Course: Certificate in Crime, Mystery & Suspense Writing

The popular crime fiction genre offers many opportunities for successful authors to pursue full-time and part-time writing careers.

Whether you are interested in writing as a profession, or purely for your own satisfaction, this comprehensive Open Colleges' (formerly Cengage Education) writing course will teach you how to develop interesting characters, suspenseful plots and effective dialogue. You will also learn how to produce accurate descriptions of crime scenes and police procedures. Training in writing non-fiction and mysteries for children is included in this course, together with strategies for marketing and promoting your work and finding an agent.

Course Number	94620
Course Fees From	$42.81 per week View our payment options

Delivery mode:	Print or online
Course duration:	Max 18 months
Assessments:	12 written assessments
Qualification:	Open Colleges Certificate
Nationally Recognised	No
Government Funding	No

Career One jobs for:

ID	Subject expand all

	An overview What this course will offer you The popularity of mysteries and crime Which sub-genre will you choose? A quiz for the aspiring mystery/crime writer
	The characters in your crime story What comes first, the character or the plot? Characters in a situation Some tips on getting readers to like your sleuth 'Collecting' characters
	The villain A worthy opponent Criminal profiling Sociopaths and psychopaths Where to find information which will help you create a good villain
	Plotting your mystery novel The best way to plot your story The beginning: that vital idea Subplots Some tips on plotting and editing
	Clues, red herring and crime scenes Laying the trail How to hide clues The crime-scene How police deal with people in crisis
	Background, atmosphere and mood The background to your crime novel A trick to make your background come alive The professional environment Examples from well-known authors
	Building suspense: how to use conflict, pace and tension How to create suspense right from the start Ways to create suspense How to maintain tension and conflict throughout your novel Controlling pace through scenes
	Writing mysteries for children What you should know about writing mysteries for children Short books or long books? Pitfalls in writing for children The basics of a workable children's book
	How to write true crime Writing the true crime novel Sources of information Planning the book Writing technique for true crime
	The crime writer: ABC Humour Overview: what your story should deliver Redrafting
	Marketing your work and building your career Submitting a manuscript Agents: should I have one, what do they change, where do I find one Give editors what they ask for How you can help promote your book
	Writing effective dialogue The importance of good dialogue How do you write effective dialogue? Troubleshooting: how to fix dialogue that doesn't work How to make dialogue and narrative work well together

Entry requirements

Minimum education

Open entry. Previous schooling and academic achievements are not required for entry into this course.

Minimum age

Minimum age of 16 years. If you are under 18 your application must be signed by a parent or guardian.

Computer requirements

Students will need access to a computer and the internet. For students who do not have access to either a computer or the internet please contact a student support officer to discuss alternative methods of communication.

Minimum specifications for the computer are:

Microsoft Office 2003 or equivalent, and
Microsoft Windows 98, or
Mac OS X, and
CD-ROM drive.

Students will also need access to a printer and the following applications:

Adobe Acrobat Reader and
Macromedia Flash player.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language and you did not complete the last two years of secondary education in English, you are required to provide evidence of English language competency before enrolling into the course. Examples of appropriate evidence are listed below:

Evidence	Example
IELTS	Overall score of 5.5
TOEFL	530 (paper), 197 (computer) or 71 (internet)
12 months in English-speaking employment	Testimonial, statutory declaration

Additional requirements

There are no additional requirements for this course.

Upon completion of this course, you will have developed a better understanding of the subject area and be able to put your new skills into practice.

Ann Harth

With trainer Ann Harth on the case, students of Open Colleges' Crime, Mystery & Suspense Writing course are in experienced hands.

Ann writes her own adult fiction and spent more than five years working with contemporary authors on their short stories as the assistant fiction editor of the online magazine at moondance.org. She is also a contributor to Reader’s Digest and has also ghost-written a number of non-fiction books on diverse subjects. Her non-fiction articles and columns can be found on a number of online publications and e-zines, including the writing4success website. Ann is also a highly accomplished, award-winning children’s fiction writer.

As a dual citizen of Australia and the US with more than 20 years’ residency in each, Ann is comfortable writing for the international community. Her diverse background and Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) supply her with an endless array of characters, experiences and settings on which to draw.

Ann enjoys sharing her experience and expertise with students and is always available for questions. She is committed to helping her students achieve their writing goals.

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Available payment options

Pay Just $42.81 per week with a $100.00 deposit

Pay in full $1,176.00 and save $294.00

Fortnightly and monthly payment plans are also available through EduPay. Click Enrol Now and choose a payment plan or call a Course and Careers advisor on 1300 853 033 for more details. (Prices shown are for the online study option only. A surcharge is applicable for the print study option).

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