Monday, November 14, 2005
No burnt offerings at Crime Bake
Agents, Editors and Publishers pose for the camera after their panel discussion, "The Face of the Industry".
A recipe for a two-day event that is inspiring, challenging and downright fun.
- Gather a large portion of healthy (and some unhealthy) New England mystery writers, a heaping of editors, agents and publishers and add them into a ballroom sized container.
- Add a dash of skip tracer, a touch of FBI agent and a hint of CIA experience.
- Mix them together and allow to marinate over breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- Arrange in fascinating topics, such as: writing thrillers; professional detectives get their game face on; regular folks as amateur sleuths; how to disappear; a day in the life of an FBI agent, and everyone's favorite; writing sex and violence.
- Add the bonding agent: interaction with round tables and book signing.
- Top with the creative process live: real time novel writing.
- Decorate with headline authors like Tess Geritssen, Jeremiah Healy, and Linda Barnes.
- Dust with Hollywood movie authors or New York Times Best Sellers, Peter Abrahams, Joseph Finder, Lisa Gardner, Chuck Hogan.
- Serve with an optional side of 'pitch to an editor, agent or publisher'.
If you are a good cook, the result will be an event as superbly organized and entertaining as Crime Bake 2005 served up by the New England Chapter's of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. Co-Chairs Lynne Heitman and Dana Cameron did an excellent job, stirring the pot and occasionally the plot line to create a welcoming dish for all tastes.
The annual event, a must for any reader or writer of mystery fiction, contained enough facts and tips to fill a reporter's notebook.
Give away items from sponsoring magazines, neatly housed in a canvas carry bag complete with handcuffed lobster motive, ensured the party continues long after the main event has ended.
Complaints, a few were heard, mostly to do with food or drink; too much vegetarian fair and coffe too cold and not enough. However, despite the conference title, this weekend was about mystery writing not gourmet cooking.
The staff of Kate's Mystery Books did a great job keeping up with demand, even under the pressure of hand writing both receipts and credit card slips. Things got easier after an emergency PA announcement, "is there a calculator in the house", enabled faster addition.
My only complaint; the canvas tote bag was nowhere near big enough to carry away the dozen books I bought that are now sitting waiting for me to stop writing and start reading.
