
Agatha Christie
On writing
In a world-first, the bestselling novelist of all time offers you an unparalleled opportunity to learn the secrets behind her writing, in her own words. Made possible today by Agatha's family, an expert team of academics and cutting-edge audio and visual specialists, as if she were teaching you herself...
in collaboration with

What you'll learn
Want to write the perfect crime story? In this once-in-a-lifetime course – created in collaboration with Agatha Christie’s family and built entirely on her own words about the craft – let the Queen of Crime Fiction herself show you how.
- Structure an airtight plot
- Build compelling characters
- Craft twists, turns, red herrings and subversions
- Build suspense
- Start with confidence
- And finish your novel

Learn even more with a subscription
Access all 46 courses to learn from the world's greatest authors, chefs, entrepreneurs and more.
In this unique course, you can learn directly from the most successful novelist of all time. Over two billion books sold world-wide including timeless favourites like And Then There Were None, Death on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express. With 66 novels published, and the world’s longest-running play – The Mousetrap – Agatha Christie’s influence on fiction is unmatched.
Agatha’s approach to writing was methodical. She understood the mechanics of a good mystery like none before her or since – the structural requirements, the precise placement of clues, the careful development of characters and the perfectly timed revelations and subversions. Yet her writing never feels formulaic or dated. There's a warmth and humanity to her work that transcends time which is why so many of her stories are still being dramatised today all over the world, to great success and acclaim.
Agatha wasn't just the best at what she did; she understood why it worked. Throughout her career, she articulated her thinking on storytelling in interviews, letters, and manuscripts. Learning from Agatha feels like getting advice from that brilliant friend who's somehow always ten steps ahead of everyone else – insightful, intelligent and always practical.
Whether you’re an aspiring author, a devoted fan, or simply captivated by the art of crime and detective storytelling, in this course you’ll find everything you need to create unforgettable and remarkable stories of your own.
-
Isabel Allende
Magical Storytelling
-
Jojo Moyes
Writing Love Stories
-
Ken Follett
Writing Bestselling Fiction
-
Alan Moore
Storytelling
-
Julia Donaldson
Writing Children's Picture Books
-
Lee Child
Writing Popular Fiction
-
Harlan Coben
Writing Thrillers
-
Bill Lawrence
Writing Comedy for Television
-
Carol Ann Duffy
Writing Poetry
-
Malorie Blackman
Writing for Young Adults
-
Jed Mercurio
Writing Drama for Television
-
David Walliams
Writing Books for Children
How it was made
-
Endorsed by the family
Agatha's course was made in full collaboration with her family, led by her great-grandson, James Prichard - who provided access to never-before-seen documentation and interviews to inform the lessons - and her grandson Matthew who remembers his grandmother with deep love and affection. On seeing the creation of Agatha for her BBC Maestro course, Matthew's own reaction was "It's simply remarkable."
-
Crafted by experts
This groundbreaking course was carefully created over two years by a team of almost 100 people, including academics, researchers, creative professionals and a team of leading global Agatha Christie scholars, who have each studied Agatha's written and spoken works and who curated the course to reflect all her teachings.
-
Agatha as your teacher
We've captured this first-of-its kind learning experience, working with professional actor Vivien Keene and a team of specialists, to create Agatha's likeness and voice through the combination of incredible acting and meticulous digital visual and audio technology.
Course preview
Lesson plan (11)
Discover 11 video lessons in Agatha's own words, supported by 78 pages of course notes and a 100-page workbook featuring 12 exercises and 46 activities.
-
Prologue
10:27
-
01
Introduction
10:43
-
02
Rules of the Game
15:55
-
03
Ideas
10:59
-
04
Plots
18:09
-
05
Characters
13:19
-
06
Detectives
22:55
-
07
Setting
12:54
-
08
Structure
15:07
-
09
Clues
10:30
-
10
Resolution
12:15
-
11
Conclusion
07:10
Thanks for signing up
Check your inbox - your free lesson is on the way!
Oops! Something went wrong
Please try again later
Get a free taster lesson
Watch Agatha’s introduction lesson for free. Get a taste of the course and discover how you’ll write a bestselling novel.
Reviews for BBC Maestro
Pricing options
- Watch on computer, TV, phone, or tablet
- Change or cancel your subscription any time
One course |
Best value Every course |
|
---|---|---|
Price |
$89 / year |
$120 / year |
Number of Maestro |
1 (Agatha Christie only) |
44+ (incl. Agatha Christie) Across 8 categories |
Access to new releases |
Not included | Included |
Downloadable course guide |
Included | Included |
Money back guarantee |
14 days |
30 days |
Buy | Subscribe |

