More help than I even planned, for this—my first blog here!
Here’s what I planned to say…
There’s no other kind of writer I’d rather be than a mystery
writer. Yeah, journalism would be sexy and exciting, getting sent to areas of
conflict, doing undercover work, revealing corruption. Oh, you say you don’t
start out that way? It’s mall openings and Elk meetings for quite a few years?
Romance writing sounds intriguing. Think of the research,
right? Then there’s literary writing. Those are the books that make it to the
top of the best-seller lists.
But mystery writing is the best. You know why? Because of
mystery writers. They are the best. Even people who are not mystery writers
notice it. We don’t backstab. We support each other. We’re genuinely happy when
a colleague breaks into print, gets a fantastic review, wins an award.
Our conferences are the best. Many of us write in solitary
seclusion much of the time, isolated from one another—our fellow humans and
even our fellow mystery writers. But a conference is chance to get together
with our own kind. We’re delighted to tour a forensic anthropology lab.
We love
talking about poisons and weapons. We even overcome our fear of public speaking
to be on panels before incredibly friendly, supportive, and interested
audiences.
Take for instance, this blog. Here we are, a bunch of
mystery writers supporting each other.
Here’s the unplanned part:
My fellow blog mates support even me, who is late posting on
my very first day!
I am so grateful to have been asked to participate here.
This is an awesome bunch!
Thanks!! (And feel free to edit out the exclamation points,
if needed.)
