Varun Gwalani takes us through the craft of writing gripping murder mysteries

What makes a murder mystery truly compelling? Learn about the nuances of the genre from author Varun Gwalani at this session

People have always been fascinated by macabre, right from Penny Dreadfuls to Jack the Ripper, believes author Varun Gwalani. However, in the last century or two, he points out, this fascination with the shock value of murder mysteries has made way for something of a more puzzling nature. “It is within these puzzles that you find the intricacies of human beings interacting with each other in stressful circumstances,” shares Gwalani. At today’s crime-writing workshop, titled How To Get Away With Murder, the author will unpack such puzzles, structures, tips and tricks that can help beginners nail a compelling whodunit.

Gwalani, who also teaches creative writing, will kick off the session at a Fort space, with an introduction to his new release, The Only Way Out is Death, which melds the worlds of crime, murder, mystery and thriller. He hopes to delve into how to create a story that’s mysterious, unpredictable and demands the reader to dive right in. “I’m going to be covering the basics of murder mystery writing. How do you create a protagonist who is vulnerable and has their own agency at the same time? How do you structure the story? It’s like a puzzle — so, how much of it do you reveal ahead of time, how much do you hide, or give away to tantalise the audience?” explains Gwalani.

With ample scope for interaction, the session will explore the elements essential to crime fiction, character development, challenges while creating morally ambiguous characters, practising restraint, strewing about obvious clues, infusing originality, research and more. The author leaves us with tips for budding crime writers: “Remember, crime is thrilling, but readers do not want puzzles purely of a technical nature; they want puzzles about people. Secondly, chart out the crime in your head first, and then work your way backwards to find the motive and everything else.”

On: February 18; 4 pm 
At: KMC*, Kitab Mahal, Dr DN Road. 
Log on to: insider.in
Cost: Rs 500

Top reads
The author recommends exploring the genre of Japanese visual novels that pack interesting mysteries such as:
>> Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji
>> Tokyo Zodiac Murders by Soji Shimada
>> The Tattoo Murder by Akimitsu Takagi

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