Attending a Writing Conference Outside Your Genre by Eileen O'Finlan

 

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I recently had the pleasure of attending the New England Crime Bake, a conference for mystery writers. I went with a friend who writes cozy mysteries and was on the one of the workshop panels. I, however, do not write mysteries nor do I intend to. So what would I get from a workshop for mystery writers? Glad you asked.

As with most conferences, there were several workshop options running at the same times from which to choose. I was able to easily find workshops that had to do with writing in general rather than specific to the mystery genre alone. For example, I attended a workshop on creating conflict in a story. Sure, the presenter used examples from mysteries, but they easily applied to any story.

I write historical fiction, so naturally I was drawn to the panel discussion on historical mysteries. The authors on this panel spoke a lot about historical research which certainly applies to my writing. It was a fascinating discussion which got my own historical research wheels turning.

I also attended workshops on topics peripheral yet important to the writing life, such as creating a business plan for writers and mastering social media for publicity.

Of course there were a lot of workshops that pertained specifically to mystery writers. When a block of time was filled only with those, I went back to my hotel room and spent the time working on my current manuscript. Being in the midst of so many fellow writers was inspirational and my writing during those times finally began to flow. I've managed to maintain that writing mojo even though the conference is over and I'm back home.

Also, there was a key note talk given by investigative reporter and bestselling mystery author, Hank Phillippi Ryan that was amazing. Meals with fellow writers provided a great opportunity to talk shop, make new friends, and engage in networking. Did I mention there were agents and publicists in attendance? It was great to have dinner at the same table with them, pick their brains, and hear their suggestions.

One of the high points for me was attending the "Ask the Experts" panel. This included an author who is a former police detective and now writes crime novels, an editor from Guideposts, a publicist, and my friend, Jane Willan, author of cozy mysteries and a pastor. What I found most interesting was the questions asked of Bruce Robert Coffin, the former detective and now author of the award-winning Detective Byron Mysteries. He is a wealth of information about how detectives operate. He is also adept at explaining how such information should be utilized in a story. I may not use any of it in my writing, but I was fascinated listening to him.

Attending writing conferences are extremely valuable for learning your craft and networking. Conferences that focus on your genre are best. However, if the situation presents itself, attending a conference outside your genre is far from a waste of time and money. It is amazing what you will get from any gathering of writers.

Brief History of Christmas Trees by Rosemary Morris

 

To learn more about Rosemary please click on the cover.

Brief History of Christmas Trees

 Whatever their size Christmas trees topped with a star or an angel and bright with baubles, lights, tins and other decorations make my heart glow.

 Prior to bringing a tree indoors, pagans and Christians decorated their homes with holly, ivy and other greenery. During the winter the solstice reminded pagans that spring was near. The Romans brought fir trees into their temple when they celebrated Saturnalia. Christians believed greenery at home and in church represented life everlasting in heaven with God.

 It is said that on a night before Christmas day, the sixteenth century preacher, Martin Luther, walked through a forest. When he looked up through the branches, he saw stars shining brightly and wanted to share the experience with his family, so he brought a tree into his house and decorated it with candles.

  Germany has the credit for the  tradition of bringing Christmas trees indoors and decorating them with delicious gingerbread, gold-painted apples, and little ornaments made by glassmakers.

 However, the claim that Queen Victoria, and Albert, the Prince Consort, a German, were the first to install a Christmas tree in England is false. In the 1760’s Victoria’s ancestress, George III’s German wife, Charlotte, decorated a Christmas tree with her family. A tree was also set up in the Queen’s Lodge in Windsor where she held a party for children of noble families. Soon some rich families also installed decorated trees in their houses; and in 1848, the widespread tradition was created after The Illustrated London News published a drawing of the Christmas Tree at Windsor Castle.

 In 2004, Pope John Paul declared the Christmas tree is a 'symbol of Christ. He said that “this ancient tradition exalts the value of life and reminds Christians of the 'tree of life', which is found in the Bible's first book, Genesis”.

