Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Writing Mystery and Maine: November means NaNoWriMo: writing a novel in a mon...
Writing Mystery and Maine: November means NaNoWriMo: writing a novel in a mon...: Where have I been? I haven't written in this blog in almost a year, and it's time to get moving! In that year, I have worked hard ...
November means NaNoWriMo: writing a novel in a month
Where have I been?
I haven't written in this blog in almost a year, and it's time to get moving! In that year, I have worked hard on "showing up" on the page, writing every day. There are times I can do it, but I notice I have to keep at it. If I take a day off, it becomes a few days, then a few weeks....I've widened my network of writer friends, even going on a five-day retreat at one of these new friend's house in Vermont. I wrote 10,000 words in 5 days, a huge feat for me. I ask for help from these kind souls, and that request is always filled, even by a few sentences of encouragement. Means the world to me.
But I have a new non-fiction book out!
Good news is that my craft beer book, which went under contract in December, 2013, finally was published this September. So take a look on Amazon or ask at your local book store for What's Brewing in New England (Down East Books, 2016). It's the most up to date book about New England craft beer!
Mystery writing update:
As for the mystery writing, I finished a first draft for the cozy mystery When Irish Eyes Are Dying, which takes place in Ireland. That was a huge feat for me: FINISHING. It's been read by two writer friends and I have everything organized into piles:
-Pile 1: the printed manuscript, as "shitty" as can be, as Anne Lamott gives us permission to write it;
-Pile 2: the printed class instructions from an online Story Arc class;
-Pile 3: the printed instructions from a class in Revision.
I have begun rewriting the opening scene, and am happy to report that it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I'll keep going.
November is for Nano:
Even though I'm busier than a one-armed paper-hanger, as my Mum used to say, as in my beer book was finally published in late September and I am doing book signings and planning a launch party and writing articles for the brand new Maine Brew Guide, it's November. And that means National Novel Writing Month.
During NaNoWriMo, you write at least 1667 words per day, which will total 50,000 words at the end of the month. Getting to 50K is a "win" in NaNo lingo, and I've only done that once. I've tried at least 10 times, and those efforts are good jumping off points for projects I can go back to. And the one I "won," is somewhere in Scrivener-land. I'll have to get in touch with their support team and see if they can pull it out of the ether for me.
Why am I subjecting myself to this? Because after Day 1, where I wrote 775 words in a 25-minute timed segment, I could see that I indeed can do it. That number, 1667, used to scare me to death. Now that I've been using the Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes on a task, 3 minute break, repeat), I've learned how to face the empty page, just keep the fingers tapping, having faith that some ideas, characters and settings will come floating through my consciousness and onto the page.
Just sit in the chair
Some years ago, I heard then Poet Laureate Ted Kooser interviewed about his writing process. He said he wakes up at 4:30 a.m., gets his coffee, then sits in his big living room chair with a pad and pen. And he waits for the words to come. He said, "If you don't sit in the chair, the words won't come." So I'm a believer, and that is huge progress for me.
As for my progress in NaNo so far (it's only Day 2), I had to stop at that 775 word count yesterday, since I had a deadline for an article I promised to write about Maine chowder. But I sat down this morning, on Day 2 and pounded out the rest of Day 1's word count. After I finish writing this blog post, I'll set my timer for 25 minutes and get half of today's count written. Break for a yoga class, then I'll make more coffee and write the other 833.5 words.
Thanksgiving dinner? Piece of cake! Or pie. Now back to "the page." This book is called Stay Tuned for Murder, about a radio cooking show host in 1945 Dublin.
I haven't written in this blog in almost a year, and it's time to get moving! In that year, I have worked hard on "showing up" on the page, writing every day. There are times I can do it, but I notice I have to keep at it. If I take a day off, it becomes a few days, then a few weeks....I've widened my network of writer friends, even going on a five-day retreat at one of these new friend's house in Vermont. I wrote 10,000 words in 5 days, a huge feat for me. I ask for help from these kind souls, and that request is always filled, even by a few sentences of encouragement. Means the world to me.
But I have a new non-fiction book out!
Good news is that my craft beer book, which went under contract in December, 2013, finally was published this September. So take a look on Amazon or ask at your local book store for What's Brewing in New England (Down East Books, 2016). It's the most up to date book about New England craft beer!
