Writing Psychological Thrillers



Overview

This enduringly popular genre continues to captivate – and sell. Why do we think this is? What is it about the fusion between a psychological novel and a thriller that can create such compelling, and often unsettling novels? What techniques do authors use to produce a successful one? 

Over the course of ten weeks, we will offer some answers to these questions and examine the mechanics of the genre alongside the elements of fiction which comprise it. There will be plenty of opportunities to workshop novels in progress and the course is aimed at those wishing to develop their psychological novel, as well as those wishing to begin one.

There are no set texts but we will focus on, although not be limited to, works written by and about women: 

  • Rebecca (1938), Daphne Du Maurier
  • The Talented Mr Ripley (1955), Patricia Highsmith
  • The Secret History (1992), Donna Tartt
  • Alias Grace (1996), Margaret Atwood
  • Notes on a Scandal (2003), Zoe Heller
  • We Need to Talk About Kevin (2003), Lionel Shriver
  • The Little Stranger (2009), Sarah Waters

Programme details

Course starts: 1st Oct 2024

Week 1: Introductions and history

Week 2: The genre and sub-genres

Week 3: Narrators: Finding your voice

Week 4: Plot and place 

Week 5: Characterisation 

Week 6: Suspense and tension

Week 7: Dialogue and silence

Week 8: Themes and Endings

Week 9: Structure 

Week 10: Editing and the publishing process

Digital Certification

To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend at least 80% of the classes on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £295.00
Take this course for CATS points £30.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Dr Daisy McNally

Daisy completed her PhD in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University in 2021.  She is also a graduate of the Bath Spa MA in Creative Writing and wrote her debut novel I See Through You (2018) during that time.  The option for the film and TV rights were bought in 2020 and a mini-series has recently been written. She is currently working on a new novel, and teaching on the Undergraduate Diploma for Creative Writing at Oxford.

Course aims

To provide students with insight into the major aspects of the psychological novel, and an increased confidence in their own ability to write one.

Course objectives:

  • To recognise the main constituents of a psychological novel.
  • To apply the techniques in their own writing by which these constituents may be mastered.
  • To encourage students to read and think more critically about the psychological novel.
     

Teaching methods

Sessions will take the form of guided seminars, with student input and interaction. Each week will involve textual reading and analysis. There will be the opportunity for students to read their work aloud and to give and receive feedback.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

  • have an enhanced knowledge and understanding of the psychological novel;
  • demonstrate at least some aspects of technical ability in their own writing;
  • have developed a greater ability to read texts critically.

Assessment methods

At the end of the course students will submit a 500-word synopsis and a 1000-word piece (self-contained or part of a larger work).

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work the required standard.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).

Level and demands

Little or no previous experience necessary.

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support