Writing
PIs in Novels Registration now
open for September 2008 class! Article: Writing the PI Genre (copyright 2007 Colleen Collins) Class description: What is life and work like for a real PI? How can you make your fictional PI more credible and life-like? This 4-week online course covers everything from misconceptions generated by fictional PIs in TV, movies, and books to specialized investigative techniques used in real-life situations. Course topics include an overview of types of investigators to how PIs work cases (interviewing witnesses, conducting surveillances, pretexting, investigating crime scenes, managing a PI business, and more). A "Gumshoe Glossary" will also be provided. Class Duration: Four weeks, 2 lessons
posted per week (8 total) on Mondays and Thursdays. Questions answered
via email in between. Bios: Colleen Collins is a PI by day, a multi-published author by night. Her articles on private investigations have appeared on various sites on the Internet as well as in PI Magazine, NINK (Novelists, Inc.), and other publications. Her accomplishments as a PI include uncovering bogus identities, locating an abducted child, catching cheating spouses, and taking videos of an injury claimant throwing a burning fastball. A member of the Private Eye Writers of America (PWA), Mystery Writers of America (MWA), and Romance Writers of America (RWA), she's written 20 novels for both Harlequin and Dorchester and has spoken at conferences and workshops (Pikes Peak Writers, Colorado Gold, Left Coast Crime) about writing private eyes in fiction. Shaun Kaufman has worked in and around the criminal justice field for nearly 25 years, as a former trial attorney and a current investigator. He's published articles in PI magazine, the Denver Law Review, and authored numerous briefs for the Colorado Court of Appeals, Colorado Supreme Court, and the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Shaun is a popular speaker at conferences, entertaining and educating writers with his insights and expertise about investigations, crime scenes, how PIs effectively testify in trials, and more. His father always told him to be a writer, not a lawyer. Cost: $75 Deadline for enrollment: August 20, 2008 Classes will be conducted via a yahoogroups loop set up for the class. Click
here (or
go to "Click to Register") for registration form. All class
attendees must submit a
completed registration form along with a payment by PayPal * or
by check **. Writing PIs in Novels
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Praise for
“Absolutely loved the course!” “This was an excellent class and
I learned a lot.” “An eye-opening class that made
my fictional PI come alive.” “…one of the most useful courses
I've ever taken.” “Thanks so much for this VERY informative
class.” “I found Writing PIs in Novels,
presented by Colleen Collins and Shaun Kaufman a perfect backdrop for
anyone considering establishing a character as a private investigator.
The lectures, the links and the question-and-answer sessions covered
a broad spectrum of this often stereo-typed career. In this world where
research counts and readers are quick to point out an author’s
flaws, this course is a must for getting it right. ”
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