Thursday Master Class: The Anatomy of Mystery: Deconstructing The Scene

Behind every unforgettable mystery lies a carefully crafted scene—the tense quiet interrogation, the shocking reveal that flips everything upside down, the small but significant exchange that sets up the final twist.

In this immersive master class, award-winning authors Jaden Terrell, Steven Womack, and Lisa Wysocky explore the mechanics of mystery fiction. Together, we’ll analyze iconic scenes from both classic and modern mysteries to see how skilled writers use structure, pacing, character, and point of view to build suspense and reveal secrets.

You will learn how to:

• Identify the purpose of key scenes and how they move the story forward.
• Create suspense and surprise using dialogue, gestures, and sensory details.
• Use scene design to enhance stakes and emotional impact.
• Maintain flow from discovery to confrontation to payoff.

By the end of this session, you’ll see the scene not just as a moment in a story but as the essential engine of mystery itself. Whether you're writing your first whodunit or refining a complex thriller, this master class will sharpen your instincts for how great mysteries are crafted—one scene at a time.

If your ticket type (registered attended or unregistered attendee) is sold out but the other type is still available, please let us know and we can get a ticket of your type switched over for you.