The Ultimate Mystery Writing Course for Kids

Write Your Own Mystery with Steve Reifman, National Board Certified Teacher and Award-Winning Children's Mystery Author

Created by: Steve Reifman
Teacher, Author, Speaker

What Will I Learn?

• Course Goal: By the end of the course, students will be able to write a satisfying, suspenseful mystery that will keep readers guessing and on the edge of their seats.
• Course Objectives: By the end of the course, students will learn:
• • the elements of a mystery story
• • how to pick the right type of crime for their mystery
• • how to develop a well-rounded, interesting main character
• •  how to collect story ideas and try them out
• •  a variety of ways in which characters can change throughout a story
• •  how to write a character "Back Story"
• •  how to describe the culprit and the circumstances surrounding the crime
• •  how to develop a list of suspects and give them powerful motives
• •  how to rule out suspects until only the culprit remains
• •  how to "hide" clues so readers have to work hard to find them
• •  how to incorporate alibis, witnesses, red herrings, and investigation strategies into their mystery
• • how to create a setting that adds an important dimension to the story
• •  how to use a tool called a "Story Mountain" to organize their ideas logically
• •  how to plan their chapters before beginning the drafting process
• •  how to progress through the stages of drafting, revising, editing, and publishing
• • how to reflect on their work at the end of the writing process to promote future improvement

Requirements

• Students need to possess reading and writing skills at, near, or beyond their grade level.

Target audience

• Children 8-12 years of age