Midwest Writers Workshop by Margaret S. Hamilton

Just after dawn on July 21^st, I turned off the interstate and headed north into a fog bank, Muncie-bound for the forty-third annual Midwest Writers Workshop. Corn emits water, which fueled the mix of hot air on top of moist ground. Lacey white Queen Anne’s Lace in roadside ditches peeked through the white vapor.

In the sunshine at Ball State, I was issued a hundred-page spiral bound conference outline and lime green tote bag, and joined the throngs of writers in the newly-renovated student center. On Day One, we were immersed in five-hour specialized instruction sessions, my revision class taught by Lori Rader-Day.

 We emerged in the late afternoon for pitching and querying instruction sessions, followed by MWW alumnus Kelsey Timmerman discussing how he wrote his two books on global manufacturing and the food economy, Where Am I Wearing? and Where Am I Eating?

Friday and Saturday were devoted to four panel sessions a day, plus an agent panel and two Buttonhole the Experts roundtable discussions. I heard the incomparable Jane Friedman speak several times, including her succinct overview of the e-publishing process. Larry Sweazy and Lori Rader-Day gave additional talks on the mystery-writing process. Boutique publisher Liz Pelletier delivered a rapid-fire version of how she edits a book, including five crucial minutes on writing deep POV.

 I screwed up my courage and pitched one of my novels, and had my first five pages and query letter critiqued.

MWW is Midwestern friendly, from caucuses in the restroom to lunch table conversations in the ballroom.  Agents, editors, and writing instructors were approachable and enthusiastic. YA authors were everywhere, earnestly discussing contemporary, sci fi, and fantasy. There was a large contingent of mystery writers, identifying themselves as “cozy, police-procedural, romance or thriller.” An agent informed me I write “crime fiction,” which was a relief. I now have a niche.

The workshop drew participants from twenty states, many of them seeking access to agents who handle YA fiction. First-timers universally agreed that MWW was a great fit for debut authors.

 Many of us will return to Muncie, Indiana, in July 2017, more experienced and accomplished, and eager to learn.

Readers and writers, have you attended a writers’ workshop?

Margaret S. Hamilton has published cozy stories in Kings River Life and the Darkhouse Destination: Mystery! Anthology. She is completing her first crime novel, Curtains for the Corpse.