Loss of a Working Stiff

by Joyce

For those who haven't heard the news, longtime Working Stiff Wilfred Bereswill passed away suddenly on Palm Sunday. ("Passed away" seems inadequate when a death is so unexpected.) I first heard about it on Easter Sunday, when Jenna Bennett/Jennie Bentley posted a link to her blog on Twitter. To say I was shocked doesn't begin to cover it. It was all I could think about for most of the day.

The only time I met Will in person was at Bouchercon in Baltimore. When Annette and I ran into him, it was like a family reunion.

Joyce, Will, Annette

It's strange how someone you know mostly through blog posts can make such a lasting impression. It's a testament to his ability to tell a story that so many people feel like they lost a good friend.


Will posted often on China and Hawaii--two of his favorite places. He wrote about his work, his books, his every day life, and a very poignant post about losing his father at a young age to colon cancer.

Will's every day life got hectic and eventually he had to drop writing for Working Stiffs. His last post with us was on March 7, 2011. Read it. It was titled So Long, Farewell & Amen.

Amen, indeed.

So long, Will. We miss you.

Bouchercon and the New World of ePublishing

By Martha Reed

The big take-away from Bouchercon this year was the continuing book market shift to ePublishing. From what I heard at the panels, the workshops and later, much later in the hotel bar, authors are buzzing with the idea they can publish their own work, keep up to 70% of their royalties and access almost instant account statements. This is a seismic change from the traditional hidebound (in more ways than one) publishing model that as near as I can tell was constructed for Charles Dickens.

There is a lot of discussion and arguments to be made for print versus eBook but that’s not what I want to talk about here. There’s an even more important item that should be on every writer’s horizon and that is: how are writers going to connect with their readers going forward? That piece of the puzzle is in transition as well, with bookstores closing their doors, author tours getting nixed and newspapers dropping their review coverage.

I think this is where member organizations like Sisters in Crime could step up to the plate (as permitted by the By-Laws) because this is a fundamental process change across the whole marketplace. Another example of the breadth of this change is that even stalwart Kirkus Review is now offering to review independently published material for a price ($425-$575) with their Kirkus Indie Program. Verily, how the mighty have fallen. This was unthinkable five years ago.

In the end, though, writers need to remember that we are in charge of producing the story. It shouldn’t matter how the story is told or sold: paper, audio, or digital format should be left up to the discretion and preference of the reader. Sure, as a writer, I feel the pressure to conform to the traditional publishing model: query letter, synopsis, hire an agent, find a publishing house editor but I think the trick now is to explore the new model and sure, make some money at it but our continuing commitment as writers must be to the craft. That is our job description.

Workshop Tools and Lessons Learned

By Martha Reed

I like to think of September as the time to take a look at my years’ work and assess where it’s going. Now that the kids are back in school, it’s time to dust off my manuscripts and to decide which one is next in line to polish up and send out the door.

I worked on my Nantucket novel the month of July, participating in Nancy Martin’s fabulous manuscript boot camp. Unfortunately for me, I learned so much I’m no longer happy with what I’ve written. I’ve decided to rework it pretty heavily again before I send it out.

Which brings up a question I heard at the annual Sisters in Crime Pittsburgh picnic: When do you know that the story is done?

I can only answer from experience. I said that you know when you’re done when you can’t think of anything that would make the story better. Short stories seem easier because it’s easier to work within the 5,000 word parameter. A novel length work is harder because you’ve got 60,000 to 125,000 words. That can be a two-edged sword: that word length offers tremendous flexibility but you also have more play for the story to seriously fall off the rails.

Which brings me to today’s topic: Workshops. I take every workshop I can find, online and in person because you never know what you will learn. As long as you’re learning something it may make the story you’re working on better. I learned that at boot camp, again, and I’ll report here in comments what I learned during the five days of workshops offered at Bouchercon in St. Louis last week

Which brings me to today’s question: as a writer, what was the most helpful thing you ever learned?

