I usually try to write first, immediately after meditation. But this morning I decided to do some admin work. I was delighted to see in my Inbox a great blog post by Maureen Milliken. Maureen is the proud author of Cold Hard News, just published, and she blogged for Maine Crime Writers about how to get published. "Preparation, hard work, tenacity" are the triple gems she prescribes, but there is something more important: joining the writing community.
Photo: Maureen Milliken at her book launch party in June
Maureen speaks:
One thing became clear when I became serious about getting to work on my mystery novel several years ago: I had no flipping idea what I was doing. So I joined the Mystery Writers of America (a couple years later I also joined the awesome Sisters in Crime). I signed up for CrimeBake, the conference held every November in Dedham, Mass., and sponsored by those two organizations.
I didn’t sign up thinking that I would network, so much as that I’d sop up information that would point me in the right direction.
I was right about the information. I learned more about what was needed and expected to write a book and get it published at that conference and from those organizations than I knew existed. But the really cool thing was I started meeting people. People who were doing the same thing I was.
Here is the link to Maureen's blog post;
http://mainecrimewriters.com/maureens-posts/whats-the-magic-bullet-to-getting-published-join-the-community
Kate again:
My personal frustration has been that I've been working on my own mysteries for so long, and had such a long hiatus when I went back to work and raised three teens, that the writing community I worked so hard to build up seemed to disintegrate. So I'm back doing exactly what Maureen Milliken suggests. I re-joined Sisters in Crime, which has a very active sub-group called Guppies, for we, the Great Unpublished. I will re-join Mystery Writers of America and I've begun attending overnight conferences, something I could never afford to do when I was parenting. (My kids are all grown now, and are doing great, my best supportive network!).
From left to right: Gerry Boyle, Gayle Lynds, Paul Doiron and Lea Wait
If want to join this great Maine writing community, here is the place to begin: Maine Writers and Publishers' Alliance. Celebrating 40 years this summer, MWPA is your first stop when you write, whether it be poetry, mystery, non-fiction, essay, memoir, it doesn't matter. MWPA offers this much-needed sense of belonging to something greater than your own inner ramblings . From their website:
Founded in 1975, the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization that works to enrich the literary life and culture of Maine. We are the only statewide organization solely devoted to supporting and promoting Maine’s writers, publishers, booksellers, and literary professionals. The MWPA has a membership of more than 1,600.
Our goals include: promoting an appreciation of Maine literature; creating a network of writers, readers, and publishers; creating opportunities for writers to improve writing and marketing skills; and informing members and the public of Maine literary and publishing news.
This Wednesday, June 26, 2015, MWPA will put on another "Gather," a get-together of writers in different locations all over Maine. I will host one in Waterville at Maine Brews (1 Post Office Square) at 6 p.m. Do join us!
Email me at kateconewrites@gmail.com or check out the other locations at the MWPA website:
www.mainewriters.org
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