Mystery writing update:
As for the mystery writing, I finished a first draft for the cozy mystery When Irish Eyes Are Dying, which takes place in Ireland. That was a huge feat for me: FINISHING. It's been read by two writer friends and I have everything organized into piles:
-Pile 1: the printed manuscript, as "shitty" as can be, as Anne Lamott gives us permission to write it;
-Pile 2: the printed class instructions from an online Story Arc class;
-Pile 3: the printed instructions from a class in Revision.
I have begun rewriting the opening scene, and am happy to report that it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I'll keep going.
November is for Nano:
Even though I'm busier than a one-armed paper-hanger, as my Mum used to say, as in my beer book was finally published in late September and I am doing book signings and planning a launch party and writing articles for the brand new Maine Brew Guide, it's November. And that means National Novel Writing Month.
During NaNoWriMo, you write at least 1667 words per day, which will total 50,000 words at the end of the month. Getting to 50K is a "win" in NaNo lingo, and I've only done that once. I've tried at least 10 times, and those efforts are good jumping off points for projects I can go back to. And the one I "won," is somewhere in Scrivener-land. I'll have to get in touch with their support team and see if they can pull it out of the ether for me.
Why am I subjecting myself to this? Because after Day 1, where I wrote 775 words in a 25-minute timed segment, I could see that I indeed can do it. That number, 1667, used to scare me to death. Now that I've been using the Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes on a task, 3 minute break, repeat), I've learned how to face the empty page, just keep the fingers tapping, having faith that some ideas, characters and settings will come floating through my consciousness and onto the page.
Just sit in the chair
Some years ago, I heard then Poet Laureate Ted Kooser interviewed about his writing process. He said he wakes up at 4:30 a.m., gets his coffee, then sits in his big living room chair with a pad and pen. And he waits for the words to come. He said, "If you don't sit in the chair, the words won't come." So I'm a believer, and that is huge progress for me.
As for my progress in NaNo so far (it's only Day 2), I had to stop at that 775 word count yesterday, since I had a deadline for an article I promised to write about Maine chowder. But I sat down this morning, on Day 2 and pounded out the rest of Day 1's word count. After I finish writing this blog post, I'll set my timer for 25 minutes and get half of today's count written. Break for a yoga class, then I'll make more coffee and write the other 833.5 words.
Thanksgiving dinner? Piece of cake! Or pie. Now back to "the page." This book is called Stay Tuned for Murder, about a radio cooking show host in 1945 Dublin.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Allowing the well to re-fill: the weeks following Crimebake 2015
I belong to a professional group called Sisters in Crime. It's more than a cute play on words. The organization was started in the 1980's to raise awareness that male mystery writers made more money than their female peers. That's a simple version of a more detailed origin story, but you get the drift.
Every year, SinC ("Sin-cee") as we call it, hosts a conference for crime writers of both genders. We call it Crimebake. Writers come from all over to attend workshops on craft, figure out whodunit with a mock crime scene set up in one of the hotel's conference rooms and we also go to network, meet agents, pitch agents and well, have a ton o' fun.
The keynote speaker and special guest this year was Elizabeth George, author of the Detective Lynley novels, which have also been produced by PBS into a nice series. I haven't seen those yet, but I have one from Netflix waiting for my Home-Alone self to get wrapped in a shawl, pour a glass of wine and settle in for ninety-minutes of fun. That's tonight.
Ms. George has written over twenty Lynley novels, so I'm going to say she knows what she's doing. And one thing she shared with us over lunch one day during Crimebake was: at some point in your writing, you have to pause and let your creative well re-fill. "I had finished a novel," Ms. George said, "and I told my editor I didn't know if I had another book in me. She told me to let my well fill up again."
So weeks later, I'm back from the conference and although I got home a bit dejected (the agent I have been working with for a year had some feedback I didn't want to hear), I am allowing myself some time to enjoy the holiday while I catch up on some administrative work. I had a great Thanksgiving with my husband and son, and now I'm home alone for five days. What will I do to fill that creative well?
I've already scheduled in 5 days of yoga, which is tremendously calming and restoring. I will set a reasonable daily writing goal. I'm thinking of taking the advice of fellow Maine writer Kaitlyn Dunnett. She writes an entire scene in a day rather than quitting after meeting a pre-set word count. That latter thing is what's getting me in trouble with my novel in progress. I finish writing my 1000 words then stop. When I pick up later, in a new scene, that last one seems incomplete. Old dog, new trick. I can do it.