Bouchercon 2009

by

Wilfred Bereswill

Well, another Bouchercon has come and gone.  And if you ask me it was a resounding success.  Jim Huang and all the B'con organizers did a terrific job.  The city, setting and hotels were fantastic.

I'm sure I'm not telling you anything new, but Bouchercon is not a writers conference.  You don't go as a writer to learn how to write.  It's a convention designed to bring fans and authors together.  So why the hell did I go? I don't have a new book to promote.  I wasn't on a panel.  I had to place books on consignment with Mystery Mike's bookstore to have some available just in case.

So again, why did I go?  I did consider bailing at the last minute. I mean I had to use the last day of vacation I have in my day job until next March.  My middle daughter was coming home from college to pre-celebrate her 21st birthday.  And I could come up with a dozen other reasons I shouldn't have gone.  But then I remembered how much friggin' fun I had last year.  I remembered how energized I was when I came back.  I remembered just how great the community of Mystery Writers is.

I wasn't disappointed.  I had a great time.  I'me ready to pull that Work In Progress up on my screen and finish it.  I'm ready to make it as good as I'm capable of making it.

Speaking of how giving the Mystery Community is, I was participating in the Continuous Conversation and that very subject came up.  One author (to remain nameless) said "Mystery authors are generally not assholes.  There are exceptions, but for the most part, we're pretty nice."

It didn't take long to reconnect with a number of authors that I consider friends.  And some of them hit it big this year.  For example:

Brett Battles

Julie Hyzy

Brett Battles won the Barry Award for best thriller (I think, I guess I shouldn't have had that last IPA Wheat Beer... or the first or second or...)  Julie Hyzy won an Anthony and Lori G. Armstrong who couldn't be there, won the Shamus for her book Snow Blind.

A gathering of authors (Harlan Coben, Alexandra Sokoloff, Laura Benedict, Marcus Sakey)  

Where it's at: The Bar and a great Wheat Beer.  I had several meaningful and meaningless conversations here.

My friend, John Lutz and the Edgar Allan Poe Panel with Michael Connelly, Sue Grafton,  Peter Lovesy, and Sara Paretsky

It was a Mega Panel

And of course, the lovely couple Tasha Alexander and Andrew Grant.

A Little about Tasha and Andrew.  I don't think I've met two nicer people.  They are both extremely talented and giving.  And Andrew, if you read this, I will not sell the book you signed for me on Ebay.  I'm really looking forward to reading EVEN.  And, by the way, they look fabulous together.

The signing lines.

Now about the party.  Lee Child had a fantastic party at The Slippery Noodle.  The Slippery Noodle is a Pre-Prohibition Blues Bar where Lee hosted his Jack Reacher Party.  I was invited by Andrew Grant, Lee's brother.  You can't tell so much from the pictures, but it was wildly popular.  It was a great way to end the weekend.

The Band

My beautiful wife Linda and I at the Jack Reacher Party. 

The crowd including Kelli Stanley and Alexandra Sokoloff

My wife Linda (I'm a lucky guy)

I'd be remiss if I failed to mention my friend, Austin Camacho.  A talented author in his own right, I met Austin last year at Magna Cum Murder in Muncie, Indiana.  Thanks Austin.

Day Jobs and Writerly Things

by

Wilfred Bereswill

Lot’s of things going on in my life right now. As day jobs go, I actually reached a bit of a milestone last week. You see I was hired to start a new Environmental Department at a well established company. There is a logical reason why the company never had an environmental group before, but suddenly they’re in the game and there’s a lot of catching up to do. Honestly, it’s been so overwhelming that I haven’t been able to think about much else. It’s sapped all my creative energy and I’ve gotten nowhere on book two. But I see a dim, pinpoint of light at the end of a long tunnel.