 Whether the trees are real or artificial many 21^st century people still take pride in a beautifully decorated one which fills their hearts with joy.

 

http://bookswelove.net/authors/morris-rosemary

 

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Vinegar Pie for the Holidays, Anyone? by S. L. Carlson

I am S. L. Carlson, a proud and grateful BWL Publishing Inc. author. My books can be viewed and purchased by visiting https://www.bookswelove.net/carlson-s-l

 

 

Being in the midst of (or between) holiday cooking and eating, of course, I need to address the issue of food, both in reality, but also in stories.

 

Throughout my books, people eat. So do unicorns and trolls. But what food do they eat, you may wonder? Would it taste delicious? Bland? Awful?  Writing/Reading about sensory experiences help to remove the reader from their reality and place the reader into the novel’s presence.

 

Here is from War Unicorn: The Ring. Aldric is our hero; Neighbor is the unicorn.

 

“Aldric, stop.”

“What?”

“Your wish did not come true.”

Aldric froze, thinking about that for a moment. He released a mighty sigh and dropped cross-legged on the ground, slapping his palms to his cheeks and elbows to his knees. Neighbor yanked more grass and chewed it. His own stomach growled. He pulled up some grass himself and chewed it, spitting it right back out.

“How you can eat that stuff?”

“Carrots taste better,” Neighbor answered.

“Maybe I should wish for carrots, then. Is that a wish that would work?”

Neighbor shook her head and neighed a laugh.

  

What memory of a taste is vivid for you? What delicious food would you wish for? For me, it’s my grandmother’s lemon meringue pie.

My grandmother made the best lemon meringue pie I have ever-ever tasted. Ever since she died, I’ve tried eating and making dozens over the years, always hoping for that precious Grandmother’s Lemon Meringue Pie Taste. Grandmother was a farmer’s wife, plump and jolly. She was not a cookbook cook. She was a cook-and-taste-it cook. So, following her death, I continue my trial-and-error quest for that most tasty memory.

 

Interesting fact: Pre-electricity/refrigeration, citrus fruits were not available year-round in history, nor, naturally, in fantasy worlds, if you follow the rule of science/nature. So what did people actually use in pies when lemons weren’t in season? In case you skimmed over the title of this post: THEY USED VINEGAR!

 

Now your first reaction is probably similar to what my first reaction was -- vinegar: ugh! But in light of having written vinegar pies into one of my historical novels, I do what I always do. I make the dish so I can taste it and then describe it better in my novels than just using my imagination; for my first imagination-thought of vinegar pie was ugh!

 

It took me about twelve tries, tweeking here, tweeking there, to come up with a vinegar pie recipe which I really, really and actually do like. And today I will share it here with you readers because I really, really and actually do like you.

 

If you are brave enough to try this recipe, let me know if you love the pie or go ugh. I’m counting on the former. Happy holidays, with wishes for tasty treats.

 

S. L. CARLSON’S VINEGAR PIE RECIPE

 3 eggs                                                  3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar                              1 stick melted butter

1 Tbsp cornstarch                                  2 Tbsp vinegar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract                             dash of nutmeg

                                1 unbaked 9" crust

 

Preheat oven to 300°. Mix eggs with butter. Add sugars and beat until

light and fluffy. Add and mix in remainder of ingredients. Pour into pie

crust. (Can add meringue.) Bake for about 75 minutes or until firm.

 

S. L. Carlson Blog & Website: https://authorslcarlson.wordpress.com

BWL Inc. Publisher Author Page: https://www.bookswelove.net/carlson-s-l

Happy National Peppermint Latte Day! ... by Diane Bator

 

Drop Dead Cowboy, Book 1 Sugarwood Mysteries

 Happy National Peppermint Latte Day!