Know a mystery marvel?
Explore all courses
All coursesCommon questions
BBC Maestro is a subscription-based streaming platform, created to educate and inspire people to explore their creativity. Through pre-recorded lessons and detailed course notes, anyone can learn a wide range of disciplines and follow in the footsteps of experts respected all over the world.
BBC Maestro offers single course purchases or an annual subscription.
Simply purchase an individual course or an All Courses pass and get access to easy-to-follow video lessons. Watch on your computer, tablet or mobile and learn on demand, wherever and whenever you like.
Our courses are beginner-friendly and you can watch as many times as you like, at your own pace.
BBC Maestro is currently available in the following territories: United Kingdom, Isle of Mann, Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, Australia, South Africa, Canada, India, Brazil, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal, Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong, UAE and USA. We are planning on launching BBC Maestro in other territories in the future. Please subscribe to our mailing list and follow our social media channels for updates.
Yes, you can buy an annual subscription to get full access to all BBC Maestro courses, lessons and course notes for one year. Find out more
Yes, all our courses have English subtitles that can be accessed by clicking the CC button on the video player. We also have downloadable PDF course notes to go with each course, which offer more detailed information and tips.
No, all our courses are self-paced and no courses will be removed from the site or ‘expire’. If you have an all-access annual subscription, you can watch any content while your subscription is valid. If you don’t have an all-access subscription, but instead have bought one or more individual courses, the purchased content is yours to keep for life, and lessons can be watched as many times as you like.
Yes, you can see a full list of our current courses here.
We offer a 30-day money back guarantee for your first all-access annual subscription, if you aren't completely satisfied with your purchase. See our terms and conditions for details, or email [email protected].
You can choose between buying a single course as a one-off purchase, or you can sign up for an annual subscription which gives you access to all BBC Maestro courses for one year.
If you buy a single course, then you can access it for one year. You can watch the course as many times as you like, whenever you like. Our single courses include downloadable course notes to complement the video lessons. Your access to the course will expire after one year from the date of purchase.
Alternatively, if you buy an annual subscription to BBC Maestro, you can access every course for one year. You can watch each course as many times as you like within the year, and you’ll also be able to download the course notes for each course.
After one year you’ll have the option to renew your subscription, or you can choose not to renew once your subscription year is over. Subscriptions are billed annually, and we offer a 30-day money back guarantee to receive a full refund if you’re unhappy with your purchase.
Subscribers will have instant access to new courses as they are released. Please note that any courses in the Upcoming Courses section may be released outside of your annual subscription period. If you have any questions about an upcoming course, please email [email protected].
You can buy a gift card for any individual course or an All Courses Pass on our gift cards page. When you buy a gift card, you can choose to send the email with the gift card PDF attached to yourself or directly to the recipient. You can also choose to specify which date you would like the gift card email to send to your recipient.
Gift cards can be redeemed on the Gift Cards page. Once the card is redeemed, if the gift is for a single course the giftee will have lifetime access to the course and be able to re-watch as many times as they like. If the gift is for an All Courses Pass, the giftee will have one year’s access to all BBC Maestro courses, and immediate access to any new courses that are released within their yearly access period – from the date that they redeem their gift code.
Please note, anyone outside of our available regions will not be able to redeem a gift card.
Thanks for signing up
Check your inbox - your free lesson is on the way!
Oops! Something went wrong
Please try again later
Get a free taster lesson
Watch Agatha’s introduction lesson for free. Get a taste of the course and discover how you’ll write a bestselling novel.