In this interactive class, author Lauren Thoman will walk participants through the basic elements of mystery writing, from questions to ask yourself as an author, to planting clues in plain sight and weaving in red herrings to throw readers off the scent, to delivering a twist ending that sends your readers rushing right back to the beginning, eager to see all the breadcrumbs they missed the first time. Grab your magnifying glass, don your jauntiest deerstalker, and lean in close; the game is afoot.

Finishing a well-written mystery can feel a bit like watching a magic trick: even though you were paying close attention the whole time, you still find yourself amazed, surprised, and (hopefully) fulfilled by the ending. But watching a magic trick and learning to perform one are two very different things, and even writers who love to read mysteries can find the process of penning their own extremely daunting. Fortunately, crafting a satisfying mystery isn't actually magic, and anyone is capable of doing it... as long as you're willing to get your (creative) hands a little messy.