Yes, it's for real! (https://web-holidays.com/blog/2018/11/04/national-peppermint-latte-day/) 

Did you know that there is a holiday for nearly every day of the year? I discovered that a couple years ago when one of my co-workers decided it would be fun to have something to celebrate every day. I never really put much thought into that until this year.

The world has been a tumultuous place the past 2 years. We've been locked up, had shots we never thought we'd need, and discovered sources of anxiety we never thought we'd have. Truly, who would've thought we'd be afraid to be in the same room as other people?

When I was asked to write a blog for the holidays, my first thought was Bah-humbug. What's there to celebrate? Not even the characters in the Christmas book I'm working on seemed concerned about the holiday season so why should I?

Then I discovered that anything can be a source of celebration.

Even Peppermint Lattes.

So, how does this relate to writing? Procrastination for one. I found digging into what December celebrations made the calendar a pretty steep rabbit hole to fall into. Along the path, I also found inspiration in the form of Peppermint Latte Day which resulted in two of my characters discussing murder over Christmas cookies and a latte in my newest Sugarwood Mystery, Dead Man's Doll, coming in September 2022:

Sugarwood, Ontario was known for two things:  maple syrup and our Christmas tree lighting festival that always went off with a variety of creative challenges but never failed to impress. I just hoped we didn’t end up finding a body on a bench like we had during the town’s Halloween bash. Since we had four days to go, I’d taken to crossing my fingers whenever I thought about it.

“Do you think we have enough decorations?” Merilee Rutherford, my partner both in Stitch’n’Time and crime solving, had circled November twenty-seven with a fat, red marker weeks ago.

I gazed around our craft shop. Large shiny balls hung from the ceiling, strands of garland draped over the top of every cupboard and cabinet, and a four-foot tree glistened in the front window. We’d spent hours wrapping empty boxes to pile underneath and added a few needlepoint kits, fabric swatches, and sewing kits to attract customers.

I grinned. “I think Santa would feel right at home in our workshop. All that’s missing are the milk and cookies.”

Drake, my Golden Retriever-slash-Husky raised his head.

“How about a peppermint latte and cookies,” Merilee asked. “I could run up to the bakery and grab lunch complete with dessert.”

“Santa’s going to have to bring me a whole new wardrobe at this rate.” I tucked a thumb inside the waistband of my pants. They were getting snug already and it wasn’t even December. I started to tell her to hold the latte. No way was I giving up cookies before Christmas. In the end, I kept my mouth shut.

While Merilee was gone, Drake returned his attention to the heat vent while I finished hanging one last string of lights around the inside of the front window swaying to the soft Christmas music we’d already started to play.

Outside the gloom of the day was brightened by the swirling blue and red lights from a passing police car. Since there was no way anyone could be speeding on the roads given the current conditions, I had to assume the police were on their way to an accident.

Drake got up to amble toward the door.

“Do you need to go out?” I asked.

Rather than paw at the glass, he sat and yawned.

“Good to know it’s not an emergency.”

Less than a minute later, Merilee bustled through the front door carrying a cardboard tray and a paper bag. Drake stood as a string of drool seeped from the corner of his mouth.

I laughed. “You smelled cookies. What a surprise."  

And who says a character has to celebrate a traditional holiday? 

In the writing world we do this exercise every November called Nanowrimo. A short way of saying National Novel Writing Month. One of those events that is so crazy it requires an entire month rather than a day. What normal person would set a goal to write 50,000 words in 30 days? Of course, most writers celebrate Nanowrimo starting December 1st when we hibernate for about three days to catch up on sleep and ease the cramps from our fingers!

Here's a fun thing to do. Go to https://web-holidays.com/ , find your birthdate, and see what else you can celebrate along with it. Mine is National Cavier Day among others. 

If you do check out the daily list and run out of favorite things to celebrate in December, please keep in mind this is also National Eggnog and National Fruitcake Month. 

Cheers!

Diane

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