Community by Nancy L. Eady

 Greetings from the frozen tundra, here in the great state of … Alabama? I know it sounds weird, but we have stayed cold all week. Our temperatures at night Monday and Tuesday were in the teens, “warmed” up to the 20s Wednesday and Thursday, but tonight we’re plunging right back into the teens, with a high on Saturday in the 20s! The only difference from last week is that I went back to work, since the roads are dry and ice-free. 

And that is important to me, because work is as much about social contact as it is about the legal issues I tackle. It’s one reason full-time remote work isn’t a good idea for me; I miss the people I work with. Which raises the question of how people who are full-time writers satisfy the deep human need for connection and community? 

I’ve studied this issue. One way writers establish community is when they attend conventions or seminars. I’ve been to Bouchercon twice, which is a convention for mystery readers, and it was a blast! I got to meet many of my fellow writers in person and forced myself out of my shell in doing so. On my bucket list for the future are Malice Domestic, Sleuthfest, Crime Bake, and Killer Nashville. Malice Domestic is held in the Washington D.C./northern Virginia area, and is another reader convention focusing on more traditional mysteries, including cozy mysteries. Sleuthfest, Crime Bake, and Killer Nashville are more geared to help writers improve their craft. Sleuthfest is held in Florida every year; Crime Bake is in the Boston area, and Killer Nashville is held, strangely enough, in Nashville. Once I finish my six-month probationary period at my new job, I am going to plan a trip to at least one of them in the next two years. 

Another way to build community among writers is to join a national writing group, such as Sisters-in-Crime and Mystery Writers of America, and one or more of their subchapters. I belong to Sisters-in-Crime, and their on-line subchapter, the Guppies. Besides the fantastic writing advice that I get through the Guppies’ list-serve and other programs, the best thing about the listserv is the chance to meet the other members. Even if I never meet them in person, I still feel connected.

A third way, old-fashioned but effective, is to join a local writing group that meets (gasp!) in person. To be fair, some subchapters of Sisters-in-Crime and Mystery Writers of America meet in person, but there may be other groups as well. An online Google search or a search through Facebook or your social media of choice may help you find them. 

Those are my ideas for making friends and connections in the writing community. What other ideas do you have? Do you think community is necessary for writers? If you’ve tried any of these ideas, which are your favorites? 

Creating While in a Community by Jennifer J. Chow

There’s a myth that writers create in a vacuum. We lock ourselves in our rooms and toil away with a pen or a typewriter or a computer. While words are often written alone (though not always—there are co-authors after all), the truth is we create in a community.

For example, I’m lucky to be part of a weekly critique group. We used to meet in person at a local coffeeshop but are now connecting virtually. My writing buddies and I spur one another on by offering both praise and sharp insight. We’ve been challenging and encouraging each other so long that sometimes our work blurs in minor ways—we often have similar themes or come up with the same character names.

 

The craft of writing is also honed by collaborative study. Beyond books and webinars done by myself, I’ve participated in writing courses at the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program. The lessons I received there came not only from the instructor but also through valuable feedback from peers. (On a side note, many members of my above critique group also took classes at UCLA, and a few of them even first met in the classroom.)

 

Community isn’t always confined to a local area, though. I’m happy to connect with writers in different geographic locations through various groups. Sisters in Crime is one such fabulous organization. Designed to provide support and encouragement, this international and inclusive community is for all who write and love crime fiction, mystery, thrillers, and suspense.

 

Members of Sisters in Crime have always been welcoming to me, whether by greeting me at conferences or even providing me with blurbs for my books! In fact, I’m so grateful to the organization that I’ve decided to give back and volunteer as Vice President of Sisters in Crime.

 

I’m very thankful to connect with others as I create. How has community impacted your life, in writing or otherwise?

 

For the love of community

by Julie Tollefson

For the last few months, I’ve been slogging through revisions on both a novel-length manuscript and a short story. Some days, I read a bit of something I’ve written in the past and cringe. Some days, I think, “Hey, that’s not half bad.” But the process of revision is daunting and, to be honest, not as much fun as drafting something new. Add in a couple of big life events, and my energy for the work was seriously flagging.

Then last week, I had the pleasure of spending an entire day with a terrific group of writers and readers at an event organized by the Border Crimes chapter of Sisters in Crime. Thanks to the grant writing efforts of past president Lisa Harkrader, support from the national SinC organization, and hard work of a team of local members, Border Crimes hosted a one-day workshop with prolific award winning author Rhys Bowen (you might know her as the author of the Royal Spyness series, the Molly Murphy mysteries, the Constable Evans mysteries…). 

Rhys, charming and witty, shared her deep knowledge of the mystery business, from the basics—“Mystery, thriller, suspense: What the heck am I writing?”—to more concrete methods for crafting plot or conveying the nuances of time and place.

Power panel (from left): Lisa Harkrader, Nancy Pickard, Sally Goldenbaum, and Rhys Bowen.

At the end of the day, I had notes filled with good advice. 

Some made me laugh: If you love your character, make her suffer. 

Some made me think: If you’re writing about your own time and place, you have to work harder at observations. It’s much easier for outsiders to see the unique qualities of setting.

Some warmed the heart of this former copy editor: Double check even the things you think you know.

And to my great pleasure, I won first place in a “Mystery Starts” contest held in conjunction with Rhys’s visit. Writers were invited to submit the first 250 words of a mystery. Judges Lisa Harkrader, Nancy Pickard, and Sally Goldenbaum narrowed the entries down to four and Rhys made the final judgment. What a confidence booster!

My excellent raffle prize,
donated by author Denise Osborne.

But the biggest gift of the day came not from the talks or the formal afternoon tea (though the scones were delicious) or the raffle (though I won a terrific set of reference books), but from the energy and enthusiasm of spending a day among people who love to read and write mysteries. There’s a kinship in the mystery community that is hard to beat. I returned home in the evening physically tired but mentally rejuvenated, ready to attack my continuing revisions with a renewed vigor.

And that, to me, is the greatest benefit of belonging to the mystery community in general and Sisters in Crime in particular.

While I’m gushing over my love for Sisters in Crime, I’ll put in a plug for the organization’s Report for Change, the 2016 Publishing Summit Report on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Mystery Community. This document combines stories and research with resources and concrete action steps. For an easy, practical step toward supporting diversity in the mystery community, check out “Frankie’s List: Diverse Mystery Writers” (Appendix A in the report).