I'll cook every day. I'm finishing up a curried winter vegetable soup and the remaining 4 days I'll focus on light, clean and healthy food. I'll read up a storm. My bedside book is Elizabeth George's second Lynley novel, Payment in Blood. My downstairs book is Maine writer Gerry Boyle's Deadline, the very first in his Jack McMorrow series. Both are great reads.
And let's not forget Christmas preparations! I've got the tree and it's partially decorated. Needs smaller ornaments. If it stops raining, I'll put up some lights around the front door. And I haven't even started shopping yet. Deep breath, and exhale!
(Sorry the photos are fuzzy....tech deprived).
Every year, SinC ("Sin-cee") as we call it, hosts a conference for crime writers of both genders. We call it Crimebake. Writers come from all over to attend workshops on craft, figure out whodunit with a mock crime scene set up in one of the hotel's conference rooms and we also go to network, meet agents, pitch agents and well, have a ton o' fun.
 | |
| Elizabeth George shares her wisdom on a panel at the 2015 Crimebake: | "If your story has lost steam, you've shown your hand too soon. |
The keynote speaker and special guest this year was Elizabeth George, author of the Detective Lynley novels, which have also been produced by PBS into a nice series. I haven't seen those yet, but I have one from Netflix waiting for my Home-Alone self to get wrapped in a shawl, pour a glass of wine and settle in for ninety-minutes of fun. That's tonight.
 |
| Fake crime scene at 2014 Crimebake |
Ms. George has written over twenty Lynley novels, so I'm going to say she knows what she's doing. And one thing she shared with us over lunch one day during Crimebake was: at some point in your writing, you have to pause and let your creative well re-fill. "I had finished a novel," Ms. George said, "and I told my editor I didn't know if I had another book in me. She told me to let my well fill up again."
 |
| A light moment at Crimebake. Hallie Ephron and Elizabeth George on a panel. |
So weeks later, I'm back from the conference and although I got home a bit dejected (the agent I have been working with for a year had some feedback I didn't want to hear), I am allowing myself some time to enjoy the holiday while I catch up on some administrative work. I had a great Thanksgiving with my husband and son, and now I'm home alone for five days. What will I do to fill that creative well?
I've already scheduled in 5 days of yoga, which is tremendously calming and restoring. I will set a reasonable daily writing goal. I'm thinking of taking the advice of fellow Maine writer Kaitlyn Dunnett. She writes an entire scene in a day rather than quitting after meeting a pre-set word count. That latter thing is what's getting me in trouble with my novel in progress. I finish writing my 1000 words then stop. When I pick up later, in a new scene, that last one seems incomplete. Old dog, new trick. I can do it.
 |
| Paella for one, coming up! |
I'll cook every day. I'm finishing up a curried winter vegetable soup and the remaining 4 days I'll focus on light, clean and healthy food. I'll read up a storm. My bedside book is Elizabeth George's second Lynley novel, Payment in Blood. My downstairs book is Maine writer Gerry Boyle's Deadline, the very first in his Jack McMorrow series. Both are great reads.
 |
| Maine writer Gerry Boyle talk on a panel about sidekicks in mysteries |
And let's not forget Christmas preparations! I've got the tree and it's partially decorated. Needs smaller ornaments. If it stops raining, I'll put up some lights around the front door. And I haven't even started shopping yet. Deep breath, and exhale!
(Sorry the photos are fuzzy....tech deprived).
Monday, October 26, 2015
Getting over stage fright: focus on the task, not the fear
Tonight I'm reading aloud at the fourth annual Halloween reading series created by Maine writer Katy Silva, author of The Monstrum Chronicles. The story I'm reading is the only short story I've written, and even though it'll be the third year I'm attending this event, I don't seem inspired to write something new. I have gotten fond of Hunger and the Baby, based on an incident that took place in Brooklyn, New York in 1940 when my husband was a young boy.
What's it like to read aloud in front of an audience? It can be terrifying. What if I mess up? What if no one laughs when I want them to? What if I read too fast? What if I read past my allotted 20 minutes? Will the world end? In a word, no. People are so kind and receptive and they say nice things. It's quite an experience.
