Liz Thompson
Screenwriter
Development & Mystery Consultant
Puzzle & Game Creator
CLUE TRAILS & CRIME LINES
I love a good strategy. I also love a good puzzle. Because of that, I only teach classes that I wish existed. Classes I would take myself if I saw someone teaching something similar. Classes that offer insight into technique that I haven’t found anywhere else.
The truth is, most writers don’t need to take another pilot writing class. They need nuanced creative and technical instruction that can level up their development skills, or niche expertise in specific genres like murder mysteries.
So that’s what you’ll find here --
Welcome to Clue Trails & Crime Lines.
CLUE TRAILS & CRIME LINES L1 - 1:1
$1450 -- 3 weeks, 90min sessions, over Zoom, PST
Murder mysteries - and mysteries of all kinds - never go out of style, but there are very few resources out there for screenwriters looking to understand the genre. This workshop aims to solve that problem!
In WEEK 1, you'll learn strategies for breaking clue trails, and organizational systems that will help you craft and juggle clues, suspects, and timelines.
In WEEK 2, we'll review clue trail case studies, and we'll use the tools from week one to practice crafting clue trails together. You'll then craft your own clue trail to present in week 3 using the steps you've learned so far. *In order to truly practice, you'll be creating something from scratch so this masterclass does not cover personal projects.*
And in WEEK 3, you'll receive feedback on your clue trail and practice punching it up. We'll also discuss Serialized Whodunnits (like Broadchurch) and How Catch 'Ems (like Poker Face and Elsbeth), and you'll hear a pitch for a mystery show that sold in the room and received multiple offers.
CLUE TRAILS & CRIME LINES L2 - 1:1
$1450 -- 3 weeks, 90min sessions, over Zoom, PST
*Prereq: CLUE TRAILS & CRIME LINES LEVEL 1
In LEVEL 2, we build upon the Crime-Line strategies we used in LEVEL 1, only now with a focus on 3 unique alt subgenres of mysteries.
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WTFs (like LIMETOWN and FRINGE)
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HEISTS (like LEVERAGE and OCEAN'S 11)
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LOCKED ROOM MYSTERIES