursaries available for this course?
While we don’t have a full bursary available for this course, we want to help great writers get published, and if your personal circumstances make it impossible for you to fund the full price of this course, please get in touch. We can’t make any promises, but we’ll always do what we can.
What happens if I pay for the course and change my mind?
If you change your mind about taking the course, you can ask for a refund up to 14 days before it begins. However, we will charge an administration fee for cancelling your place.
After this, it won’t be possible for us to refund you. To make sure you don’t lose out, we strongly advise that you make sure you’ll be able to join the course on the dates advertised before securing your place. We also ask that you ensure you’re comfortable with studying online.
If you’d like more details, take a look at our terms and conditions.
What support will be available to me?
You’ll get regular support from your tutor and course mates, who will offer constructive feedback on your work every week. You’ll be able to ask questions during the live weekly seminars and can reach out to the Jericho Writers team at any time if you need anything else. We’re always happy to help!
What feedback can I expect to receive during the course?
Weekly feedback on your course assignments will be shared in an online forum, where your tutor and peers will contribute their thoughts. To help ensure everyone can learn from discussion from one another’s work, comments will be visible to all students currently studying on the course. At the end of the course, you’ll also get a one-to-one session with Graham or a literary agent – whichever you’d prefer. You’ll also get personalised feedback from Graham on the first 5000 words of your crime or thriller manuscript, which you’ll be able to use to refine your writing further.
What will I get from the course?
After completing the course, you’ll have:
- A deep understanding of the structures unique to crime and thriller novels
- The ability to assess whether your work-in-progress or book idea has a compelling hook and page-turning plot
- A strong awareness of the key components of writing in these genres – twists, suspense and big reveals – plus knowledge of how to employ techniques effectively
- An understanding of how to use research and expert input for world-building, and the enhance the authenticity of your work
- Knowledge of how to refine and edit your own writing
- One-to-one feedback from an industry expert – either Graham or a literary agent
- Personalised feedback on first 5000 words of your manuscript.
Is it really worth it?
Any creative writing course is an investment in your future career as an author. It’s about building skills that you’ll hopefully use for years to come. If you’re committed to getting your crime or thriller novel out there, either through self- or traditional publishing, this genre-specific course will help you develop the confidence and skills to craft a truly compelling story that you’ll be proud to share with readers and industry professionals.
What if I’m not confident in my writing yet?
Don’t worry – most authors, even those who’ve been published, question their own abilities. To join this course and make the most of it, all you need is a book idea and the desire to learn. The step-by-step structure of the course, plus the supportive feedback you receive along the way, will help to build your confidence as you write.
What are the technical requirements for the course?
The Writing Crime and Thriller Novels Course is held on our state-of-the-art online learning platform. To access the course, you will need a computer or laptop. You can access the learning platform on a phone, but please note the platform is not optimised for mobile or tablet devices so we recommend using a computer or laptop to have the best experience.
During the course there will be weekly calls held on Zoom. To access Zoom you will need a device with a working camera/webcam and microphone to participate in the group discussion and activities. You will also need a strong, reliable internet connection. A reliable internet connection means there are no frequent interruptions or dropouts during the course. You should be able to stream videos, participate in live sessions, and submit assignments without the connection cutting out. We recommend a minimum of 3-5 Mbps for a positive experience. Please find the Zoom system requirements here: https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0060748
