The Mystery Behind Writing Mysteries

By

Taylor Elizondo

A good mystery will leave you guessing. Often when you read a puzzling novel you are left wondering what is going to happen next. You never want to put the book down. But what if you want to write a mystery novel of your own? There are many ideas that would benefit you in writing a novel, and I have broken them down into five steps.

First, start your story off with a BANG! When starting your novel, there is always a worry that you have enough information for the reader so that when they are reading your novel, they understand what is going on throughout the story. You need to make sure that it all flows together, and it is cohesive. When someone is reading a good mystery novel, they want something that makes the book tense, so when you are writing your novel make sure that it is suspenseful; you want your readers on the edge of their seats and left to wonder. For example, you can create a villain, be unpredictable, and apply pressure to the situation at hand. This is what draws them in and keeps them captivated while reading. Because who’s going to read a mystery novel if they are able to figure out what is going to happen before it even happens? If you start a mystery off with a huge problem that keeps snowballing, the reader will be more inclined to keep reading in order to find out what is really going on. Readers want to be able to peel back the layers.

Second, the more imagery, the stronger your novel will be. You want the book to come to life. From the color of the leaves on the trees to how the sand feels in between a character’s toes. You want them to feel like they are living right beside the characters inside the pages. When someone is reading your book, they want to feel like they have stepped right into the middle of it. With as much description as possible, you can easily achieve this goal.

Third, give your character a story! The main character is the person that the reader is following throughout your novel. In a good mystery, the main character is usually the person who is trying to solve the conundrum at hand. Depending on what age range you are trying to reach, make the main character the person who you know will speak to that group of people. You always want the main character to have something that a group of people will be able to relate with. This will help the reader keep reading. For example, in the Harry Potter books, J.K. Rowling made sure that you knew every little detail about Harry all the way down to the lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead and his broken glasses held together with tape in the middle.

Fourth, try to contrast suspense with something that is funny. When you use humor to counter the suspense, it brings another aspect to a story that might otherwise be flat. Sometimes humor can even make a tale darker than it was before. Sometimes making light of the situation that the characters are in lets you see into their world. Humor is a great way to change up the action. Think about it. When your life feels like it is in a downward spiral, what is one way that you can counter it? You make light of your situation. This is our defense mechanism. Doing this helps you feel a little bit better even for just that moment. The main character of your novel is feeling that same tension. Adding some humor can help make the story seem more realistic.

Fifth, avoid cliché plotlines! There are many clichés when you are writing a mystery. It’s always easier, for instance, to have the murderer be someone who the deceased knew. In the movie “The Lovely Bones,” Susie Salmon was abducted by next-door neighbor George Harvey. This could be seen as cliché. Think outside of the box. In the end there is always a worry that your story is like someone else’s. The best way to avoid this problem is to do something different that will set your work apart. Sure, it might be scary to go against the grain—however, the payoff will be great in the end.

For more tips on writing mysteries, check out the Writer's Digest website for a list of helpful articles. 

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Taylor Elizondo is a senior at Calumet College of St. Joseph. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Growing up she has always been drawn to mystery novels. Today, when she isn’t playing softball for the college team, she spends her free time writing her own mystery short stories. She hopes to graduate from CCSJ with a degree in Communications with a concentration in Public Relations.

Writers Can Use Their Voices to Change the World

By

Anthony Delvalle

Today, more and more powerful writers are needed. Not just any powerful writers but writers who are willing to make a change in people’s lives by writing on issues, disadvantages, advantages, and accomplishments that happen in communities that collect negativity. If they’re not the ones fighting for change, then they could be the ones writing to support those who are on the front line. The world we are living in is only getting worse with depression, pregnancies, gang activities, dropouts, killings and more. As much as we witness in our surroundings, many writers never really give it attention to try and change the matter. It’s on the news every day, which is 90% negative. Where is the positive?

We need writers! Writers who want to help others reveal their talents and show people’s ideas and creativity. Basically, the people who want to better themselves need connections, but who are going to be their connections? That’s where writers take their part and go as far as they can with the career of writing. It begins with graduating high school and, most importantly, getting into college to become journalists, book writers, or even photographers to better get their points across. It will make it easier to help gain the attention of members in the community.

As journalists, writers speak about the community people live in and what needs to improve, such as more policemen needed in the neighborhoods because of gang-related violence or drugs. Interviewing people living in an area like that and writing on it can help pass the word of what’s needed. Simply explaining stories based on people’s lives and what they’ve gone or are going through living in their area can accomplish this.

Other than reporting about the bad in communities, writers should show love to the individuals that completed school or made programs for youth to attend or to churches hosting events to bring the public in. They need to let the world know more about the good so people all over the world can use those ideas in their communities. If they see a big giveaway of canned goods or clothing or whatever is in need that people don’t have, that can spark a light in others around the world. Putting something like that in a magazine can catch someone’s eye.

It can go as far as being a free tutor to young teens who want a career in writing. Even holding sessions after school to edit papers and give one on one advice that most teachers don’t have time for during class. Not only to young teens but even to college students who don’t have the time to go to tutoring at their school. Emailing a writer with experience is okay, too. Not just about homework but with résumés that someone needs help putting together.

