crimebake – Almost An Author

Four Reasons I Attend an Annual Writing Conference (And You Should Too) by Linda Shenton Matchett

My husband and I don’t live check-to-check, but we also don’t have lots of extra money. However, one thing I include in my annual budget is the Crimebake Mystery Writer’s Conference. Held in Boston on Veterans Day Weekend, it is two and a half days of education, exhortation, and encouragement.

And I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

This year I attended for the tenth time, and I learned just as much as I did during my first conference. How is that possible? It’s in no small part because of the planning put in by the Committee. Within days of the conference, a survey is sent to participants. Two weeks later another survey is sent, just in case participants ignored the first email. Tenacious about getting feedback, the committee uses survey results to create a conference targeted to the needs and wants of their audience. Brilliant!

So, what did I take away from this year’s Crimebake? The same things I do each year, just at a different level: craft, validation, connections, and inspiration. Let me explain:

Despite the fact that I was a freelancer for over ten years and I have seven books published, there are still concepts I can learn about the craft itself. During the first few conferences I attended, I picked up tips about story arc, character development, and hooks. This year, I learned about the nuances of creating suspense and techniques to prevent the “muddle in the middle” of my manuscript. In addition, workshops about publicity and marketing and a session about career strategies gave my business knowledge a boost.

Writing is a solitary pursuit. Every morning before I go to my day job, I hide out in my office to make up stories about imaginary friends. Banging away at the keyboard, I often second-guess my work. Are the characters believable? Are the situations realistic? Or is it all drivel, and I have no idea what I’m doing? The good news is that information I heard during conference sessions validated what I’m doing. I’m on the right track.

Unlike many writers who are introverts and tremble at the thought of attending a large-scale event, I’m an extrovert and love to meet people. I typically introduce myself to my tablemates and ask them to talk about their writing journey. One of my favorite experiences this year was the author breakfast on Sunday. I picked a random table, and it turned out that Paula Munier was our “celebrity.” With laughter and grace, she talked about what it was like to be an author having been a literary agent for nearly thirty years. Apparently the shoe was on the other foot, and her agent was telling her things she had told her clients. Paula encouraged and celebrated each one of us. Other ways I made connections was to volunteer to do behind-the-scenes tasks. I stuffed attendee bags, worked the registration table, and coordinated the game at the SinCNE chapter table. Serving on the SinCNE chapter board has also provided connections I wouldn’t otherwise have made such as meeting the SinC’s national president. Very exciting!

Perhaps best of all, the weekend gave me a full dose of inspiration. Sometimes juggling my writing with a full time job can be overwhelming. Sacrificing time with my husband or not pursuing my hobbies can be frustrating, and constantly thinking about some aspect of my author career can be tiring. But I love to write; it feeds my soul in a way nothing else does. Haround with published and not-yet-published authors was just what the doctor ordered. Sharing dreams, successes, and setbacks with others who understand and have walked my shoes reignited my passion. I came away from the conference ready to jump back into my manuscript.

There is no doubt in my mind that I’m an author of multiple books because of my diligence in attending Crimebake. Can you get published without attending a writing conference? Possibly. But will your writing career be as fulfilling? Probably not.

I urge you to find an affordable, professionally-run conference. Then mark your calendar and start putting aside money from each paycheck to make it happen. You’ll be glad you did.

Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, journalist, blogger, and history geek. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry, Linda has lived in historical places most of her life. She is a volunteer docent at the Wright Museum of WWII and a trustee for her local public library. Active in her church Linda serves as treasurer, usher, and choir member. She is a member of ACFW, RWA, and SinC. The author of several romance novellas, her debut mystery novel, Under Fire, was released in July, 2017 by eLectio Publishing. Visit her at www.LindaShentonMatchett.com.

Crimebake Conference-by Linda Shenton Matchett

I will be attending the New England Crimebake this year for the tenth time. The first time I attended Crimebake, I felt like a fraud. I was untrained, uncertain, and unpublished. Scribbling my thoughts and stories in notebooks since I was a child, I had only recently begun to give serious thought to publication. I started numerous novels, but always gave up somewhere in the middle. I subscribed to several magazines and purchased countless books by authors who touted their way as the only path to becoming a published author. Nothing seemed to help me make it to “The End.”

I selected Crimebake because it was located within a two-hour drive of my home and offered at a time of year when I could attend, not because I had designs on becoming the next best-selling mystery writer. Terrified the other attendees find out how much of a novice I was, I approached the registration desk with trepidation. Being greeted with a warm smile and an excited welcome because I was a first-time attendee by none other than Hallie Ephron quelled my nerves.

Rubbing shoulders with Hallie and other well-known authors such as Lisa Scottoline, Roberta Isleib, Hank Phillippi Ryan, and James R. Benn was a heady experience. But just as gratifying was interacting with “The Great Unpublished” or Guppies as SistersinCrime calls not-yet-published authors. We shared successes and pitfalls, and dreams and nightmares, but most of all we shared camaraderie.

I came away from all the workshops and panels with information I could implement. Granted, at that point in my writing career I was a blank page (pun intended) and was soaking up everything I could, but even the experienced writers indicated there was a wealth of knowledge being conveyed. Practical, how-to advice was coupled with lists of resources. I learned effective ways to research, the difference between showing and telling, how to write realistic dialogue, how to evoke setting through description, and how a little backstory can go a long way. I was taught the snowflake method, the three-act method, and the pyramid method. Most importantly, I learned to try them all and use the one that worked best for me.

Questions were not only welcomed, they were encouraged during workshops, meals, or chance encounters in the hallways. Handouts were plentiful, and my souvenir tote bag was soon filled to the brim. Attendees were urged to participate in the Practice Your Pitch session with agents and editors. I was not brave enough that first year or the second, but I eventually took part, and the experience enabled me to hone my plot lines, create my “elevator pitch,” and the dreaded “one sheet.” An added bonus to attending the workshop has been the network of writers of which I am a part.

There are many ways to write a novel, and for a fledging author that can be overwhelming, but Crimebake effectively breaks the process into bite-sized pieces. For me, I would not be a published author if I hadn’t taken that step in 2006 to attend this first-rate, writing conference.

This mystery writers’ conference is co-hosted by SinCNE and MWA and held at the Dedham Hilton outside of Boston. Held over three days, the conference is affordable and offers a combination of workshops, panel discussions, and presentations that cover a wide range of topics. Manuscript critiques, and agent and editor pitches are also available. For an extra fee, participants may choose to attend one or two Master Classes offered prior to the conference. Timekeepers ensure each session starts and ends on time. Books published by the panel members and presenters are available for purchase.

Crimebake sells out within days of registration opening in early May, so you will want to sign up for email alerts. The website is www.crimebake.org, and this year’s Guest of Honor is suspense writer Lisa Gardner.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry, Linda Shenton Matchett has lived in historical places most of her life-from Edison, New Jersey (named for the famed light bulb inventor) and Washington, DC to Wolfeboro, New Hampshire (reputed to be the oldest summer resort in America). A varied career has included stints as a crisis counselor, human resources professional, bed and breakfast owner, youth center director, and dining services manager. She is a volunteer docent at the Wright Museum of WWII and a trustee for the Wolfeboro Public Library. Linda is the author of Love’s Harvest and Love Found in Sherwood Forest. Under Fire, the first book in her trilogy about WWII War Correspondent/amateur sleuth Ruth Brown, will be released in July 2017. Visit Linda at www.lindashentonmatchett.com.