After 25 plus years in Environmental Affairs it didn’t take me long to figure out I was in a train that was heading full speed into a train coming the other direction. It’s taken my 4 long months of thinking and presenting and meeting and revising, but I’ve finally gotten a program approved and jobs posted for two people to help. I’m a long, long, long way from feeling comfortable about things, but I’m taking baby steps.

I liken the situation to getting in a car in a foreign country not knowing anything about the speed limits or what the signs mean, or even which side of the road to drive on. So you get in and start driving. You drive at a speed that’s comfortable and you turn the way you always have, until you get a ticket or someone explains the rules, you’re not going to know what you’re doing wrong. I’m the new sheriff in town. Awareness!

So on to writerly issues. Let’s see, Bouchercon is rapidly approaching and I’ll be attending with a much different plan and attitude. I don’t have a newly published book this time and I didn’t score a panel, except for a spot in the continuous conversation. I will be trying to make connections with an agent, of course. But otherwise, I’m just planning on relaxing and talking to then many authors I met there last year.

On Wednesday I have the pleasure of meeting with a book club that invited me to come and chat with them about my book. I’ve done one before and enjoyed the hell out of it. The best part is, the ladies are taking me out to a restaurant to buy my dinner while we talk.

And finally, last Monday, Gina wrote about dreams. I mentioned that I dreamt the premises of a short story and even wrote the first paragraph in my sleep. The dream wasn’t visual at all; only words. I went on to write the story. Actually, I was fascinated by it. I think it tipped the scale at just under 5,000 words.

I have sent it around for publication. Three times. Here are the comments I’ve received with the rejections. “Your story started out intriguing and quirky, but soon turned into a bloody mess. Sorry, not right for us.” “One of the best first lines I’ve read lately. And then it went south.” “Like a bad accident, I couldn’t put it down. I’m not sure what to make of it, but I won’t be publishing it.”

Now, with comments like that, you’d think I’d be upset. BUT, the way I look at it, it stirred the emotions of each editor that read it. Enough of an emotional reaction to garner a personal response. And this from my wife, “If you ever get this published, you need to do it under a pen name. I don’t want anyone to know you wrote it.”

Yes, my little 5,000 word story has gotten a lot of reactions. Yes, I REALLY pushed the envelope on this little tale. It does have a split personality. It does start quirky and it does turn very disturbing. I have tried to rewrite it several times. I’ve tried to soften it up, but it just doesn’t work that way. For the time being, I’m leaving it as is and I’ll continue to submit it to publications that it may be right for. To give you a taste, I’ll give you the quirky part.

RECYCLED LIFE

I was having a pretty good day until Neville killed me. He walked right up to me, shoved a gun in my chest and pulled the trigger. I guess I can’t blame him. I’ve been pushing him away for the last eight months. It just so happens that, during that time, I developed a taste for women. I say that rather tongue in cheek, because I mean in the Jeffery Dahmer, Hannible Lecter sense.

You see, somewhere along the line. something hit me. An overwhelming curiosity washed over me. A culinary curiosity. I developed a taste for aureoles. Yes, that’s right; nipples. It’s quite a shame really. Rather like the Asian’s fascination for shark fin soup; catch the shark, kill it, harvest the fins and throw the succulent flesh away. Or the Russians slaughtering Beluga whales merely for caviar. But you see, areola are like little drops of sunshine--human truffles.

Reflecting back on the events of the last eight months, I realize my little problem had been a long time in coming. You see, for several years now, those little urges that tug on the strings of curiosity have been pulling at my consciousness at an ever-increasing clip. I’m sure you know what I mean. Those ‘I wonder what’ thoughts that pop into your head at the strangest of moments. “I wonder what that woman would do if I walked up to her and kissed her on the lips?” “I wonder what my boss would do if I cold-cocked him while he gives me my pathetic raise?” “I wonder what it would feel like to step off the roof of a tall building?” “I wonder what nipples taste like?”

