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.