Novel in a Year: Mystery/Thriller

with Abby Geni

THIS IS THE YEAR TO WRITE YOUR NOVEL…

Novel in a Year: Mystery/Thriller is a unique opportunity to join a writing cohort, study novel craft, workshop key scenes, measure your progress, meet deadlines, and give and get support for the long slog from plotting to composition and beyond. This program is designed specifically for writers working on a genre project that leans mystery/thriller.

It’s a chance to devote an entire year to your novel, giving it the attention and effort your work deserves.  Award-winning author Abby Geni will lead workshops, help you through the drafting process and provide personalized guidance and feedback on your manuscript.

This program will be online throughout the 2026 cohort.

APPLICATIONS CLOSED

WHO SHOULD APPLY

Students at any stage of novel drafting are encouraged to apply. You may have completed a 500-page draft; others may have nothing more than an idea and a first sentence. This application-based class is selective, and you will find your classmates to be dedicated and serious about their work.

Unlike our other Novel in a Year programs, this cohort will be entirely hosted online, so anyone can participate from anywhere.

Please note: StoryStudio offers several Novel in a Year classes, each designed for students at a specific experience level so you find the program that is the best fit for you. Skill and determination are a prerequisite for all the classes, and you will find remarkable, gifted, and devoted writers in every group.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Specific topics covered during the class sessions include:

  • A gripping opening
  • Developing atmosphere and tone
  • Finding tension everywhere
  • Plot architecture 
  • Victims, villains, and antiheroes 
  • The art of withholding information
  • Writing about violence
  • Keeping the suspense unrelenting 
  • Tropes: friend or foe?
  • Voice, exposition, and dialogue
  • Red herrings and side characters
  • Common genre pitfalls to avoid
  • Fulfilling and subverting reader expectations
  • Making twists work
  • The art of a satisfying ending
  • Strategies for revision
  • Finding an agent, navigating the world of publication, and the life of the writer beyond the writing 

PLEASE NOTE: This program is for novelists who are ready to make a strong commitment to their work, and our waitlist for the course is typically very long. Students will be expected to participate in the full program.

Abby Geni is the author of the novels The Wildlands, The Lightkeepers, and Children of the Wolf—forthcoming from Ballantine Books in September of 2026—as well as the short story collections The Last Animal and The Body Farm (title story published in Best American Mystery and Suspense) Her books have been translated into seven languages and have won the Barnes & Noble Discover Award and the Chicago Review of Books Awards, among other honors. Her short stories and essays have appeared in dozens of literary publications, including Best American Mystery and Suspense, The Missouri Review, Epoch, Ninth Letter, and New Stories from the Midwest. Geni is a faculty member at StoryStudio Chicago and a recipient of the Iowa Fellowship.

HOW IT WORKS

Students will meet monthly on Zoom for three-hour sessions to discuss craft, solve drafting challenges, workshop scenes, and share some snacks and beverages. In between class sessions, you’ll have plenty of time to write and revise while still staying in touch with other students via StoryStudio’s private online class forum.

We’ve structured this program to provide maximum benefit without demanding too much time away from focusing on your own writing. In addition to workshopping short scenes in class, participants will meet individually with Abby for 100-page manuscript reviews.

Students enrolled in this course will receive complementary admission and early registration to three (3) classes from our acclaimed Master Class series throughout the year—a $195 value. (Recent and upcoming writers include Alexander Chee, Pam Houston, R.O. Kwon, Sara Paretsky, Paul Lisicky, and Garth Greenwell, among others.)

The class also includes optional evening social gatherings via Zoom, to be scheduled between Abby and the cohort as desired. As a writer in our Novel in a Year program, you’re considered a “VIP” at the studio with early-bird access to programs and events.

Throughout the course, you’ll have access to a private online forum for exchanging additional work and sharing articles and links of interest. And most importantly, these courses provide accountability check-ins to report your progress and struggles, and keep you writing.

YOUR WRITING COMMUNITY

Whether you’ve already made headway on your novel or are just gathering ideas, your cohort will provide the structure, companionship, feedback, good humor, and emotional support to help you see your project through.

You’ll also join StoryStudio’s larger community—in person and on social media—where you can connect with students from other classes, receive “first chance” invitations to special programming, and stay informed about literary events around the city.

The Novel in a Year program has been going for TEN+ years strong, and you will have the opportunity to benefit socially and professionally from a wonderful network of alumni, many of whom are experiencing publishing success.

The program fee is $2750. 

This tuition includes:

11 sessions, meeting once per month for 11 months
A 100-page manuscript review with Abby Geni
3 comped passes to our Master Class/PJ Seminar series
Discounts to the Writers Festival and Pub Crawl
A private online chat forum
VIP status at the Studio
A literary community to take well beyond this program

THE 2026 COHORT WILL MEET ON ZOOM ON THE FOLLOWING DATES, FROM 6:30PM – 9:30PM CENTRAL
April 29
May 27
June 24
July 29
August 26
September 30
October 28
November 18
December 16
January 27
February 24

HOW TO APPLY

APPLICATIONS CLOSED

APPLICATIONS OPEN WINTER 2026

This course is limited to 12 students and is submission based.

  1. You will be asked to submit a 10-page writing sample in a .doc or PDF. The sample can be a short story or novel excerpt.
  2. Someone who submits on the first day has the same chance as someone who submits on the last day, so don’t worry, and don’t rush.
  3. Payment isn’t due until after the application period is closed and acceptances have been sent out. We are happy to discuss payment plans with students who are accepted.
  4. You can indicate you’d like to be considered for the Doro Boehme Scholarship fund, which awards the recipient a $500 grant. 

The next cohort will begin in April 2026. Please subscribe to our newsletter to get the most up-to-date information. When applications open, we will update this page as well. To be notified when details are available, please put your name on our waitlist and we’ll contact you.