Of course, we are all brought up to know right from wrong and these simple moments of weakness are quickly and promptly dismissed and never, ever brought up lest someone judge us as being evil. However, over the course of the last several years, these indulgent thoughts that tickled my curiosity were not so easily evicted. Like a bad tenant, they lingered. A little longer each time. Until eight months ago. The eviction notice was given, only to be tossed aside. My silly little compulsive thought, built like a gathering wave until it crashed on my consciousness and overwhelmed me. “What do nipples taste like?”

I'll stop right there, because as one editor indicated, this is where the story goes south. I'd prefer to say it changes direction.

So have you ever written something that pushed the envelope? If so, what did you do with it?

Happy Labor Day

by Wilfred Bereswill

So summer is coming to an end. Pretty much that's what Labor Day is, a symbolic end to summer. Officially, however, Labor day has a bit of a bloody history. After a little research on Wikipedia, and a few other places, here's what I found out about Labor Day.

During the economic panic of 1893, the Pullman Palace Car Company cut wages as demands for their train cars plummeted and the company's revenue dropped. Things escalated into a strike when workers continued to complain and owner, George Pullman refused to talk to them. Many of the workers were already members of the American Railway Union (ARU), led by Eugene V. Debs, which supported their strike by launching a boycott in which union members refused to run trains containing Pullman cars. The strike effectively shut down production in the Pullman factories and led to a lockout. Railroad workers across the nation refused to switch Pullman cars onto trains. The ARU declared that if switchmen were disciplined for the boycott, the entire ARU would strike in sympathy.

The boycott was launched on June 26, 1894. Within four days, 125,000 workers on twenty-nine railroads had quit work rather than handle Pullman cars. Adding fuel to the fire the railroad companies began hiring replacement workers which only increased hostilities. Many African Americans, fearful that the racism expressed by the American Railway Union would lock them out of another labor market, crossed the picket line to break the strike; that added a racially charged tone to the conflict.

On June 29, 1894, Debs hosted a peaceful gathering to obtain support for the strike from fellow railroad workers at Blue Island, Illinois. Afterward groups within the crowd became enraged and set fire to nearby buildings and derailed a locomotive. Elsewhere in the United States, sympathy strikers prevented transportation of goods by walking off the job, obstructing railroad tracks or threatening and attacking strikebreakers. This increased national attention to the matter and fueled the demand for federal action.

The strike was broken up by United States Marshals and some 12,000 United States Army troops, commanded by Nelson Miles, sent in by President Grover Cleveland on the premise that the strike interfered with the delivery of U.S. Mail, ignored a federal injunction and represented a threat to public safety. The arrival of the military led to further outbreaks of violence. During the course of the strike, 13 strikers were killed and 57 were wounded. An estimated 6,000 rail workers did $340,000 worth of property damage.

A national commission formed to study causes of the 1894 strike found Pullman's paternalism partly to blame and Pullman's company town to be "un-American." In 1898, the Illinois Supreme Court forced the Pullman Company to divest ownership in the town, which was annexed to Chicago[citation needed].

Pullman thereafter remained unpopular with labor, and when he died in 1897, he was buried in Graceland Cemetery at night in a lead-lined coffin within an elaborately reinforced steel-and-concrete vault. Several tons of cement were poured to prevent his body from being exhumed and desecrated by labor activists.

In the aftermath of the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the US military and US Marshals during the 1894 Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with Labor as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike.

But back to the end of summer. This weekend caps a St. Louis summer that I have never seen before. This has to rank up there with the coolest of summers in St. Louis History. It has been glorious. It's too bad I haven't been able to enjoy it as much as I would have liked to. Starting a new job left me without the 6 weeks of vacation that I had grown used to. And since I need to save one day for Bouchercon, coming in a little over a month, I was forced to look out at the beautiful weather through my office windows. I will say, I've had the top down on my convertible since I bought it in late May.

On a lighter note, I was all ready to comment on how the St. Louis Cardinals swept the Pittsburg Pirates over the weekend. Albert Puhols put on a one man show, but alas, Ryan Franklin, closing pitcher for the Cardinals did something that he's only done twice this year. He blew the save and let the Pirates avoid the sweep. I will say, all weekend the Cardinal announcers gushed at how nice PNC Park and downtown Pittsburgh looked.

Lastly, I thought I'd leave you with a smile. Sometimes you see something and it makes you smile. THe video below did that for me. It combines one of my favorite songs, ingenuity and a sweet ending. I hope you enjoy it.

Networking, Conferences, and Agendas. Oh, my!

Please welcome my dear friend and guest blogger, Paula Matter, to Working Stiffs. Paula, as a past Pennwriters Conference Coordinator, has been holding my hand and keeping me sane during this past year. She’s also a darned fine crime writer. Welcome, Paula.—Annette

By Paula Matter

A friend attended a conference in NYC recently. I asked her to say hello to an agent I know and like. The agent responded, "That's Paula. Networking without even being here." That led me to consider the importance of networking. Which led me to start thinking of the conferences I will attend this year. Due to the economy, I won't be going to nearly as many as usual. One big event I'll be missing out on is Bouchercon. I simply can't justify the expense.

Last year was a different story. I was in better shape financially, and it was only a five hour drive to Baltimore.

2008 was my fifth Bouchercon, and I had an agenda. I attended as a reader. At each panel, instead of scribbling notes on the craft of writing, or promotion, or marketing, I wrote down names and/or titles. If panelists or moderators were funny, I jotted down their names. If they made a particularly profound comment, their name went on my list. One author, outside in Smoker's Paradise, simply smiled at me and his name was added.

I'd then make a beeline for the book room after each panel, or in the one case, after my cigarette. I learned buying lots of books in spurts didn't hurt my credit card, and I went back to the same two booksellers each time.

A highlight for me was meeting a new-to-me author. Her books, and how she switches POV in them, intrigued me. I saw her in the book room after her panel and I asked her about it. What a delightful woman. I bought her paperback right then and there. Later, passing her in a hallway, she was just as delightful when she stopped and we chatted some more. I took a chance and bought her hardcover.

I lied earlier. See above about the cigarette scenario happening once. It occurred again later that same day when, quite exhausted, I was debating whether to go take a nap, or attend another panel. I stepped outside for a smoke to help me decide. Hush, all you non-smokers who have no idea what I'm talking about. I initiated a conversation with an author whose name I knew, but had never read. The chat with this genuinely (keyword there) kind man is still too special to share, but know this: Instead of taking a nap, I went to the book room and bought one of his books. I would've bought more, but I had to eat that night and put gas in the car for the trip home. Once my credit card balance comes back down, I'll be buying more of his books.

Another author annoyed me this year. Again. The first time was during a panel a few Bouchercons ago when she, seated three seats from me in the audience, proceeded to snack on potato chips. Very crunchy potato chips. For that one act of rudeness, I've never bought this woman's books. Last year in Baltimore she practically sat on my lap due to an overcrowded room. I made nice and restrained myself from kicking her.

Which reminds me of a kick-ass writer I know and adore. Many years ago, S.J. Rozan, one of the smartest women I know, when attempting to assuage my concern (fear, actually) about being on a panel, told me "Just be yourself. And be nice to everyone." At the time I thought, "Pick one because I sure as hell can't do both." I should've known she'd be right.

I had a chance encounter with a very pleasant woman. Resting my poor feet, I sat on one of those couches in the hall between the book room and the conference rooms. Another tired attendee plopped herself down, smiled and said hello. I responded in kind. She thanked me for not being rude. Because of my obvious puzzled expression, she explained how she'd tried earlier to strike up a conversation with a stranger, and was snubbed. We agreed it was shameful that impoliteness has nearly become the norm. She and I chatted for several minutes about books and writers. When she asked if I was a writer, I hesitated then admitted that I was. Before I knew it, I was telling her about my writing. (She asked. I swear she started it!) She wrote down my name and said she'd be looking for my book when the time came. I laughed. She then told me what bookstore she works in. So, um, S.J., thanks.

Continuing with kick-ass writers, another woman I enjoy reading was gracious when I greeted her in the hallway. Later I realized I had interrupted an interview, and I apologized. She was just as gracious in her response. I'll continue buying her books.

Some pros have it, and some don't. The latter won't miss my money. I won't bother schlepping all the way to NYC, or Pittsburgh, or Baltimore to buy their books. And I also will never badmouth them in public. Or in private. But I hope they know who they are.

For the rest of you, I hope to see you at your next booksigning.

Paula Matter is a member of MWA, PWA, Backspace, and Pennwriters. Her short crime fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies. She hates writing bios, so will stop here.

Looking Back and Ahead

by Wilfred Bereswill

Last time I blogged, I talked about the way the week was shaping up and how busy I would be. Well, I survived and reality is crashing back around me. Now it's time to reflect back and share some highlights.

On October 6th, authors Jo Hiestand, Paul Hornung and I presented a Community College Continuing Education class titled “How To Map A Murder.” The class was really small, but it was fun. The cool thing was when Paul, a detective, talked about the CSI effect on writing and in the courts. He also mentioned that most violent crimes are impulsive, not pre-meditated and many are crimes of passion. Something like 99% of murders are committed by somebody the victim knew which is why there is a huge push to identify the victim.

Wednesday I participated on a panel at the St. Charles County McClay Branch Library. The panel was sponsored by the St. Louis Chapter of Sisters in Crime and titled “Chill Me, Thrill Me.” With me, there was Eileen Dreyer, Eleanor Sullivan, Angie Fox and Joanna Slan. Eileen was crowned "Queen of Clues" and is always a hoot. She had plenty of stories to wow the crowd on her own. Oh, I failed to mention that this was a costumed event where the participants got prizes for guessing the characters we portrayed. I was going to be Hannibal Lecture, but I couldn’t figure out how to drive in the straight jacket. See if you can guess who I decided on.





Then came Bouchercon. Fueled by 3 hours sleep and a Starbucks' Venti Triple Caramel Macchiato I crossed the bridge from the Radisson where I had just checked in and who do I meet first? Our own lovely Annette Dashofy. She led me over to meet the equally lovely Joyce Tremel. I was off to a fabulous start. Okay, so I grab a few cups of coffee and go to a few panels to get the flavor of things all the while knowing I’ll be up on stage at 3:00 PM without REALLY knowing the types of questions that would be asked on my panel. My FIRST panel at a conference. I kept reassuring myself that this was no big deal, I’ve been in more intimidating situations. Like late last year I presented a talk on the Environment in front of 300 Chinese using simultaneous translators. But who was I kidding? This was 10 times more intimidating.

So, an hour before my panel, I ran off to the Green room to talk to our moderator and fellow panelists. No moderator! The delightful Caroline Todd had gotten diverted elsewhere. But I got to meet my partners in crime, Stuart MacBride, Yrsa Sigurdardottir, Andy Straka, and Stephen Booth.

That's me on the far right!

The crowd was much bigger than I imagined; about 150 or so. I saw a few friendly faces in the crowd, (Joyce and Annette) but, as normal with me, everything became a blur and my mind went on autopilot. I remember Yrsa, who is from Iceland, saying that she is not the typical writer and the only Civil Engineer she knows that writes mysteries. Well, as fate would have it, I’m a Civil Engineer by degree. I think I managed to answer all the questions in a semi-intelligent sounding manner. I think I even got a few laughs. (I honestly can't remember. Zoned out. Or in.)

Anyway, I survived and went off to the dreaded signing room. Dreaded because that’s where it becomes abundantly clear where you are on the food chain. It is the proverbial measuring stick. I had to push my way through the crowd (were they all here for me?) to get to my station. The crowd was for Laura Lippman and Laurie King. I had been warned about this phenomena by my dear friend Laura Bradford. I think she was worried about my mental well-being. Bless her heart.

My apologies to Laura Lippman, but I did guilt a few people in your line to buy my book. They thought they might be blocking my line. I let them believe that.

I already dropped all the names of the fabulous famous authors I had a chance to chat with on my own blog, so I’ll forgo that here (Harlan Coben, Lee Child, Laura Lippman, Lawrence Block, Barry Eisler, etc.). Okay, I couldn't resist.

There was one quote during a panel that I thought was hilarious. The panel was about P.I.’s and my friend John Lutz was on the panel. The question was, Do you use 1st person or 3rd person, and why? Well the first author used 1st and explained how he was able to get more intimate and really just type from his head. The second said he used both in the same story, not unlike James Patterson.

Then it came to John. He said, “John uses 3rd person and now John will tell you why.” There was a delay as that sunk in before a rousing laugh. John went on to explain that 1st person tends to be linear and he likes the freedom of giving the reader information to build suspense that he couldn't give if using 1st person.

I had the chance to sit and chat with several agents, Janet Reid, Scott Miller and Lucienne Diver. My thanks to them for the good and honest advice.

I have to tell you, I went through a range of emotions. I talked about this on my own blog. Walking into the bookstore at Bouchercon, I had one dealer, Big Sleep Books, carrying A Reason For Dying. I was the little fish in a REALLY BIG pond. But I’ve got to say, the mystery writing community is one of a kind. They are generous and caring and I’m proud to be part of it. My thanks are heaped on the pile for Jon & Ruth Jordon and Judy Bobalik. It was an unbelievable experience.

My shout out to the following:

Murderati, The Good Girls Kill For Money Club, The First Offenders, The Graveyard Shift, The Little Blog Of Murder, Cozy Chicks , and The Outfit. I enjoyed meeting many of you and look forward to meeting the rest.

Next Friday I’m off to Magna Cum Murder, sponsored by Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. After Bouchercon, it will feel like a family gathering, which will be a nice change of pace. By the way, Jim Huang, owner of The Mystery Company in Carmel, IN is organizing Magna and will be organizing Bouchercon in Indy next year.

I’ll be out on the golf course today taking my frustrations out on a little dimpled ball. I’ll be checking in early afternoon.

Saturday at Bouchercon

by Annette

Click here for Saturday's pictures of Bouchercon.

More from Bouchercon

by Annette

Here are some pictures from Friday at Bouchercon. First thing this morning, Joyce and I attended Lee Lofland's panel:

Here's a shot of Joyce, Paula Matter, and Rebecca Drake:

Joyce and I took a walk down to the Inner Harbor this afternoon. Baltimore can be very gritty and dangerous, but some areas are absolutely breathtaking. The Inner Harbor is one of those places




Felicia Donovan with Joyce:

Bouchercon

by Joyce

Working Stiffs is taking the day off. We'll try to post photos later if we get a chance.

Annette and I are taking a break before dinner. Here are photos of some of today's activities so far!

What's Boredom?

By Annette Dashofy

Depending on what time of day you’re reading this, I’m either on my way to Baltimore or just about to head out the door. As I’m writing, however, it’s Tuesday evening. And I’m almost ready.

I’ve been buzzing around all day trying to remember what I’ve forgotten. I always forget SOMETHING. Usually, it’s something minor. Usually.

As I’ve been struggling to get everything done that needs to be done, I keep remembering something that someone said to me recently. They mentioned that they were bored.

Bored? What’s that?

I can’t remember the last time I was bored. My to-do list prevents even the hint of boredom. I wish I had time to be bored, but I’d only use that time to catch up on my writing. Or reading. Even when our electricity was out for three days thanks to Hurricane Ike, I never ran out of stuff to do. I couldn’t work on my computer, but I could jot down plot notes. I couldn’t run the vacuum, but I could dust (I LOVE Swiffers!). And, of course, I read. It was bliss.

I suppose there may be a case to be made that I overload my plate because I suffer a fear of boredom.

Nah.

I made a point to not over schedule my time at Bouchercon so I could stay open to spontaneous invitations and whims of fancy. But I have no fear of being bored.

So, I’m curious. Do you get bored? If so, please explain to me how that works. Of course, Joyce and I are on the road, leaving you all to talk amongst yourselves. But I’ll check in once I…well…check in.

Look out, Baltimore! Here we come!

A Week in the Life of A Working Stiff

by Wilfred Bereswill

I think I need my brain checked. Somehow, after 50, the memory just ain’t what it used to be. I liken my brain to a hard drive. A full hard drive, with no open sectors. And if I need to store something, then something else has to be erased. I have no control over what gets evicted. No little dialog box asking me if I’m sure I want to delete this file. POOF! Whatever happens to be there vanishes without a trace. When I was taking Chinese language lessons, I feared I was forgetting an English word for every Chinese word I learned.

So, last week, I volunteered to fill in for today. I should have looked at my calendar. So, here is what happens when you finally get published. And remember, this is in addition to my more-than fulltime job as an Environmental Engineer.

All this past weekend I worked on putting together a proposal for A Reason For Terror. Although I’m thrilled an agent asked for it, a damn good agent on top of that, the timing could have been better. I went through the first three chapters again with a fine tooth comb, making sure it was as perfect as it could be. Then I went about pulling together a synopsis. If you’ve never done one then you don’t know how agonizing the process is.

Tonight I am co-teaching a class for the St. Louis Community College Continuing Education program. It’s a two-hour program called, How To Map A Murder. First we’re going to do an interactive exercise plotting the ALMOST perfect murder. One of the authors is a police detective, so as I lead the class through the who, what, when, where, and how, he will be punching holes in the plot, citing all those things that can go wrong with a murder plot. Then we’ll talk about scene setting, building suspense and characters. Then finally our detective will do a little thing on CSI falsehoods.

Tuesday is a night to prepare for Bouchercon and my panel assignment. Plus I have to throw my clothes in a suitcase. Yes, ladies, I always take about 15 minutes to pack and that includes just one pair of shoes (the one’s I wear on the plane.) I’m also preparing for...

Wednesday night: I’m appearing on a mystery panel at the St. Charles County McClay Branch Library. This is the annual Sisters in Crime (St. Louis) Halloween panel. It features Eileen Dreyer, Eleanor Sullivan, Jo Hiestand, JoAnna Slan, Angie Fox and yours’ truly.

Thursday I leave for Bouchercon and have the pleasure of appearing on my first writers conference panel. If you happen to be attending Bouchercon, the panel is at 3:00 PM on Thursday. DREAM POLICE (Cheap Trick) Law enforcement in novels, fact vs. fiction. Caroline Todd(M), Wilfred Bereswill, Stephen Booth, Stuart MacBride, Yrsa Sigurdardottir, Andy Straka

At this point I have no clue what the questions will be and my nervousness exists on multiple levels. I’ll follow that up in the book room, signing my book. Hopefully, with all the other notable authors, I’ll sell one or two copies. Laura Lippman will be signing at the same time, so I’m hoping people get tired of waiting in her line and feel sorry for me.

Of course I’ll be wandering the halls of the Sheraton in Baltimore in awe of the whole affair. Hopefully the rest of the weekend I’ll be able to relax a little, but I doubt it. I return home late Sunday night and get ready to return to my boring life as an Environmental Engineer. Because, after a week off, I leave for Muncie, Indiana and Magna Cum Murder.

This, by far, will be my most challenging week as an author yet. AND I CAN”T WAIT. Oh, did I mention I’m on a deadline to have the first draft of my second novel, A Reason For Terror done by Halloween?

So, aspiring authors, be careful what you wish for. What’s in store for you this week? Any challenges?