Great advice I read this week in an older book called Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want by Barbara Sher. I am a self-help junkie, and that's okay. Sher outlines two types of fear that can hold you back from taking action toward what you want in life. I want to be a writer. I am a writer. But I want to get my mystery novels finished and published.
Fear number 1 is Stage Fright, which is merely energy that will dissipate once you begin reading. Okay, I've read aloud before and she's right. The second type of fear is Survivor Fear, which comes from not having your needs met as a child. This is simplifying a bit. I recommend the book. But the Survivor Fear can be assuaged if you give yourself all the validation and support you didn't get when you were young. That can take some time!
But Sher says there are things you can do immediately: Prepare and Lower Your Standards (for now). I used to resist reading the story, rehearsing if you will. Why? Because I'm weird that way. But today I gave it a run-through for my husband, who laughs at all the parts I hope are funny. He also encourages me to take my time and be more dramatic. Me, be MORE dramatic? Huzzah!
As for the Lower Your Standards part, Sher wrote this in 1979. It's a precursor to what writer Annie Lamott made famous in Bird by Bird. Lamott says to give yourself permission to write a "shitty first draft," a piece no one else will see. Sher says the same thing, only 20 years earlier. That part helps a lot with my actual writing.
Focus on the task, not on the fear. Barbara Sher knows her stuff.
So I think I'm prepared for tonight, except my printer won't work, so I can't tweak some changes I'd like to make. But I'll get through and have some fun in the bargain.
What's it like to read aloud in front of an audience? It can be terrifying. What if I mess up? What if no one laughs when I want them to? What if I read too fast? What if I read past my allotted 20 minutes? Will the world end? In a word, no. People are so kind and receptive and they say nice things. It's quite an experience.
Great advice I read this week in an older book called Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want by Barbara Sher. I am a self-help junkie, and that's okay. Sher outlines two types of fear that can hold you back from taking action toward what you want in life. I want to be a writer. I am a writer. But I want to get my mystery novels finished and published.
Fear number 1 is Stage Fright, which is merely energy that will dissipate once you begin reading. Okay, I've read aloud before and she's right. The second type of fear is Survivor Fear, which comes from not having your needs met as a child. This is simplifying a bit. I recommend the book. But the Survivor Fear can be assuaged if you give yourself all the validation and support you didn't get when you were young. That can take some time!
But Sher says there are things you can do immediately: Prepare and Lower Your Standards (for now). I used to resist reading the story, rehearsing if you will. Why? Because I'm weird that way. But today I gave it a run-through for my husband, who laughs at all the parts I hope are funny. He also encourages me to take my time and be more dramatic. Me, be MORE dramatic? Huzzah!
As for the Lower Your Standards part, Sher wrote this in 1979. It's a precursor to what writer Annie Lamott made famous in Bird by Bird. Lamott says to give yourself permission to write a "shitty first draft," a piece no one else will see. Sher says the same thing, only 20 years earlier. That part helps a lot with my actual writing.
Focus on the task, not on the fear. Barbara Sher knows her stuff.
So I think I'm prepared for tonight, except my printer won't work, so I can't tweak some changes I'd like to make. But I'll get through and have some fun in the bargain.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Buy 'em by the bagful! It's used book sale season.
The fourth weekend of June is a very special time in Mid-Coast Maine: it's the three-day extravaganza, blow-out used book sale in Brunswick, sponsored by one of the best libraries I've ever been to, Curtis Memorial. This year it will be held on Friday, June 26; Saturday, June 27 and Sunday on June 28. Check out the link below for time and details.
Photo: from Curtis Memorial
Touted as the biggest sale of its kind in Northern New England, the Curtis Memorial Sale takes place Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with books being re-stocked all weekend long. Can't get there at the crack of dawn on Friday? (There are people who line up early to get in right at 10 a.m.). Straggle in any time. On Sunday, when things are winding down, you can fill a grocery bag for three bucks. That's right. Things might be picked over by then, but I have come away on Sunday many a time with absolute treasures.
So what does this have to do with mysteries and Maine?
The Maine part is obvious. But the mystery novel category, one of 45 carefully sorted categories the sale offers, is one of the biggest. For $3 hardcover and $2 soft/trade, you can stock up on all the titles and authors you've missed the year before. And there is occasionally a really old/rare book you can snatch up. I found one last year entitled Shadow Kills (Beaufort Books, 1985), written by Rodman Philbrick of Kittery. His early protagonist was a cop-turned-mystery-writer Jack Dawkins, confined to a wheelchair after a work-related accident. If you love Boston, you'll love these books.
These are contemporaries of the Spenser novels and you'll delight in a Boston before the Big Dig, where Jack recalls eating drunken late-night breakfasts at the Hayes-Bickford and drinking at The Hillbilly Ranch. I even remember this Boston. I ended up meeting Rod Philbrick after I reviewed one of the Jack Dawkins novels for Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance's Maine in Print newspaper. Rod wrote me a letter (yes, this was pre-email) to thank me for the kind review. I brought him up to MWPA to lead a workshop on writing suspense. He's still at it, but not with Jack Dawkins, whom he let go because it was difficult to get Jack out of trouble while in a wheelchair. (That's my best memory of what Rod once told me.) He went on to write the very popular Young Adult novel Freak the Mighty.
Wow, did I get off on a tangent! But I'm passionate about these sales. They happen all over Maine and the country, so ask at your local library or do a simple Google search and plug in "used book sales."
My husband and I are planning on getting there tomorrow early to get a head start. I also collect old cookbooks and have gotten a few gems there too.
Here's the link: /http://www.curtislibrary.com/annual-book-sale
And Maine writers Kate Flora and Lea Wait wrote about other types of happenings at local libraries. Read their blog post here: http://mainecrimewriters.com/kates-posts/spending-a-maine-summer-in-the-library
Touted as the biggest sale of its kind in Northern New England, the Curtis Memorial Sale takes place Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with books being re-stocked all weekend long. Can't get there at the crack of dawn on Friday? (There are people who line up early to get in right at 10 a.m.). Straggle in any time. On Sunday, when things are winding down, you can fill a grocery bag for three bucks. That's right. Things might be picked over by then, but I have come away on Sunday many a time with absolute treasures.
So what does this have to do with mysteries and Maine?
The Maine part is obvious. But the mystery novel category, one of 45 carefully sorted categories the sale offers, is one of the biggest. For $3 hardcover and $2 soft/trade, you can stock up on all the titles and authors you've missed the year before. And there is occasionally a really old/rare book you can snatch up. I found one last year entitled Shadow Kills (Beaufort Books, 1985), written by Rodman Philbrick of Kittery. His early protagonist was a cop-turned-mystery-writer Jack Dawkins, confined to a wheelchair after a work-related accident. If you love Boston, you'll love these books.
These are contemporaries of the Spenser novels and you'll delight in a Boston before the Big Dig, where Jack recalls eating drunken late-night breakfasts at the Hayes-Bickford and drinking at The Hillbilly Ranch. I even remember this Boston. I ended up meeting Rod Philbrick after I reviewed one of the Jack Dawkins novels for Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance's Maine in Print newspaper. Rod wrote me a letter (yes, this was pre-email) to thank me for the kind review. I brought him up to MWPA to lead a workshop on writing suspense. He's still at it, but not with Jack Dawkins, whom he let go because it was difficult to get Jack out of trouble while in a wheelchair. (That's my best memory of what Rod once told me.) He went on to write the very popular Young Adult novel Freak the Mighty.
Wow, did I get off on a tangent! But I'm passionate about these sales. They happen all over Maine and the country, so ask at your local library or do a simple Google search and plug in "used book sales."
My husband and I are planning on getting there tomorrow early to get a head start. I also collect old cookbooks and have gotten a few gems there too.
Here's the link: /http://www.curtislibrary.com/annual-book-sale
And Maine writers Kate Flora and Lea Wait wrote about other types of happenings at local libraries. Read their blog post here: http://mainecrimewriters.com/kates-posts/spending-a-maine-summer-in-the-library
Monday, June 22, 2015
Mystery: How do I find a community?
Happy Monday! It's finally summer in Maine, and it's a cool one. Woke up to 57 degrees this morning. And I just violated Elmore Leonard's writing advice: "Never start with the weather." Well, god-luv-ya, Elmore, but when you live in a place like Maine, you wake up and start with the weather. Just sayin'.
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!).
Photo: Gerry Boyle chairs a panel at MWPA's Crimewave Conference, April, 2015
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
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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