diff --git a/src/plumpy/message.py b/src/plumpy/message.py
index 26cad8c5..9f27f16a 100644
--- a/src/plumpy/message.py
+++ b/src/plumpy/message.py
@@ -86,86 +86,98 @@ def status(cls, text: str | None = None) -> MessageType:
             MESSAGE_TEXT_KEY: text,
         }
 
+    @classmethod
+    def launch(
+        cls,
+        process_class: str,
+        init_args: Sequence[Any] | None = None,
+        init_kwargs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        persist: bool = False,
+        loader: loaders.ObjectLoader | None = None,
+        nowait: bool = True,
+    ) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """
+        Create a message body for the launch action
+
+        :param process_class: the class of the process to launch
+        :param init_args: any initialisation positional arguments
+        :param init_kwargs: any initialisation keyword arguments
+        :param persist: persist this process if True, otherwise don't
+        :param loader: the loader to use to load the persisted process
+        :param nowait: wait for the process to finish before completing the task, otherwise just return the PID
+        :return: a dictionary with the body of the message to launch the process
+        :rtype: dict
+        """
+        if loader is None:
+            loader = loaders.get_object_loader()
 
-def create_launch_body(
-    process_class: str,
-    init_args: Sequence[Any] | None = None,
-    init_kwargs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
-    persist: bool = False,
-    loader: loaders.ObjectLoader | None = None,
-    nowait: bool = True,
-) -> dict[str, Any]:
-    """
-    Create a message body for the launch action
-
-    :param process_class: the class of the process to launch
-    :param init_args: any initialisation positional arguments
-    :param init_kwargs: any initialisation keyword arguments
-    :param persist: persist this process if True, otherwise don't
-    :param loader: the loader to use to load the persisted process
-    :param nowait: wait for the process to finish before completing the task, otherwise just return the PID
-    :return: a dictionary with the body of the message to launch the process
-    :rtype: dict
-    """
-    if loader is None:
-        loader = loaders.get_object_loader()
-
-    msg_body = {
-        TASK_KEY: LAUNCH_TASK,
-        TASK_ARGS: {
-            PROCESS_CLASS_KEY: loader.identify_object(process_class),
-            PERSIST_KEY: persist,
-            NOWAIT_KEY: nowait,
-            ARGS_KEY: init_args,
-            KWARGS_KEY: init_kwargs,
-        },
-    }
-    return msg_body
-
-
-def create_continue_body(pid: 'PID_TYPE', tag: str | None = None, nowait: bool = False) -> dict[str, Any]:
-    """
-    Create a message body to continue an existing process
-    :param pid: the pid of the existing process
-    :param tag: the optional persistence tag
-    :param nowait: wait for the process to finish before completing the task, otherwise just return the PID
-    :return: a dictionary with the body of the message to continue the process
+        return {
+            TASK_KEY: LAUNCH_TASK,
+            TASK_ARGS: {
+                PROCESS_CLASS_KEY: loader.identify_object(process_class),
+                PERSIST_KEY: persist,
+                NOWAIT_KEY: nowait,
+                ARGS_KEY: init_args,
+                KWARGS_KEY: init_kwargs,
+            },
+        }
 
-    """
-    msg_body = {TASK_KEY: CONTINUE_TASK, TASK_ARGS: {PID_KEY: pid, NOWAIT_KEY: nowait, TAG_KEY: tag}}
-    return msg_body
+    @classmethod
+    def continue_(
+        cls,
+        pid: 'PID_TYPE',
+        tag: str | None = None,
+        nowait: bool = False,
+    ) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """
+        Create a message body to continue an existing process
+        :param pid: the pid of the existing process
+        :param tag: the optional persistence tag
+        :param nowait: wait for the process to finish before completing the task, otherwise just return the PID
+        :return: a dictionary with the body of the message to continue the process
 
+        """
+        return {
+            TASK_KEY: CONTINUE_TASK,
+            TASK_ARGS: {
+                PID_KEY: pid,
+                NOWAIT_KEY: nowait,
+                TAG_KEY: tag,
+            },
+        }
 
-def create_create_body(
-    process_class: str,
-    init_args: Sequence[Any] | None = None,
-    init_kwargs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
-    persist: bool = False,
-    loader: loaders.ObjectLoader | None = None,
-) -> dict[str, Any]:
-    """
-    Create a message body to create a new process
-    :param process_class: the class of the process to launch
-    :param init_args: any initialisation positional arguments
-    :param init_kwargs: any initialisation keyword arguments
-    :param persist: persist this process if True, otherwise don't
-    :param loader: the loader to use to load the persisted process
-    :return: a dictionary with the body of the message to launch the process
+    @classmethod
+    def create(
+        cls,
+        process_class: str,
+        init_args: Sequence[Any] | None = None,
+        init_kwargs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        persist: bool = False,
+        loader: loaders.ObjectLoader | None = None,
+    ) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """
+        Create a message body to create a new process
+        :param process_class: the class of the process to launch
+        :param init_args: any initialisation positional arguments
+        :param init_kwargs: any initialisation keyword arguments
+        :param persist: persist this process if True, otherwise don't
+        :param loader: the loader to use to load the persisted process
+        :return: a dictionary with the body of the message to launch the process
 
-    """
-    if loader is None:
-        loader = loaders.get_object_loader()
-
-    msg_body = {
-        TASK_KEY: CREATE_TASK,
-        TASK_ARGS: {
-            PROCESS_CLASS_KEY: loader.identify_object(process_class),
-            PERSIST_KEY: persist,
-            ARGS_KEY: init_args,
-            KWARGS_KEY: init_kwargs,
-        },
-    }
-    return msg_body
+        """
+        if loader is None:
+            loader = loaders.get_object_loader()
+
+        msg_body = {
+            TASK_KEY: CREATE_TASK,
+            TASK_ARGS: {
+                PROCESS_CLASS_KEY: loader.identify_object(process_class),
+                PERSIST_KEY: persist,
+                ARGS_KEY: init_args,
+                KWARGS_KEY: init_kwargs,
+            },
+        }
+        return msg_body
 
 
 class ProcessLauncher: