Tales of the 2023 Wine Country Writers' Festival by Diane Bator

 

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One of the fun things I found when I planned to move to Alberta, was the Wine Country Writers' Festival in Penticton, BC. A bit of a drive but after driving across Canada earlier this year, what was another 10 hours? Besides, I had free accommodations, so why not take advantage?

I drove across the Crowsnest Pass through so much fantastic scenery it was hard to keep my eyes on the road. Frank Slide, was only one of the amazing views.

I took a couple days to do some sightseeing and buy wine. Then headed to Penticton Lakeside Resort early Saturday morning September 23. 

What a full, amazing day! I finally met the amazing organizers - Faye Arcand and Jim Jackson. Sessions ran from 10am right up until 6pm. I went from session to session and took all kinds of notes:  The Business of Art, Creating Well-Rounded Characters with Disabilities, Query Quest, Writing Books Kids and Teens want to Read, Establishing a Connected Writing Practice, Writing a Memoir, and Getting Creative Building Your Creative Business. Whew! And those were just the ones I went to. There was a wide variety to choose from for sure. I even met an author from Airdrie--Alissa Blondin--that I look forward to hanging out with one day soon!

THE HOODED MERGANSER

Dinner was fun. Sat with my friend Layton and a couple other ladies, Tatiana and Heather. Nice to chat about books and the sessions we'd attended. When they handed everyone a little stack of books as a gift, we learned our new friend Heather had a story in the 2022 Wine Country Writers' Festival Anthology. Layton and I both got her to sign our copies! 

It was pretty late by the time I got back to my lodgings, but I was right back there for Sunday morning's activities. After a really interesting Coffee Chat featuring Brian Thomas Isaac, we rolled into a fun Keynote Speech by Suzy Vadori, who got everyone revved up to get back to our writing once more.

I wasn't going to do any of the publisher or agent pitches, not since I'm a part of BWL! But I decided to pitch to an agent just for the fun of it. I had a story that I'd been working on, so why not? How disappointing the agent was a no-show. 

But that wasn't the end of my day! I'd brought a book with me that I'd bought months earlier because I found out the author was going to be there. It took until the last minute of the last day, but I tracked him down! And, yes, it is research material!

               

  

We were done by 1pm.

I wandered in the sunshine, bought pad thai from a great food truck, and let the thoughts swirl through my head. I'd heard so much information and made so many notes that I could read over later to refresh my memory. Back at my home for the weekend, I did some writing and plotting before it was time to head home Monday.

I stopped to take this photo mostly because I needed a break! When I posted it on social media, my friend Terrie Moran, who writes for the Murder She Wrote series, asked if she could use it to help promote her upcoming book "Murder Backstage" which comes out in 2024 and takes place in Edmonton. It will appear on the Murder She Wrote Book Club page!

Last but not least, I wanted to leave you with a little serenity. This is Lundbreck Falls here in Alberta. I hadn't been here since my kids were little but since I was driving past, it was a great spot to stop!

Hope you enjoyed the quick version of the Wine Country Writers' Festival. I have a feeling I'll be attending again next year. The sessions, attendees, and scenery were definitely inspiring!

Have a beautiful day,

Diane Bator

https://bookswelove.net/bator-diane/

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Act 1, Scene 1 - Living in the Setting by Diane Bator

    

Settings are a huge part of any novel, no matter what genre. As a writer, I’m always on the lookout for a good place for my stories to play out that can sometimes give them both the tools and challenges to help drive the plot along.

I’ve been lucky to find ideal locations in the small town I currently live in. I’ve used a local coffee shop, Mochaberry, and turned it into Java Jo’s in my Wild Blue Mystery series as well as a local bookstore, BookLore, which transformed into Tales and Retales for Katie Mullins to manage in the same series. Using a coffee shop and a bookstore for backdrops for novels has been done many times before, and so has one other setting.

I’m blessed to work in a great old building I plan to use in a book one day. Many mysteries have been set in theatres and have encompassed community theatre right up to professional theatre. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, Theatre by W. Somerset Maugham, Maskerade by Terry Pratchett, and The Jumbee by Pamela Keyes (a modern take on Phantom) are but a few in a long list. Television series are ripe with episodes that take place in theatres as well. Murder She Wrote had several. Even Riverdale focused on a murder in a theatre in once season.

In working with actors, musicians, administrators, staff and crew behind the scenes, I keep thinking one day I’ll write a play or a mystery set in our theatre. What’s so great about our theatre?

The original portions of our building were erected in 1875 and had multiple purposes. Out back were military buildings where ammunitions were stored. The main building housed a slaughter house, stables, town hall, and a community room used for meetings of all sorts and for local theatre. The chairs were foldable so the “stage” could be relocated from one end of the room to the other and the room could suit any purpose. As the years passed, big business decided the old building was of little use so they would demolish it to build a grocery store. That was nearly 30 years ago.  I’m happy to report the townsfolk fought back.

Our theatre is in its 26^th season. The once frowned upon building has been restored and town offices added in back. The theatre has been through a couple renovations to add a large, built in stage, seats bolted into place, and a sound/tech booth. We have gone from being a community summer theatre to an incredible professional theatre that offers shows all year round. We also have put on shows like A Midsummer Night’s Dream that included both equity and non-equity performers, our summer students, and members of the community who are challenged in various ways.

In the middle of all of that progress and innovation, there is a ghost. Our ghost has been the subject of ghost hunters yet, as many times as I’ve been in the building alone, I’ve never seen her, which is probably a good thing.

That ghost is what has prompted my fascination with writing about a murder in our theatre. While I create the novel, I'll be looking for more evidence and stories about out ghost. Well, that and unruly patrons or performers…

One of the things that makes a theatre so attractive to mystery writers is that there are so many ways for a murder to happen. A “fight scene” gone wrong, props that turn out to be real weapons, costume malfunctions, falling lights, trap doors with faulty latches, poisoned “alcohol” in a bottle on stage, characters who are stand-ins who were once slighted in awful ways by the lead actor…

All it takes is a little creativity and anything can lead to murder in a theatre. 

Diane Bator

 Author of Wild Blue Mysteries, Gilda Wright Mysteries, Glitter Bay Mysteries