In this four-hour workshop we will review your current crime fiction cast. Do you have enough suspects, victims? Too many villains? Is your sidekick actually the hero? What about those two characters which could be one? 

Through class discussions, materials, and writing exercises we will interrogate your work in progress, or that new crime fiction story idea, and give you the tools to get the best out of your characters. We will discuss important character roles in crime fiction, their intersections with character archetypes, and examine crime fiction tropes. 

At the end of the workshop you will leave with greater clarity on your cast, and the ability to create stronger characters that work harder (and smarter) for your story.

This workshop is led by RWR (Rob) McDonald,an award-winning Kiwi author who lives in Melbourne. His debut novel The Nancys won Best first novel in the 2020 Ngaio Marsh Awards and was shortlisted for many other awards. The sequel Nancy Business was a finalist for Best Novel in the 2022 Ngaio Marsh awards. The short story Nancys Undercover features in Dark Deeds Downunder edited by Craig Sisterson. His first picture book Happy Millionth Birthday was published in September 2023. Rob is also co-founder of Queer Writes Sessions which promotes LGBTIQ+ and identifying writers. He teaches writing courses with Writing NSW and Faber Writing Academy and offers individual manuscript assessment services.