Tough Dames: How to Write Believable Hardboiled Heroines

Starting next Monday, March 19th, crime novelist Christa Faust will be conducting a 4-week workshop in "How to Create Believable Hardboiled Characters", or more specifically, how to write about "tough dames".

Character is paramount in this genre, Faust says, because the best hardboiled and noir fiction isn’t really about the heist or the murder. It’s about the way the people involved come apart or become stronger.

In this four-week online class, author and industry pro Christa Faust will lead you through the steps of creating stronger, more believable characters, plots, and settings for hardboiled, noir, and crime fiction.

Here's a week-by-week synopsis:

• Week 1: Beyond the Femme Fatale: creating believable female characters in hardboiled and noir fiction;
• Week 2: Dialog and the Female Voice: shut up and listen;
• Week 3: Bad Sex, Well Written — how flawed, awkward, ugly sex can reveal character;
• Week 4: Kicking Ass in High Heels: women and action.

A maximum of 16 students will be allowed to enroll, and seats are still available (as of the date of this post). Visit the workshop page for more information on how the classes are structured and course fees.