It’s all about sacrifice and showing support to citizens who want to make a change in their lives or just better themselves no matter what their age. It’s not an easy job for writers to get done but it’s a building block and a step of faith that’s not always just about you. It’s about your gifts making a difference in someone else’s life.

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Anthony Delvalle is a junior at Calumet College of St. Joseph. He is currently studying communications. He was born and raised in Hammond, Indiana, and grew up in church. He goes out of his way for people and loves inspiring the younger teens. He thrives to be the best he can be and wants the best for everyone.

Writing through a Lens

By

Robert Davis

Taking a picture isn't as easy as it seems.  Some people think that taking the perfect picture is picking up a camera and snapping. Great writers know that a nicely photographed picture can make a reader gravitate to your work. Photography can be one of the trickiest parts of telling a story because pictures speak to your audience. So, if your picture doesn't match the title of your publication or writing, people aren’t going to read after the title. A bad picture could dissuade a person from reading. More than likely before reading your works, an ordinary person will look for something about the story to catch the reader's eye.

As a beginning author, you must think that if you don’t have a big name in writing a lot of people aren’t going to want to read whatever you write to begin with. It has been said that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” A picture has the power to bring a piece to life. Your job is to find out how to make readers want to read what you’ve written. This can be a simple picture to illustrate what you’re going to write about. Bringing a picture to life can be quite complex though.

Many aspects go into taking a great picture to promote your masterpiece. Get creative and flirt with angles to manifest a picture that will catch even the hardest critic’s eye. Using the right angle of the sun can be critical in this instance. Lighting and angles definitely play a big part in taking a perfect still picture. The time of day, expression, and mood can affect any possible good-looking picture. For instance, did you know that many smartphones today such as the iPhone and Galaxy have features on the newer models to help you capture well-photographed pictures, such as portrait mode so authors can take extravagant face shots for the covers of their books? Professionalism is expected in every aspect of your publication.

You’re writing through a lens, and words can be misinterpreted. Knowing how to match a picture can be very helpful for readers. For example, you don’t want to write about a “happy” clown in a children's book covered in blood. Those two things don’t go together. Same thing goes for using a blurry or unprofessional picture for a serious matter.  Also, a book about anything concerning a bad outcome more than likely needs a cover photo of something dark and gloomy. You would never want to use a picture of something unintentionally blurry. Never be afraid to get nature in your photo either. Simply staying still and using the focus on your camera or your smartphone can get you the picture that you want. Looks are very important to Millennials and Generation Z. If it doesn’t look good, why bother with it?

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Robert Davis is a student at Calumet College of Saint Joseph.

The Comic Book Writing Process

By

Emily Gomez

Many comic historians would say that in 1938, when Action Comics #1 (the first appearance of Superman) was published, it marked the birth of superhero comic books. Before full-length comic books, there were short newspaper comic strips. Those short strips did not require the same amount of time, energy, and effort as a full-length comic book published by a major publisher like Marvel or DC. Comic books are now stories using years of established history and continuity that writers must take into account every time they decide to write for an existing character. Let’s go through the process that comic book writers must undertake in order to produce the perfect script.

Like all writers, comic book authors must start with an outline. They do this to organize all their ideas before starting the actual script. Writers place all of their thoughts into bullet points. After jotting down all their ideas, they can determine how many panels are needed for each point in the story. The average comic book has about 22 pages, 132 panels per issue, and 22 words, so it is very important to plan ahead before jumping into a script.

The next step is to write out all of the action, dialogue, and key elements that will be needed for each panel. It is important to be as detailed as possible so that when the artist receives the script, they know exactly how to illustrate the writer’s vision. Communication between the writer and the artist is important because without it a story can be taken into a completely different direction. 

A famous example of this is from Avengers #213, where the character Hank Pym (also known as Yellow Jacket at the time) is seen hitting his wife Janet Van Dyne. This was, of course seen as very controversial and tainted the way readers looked at Hank. The writer of the comic, Jim Shooter, addressed this issue in 2011 on his blog by stating, “In that story (issue 213, I think), there is a scene in which Hank is supposed to have accidentally struck Jan while throwing his hands up in despair and frustration—making a sort of ‘get away from me’ gesture while not looking at her.  Bob Hall, who had been taught by John Buscema to always go for the most extreme action, turned that into a right cross!  There was no time to have it redrawn, which, to this day has caused the tragic story of Hank Pym to be known as the ‘wife-beater’ story.” 

If you are writing for an already established character like Spider-Man or Batman, it’s important that you have a decent knowledge of the character’s mythos. You don’t have to know everything, but it’s important to know the basics to do the character justice. Every writer can bring something new to a character while still keeping its essence. Some of these new takes on characters can have long lasting impacts on the way the general public views him or her. Frank Miller’s graphic novel “The Dark Knight Returns” is one of the most important Batman stories ever written. In the 60s, Batman was campy and goofy and the 70s brought him back to his dark roots, but Miller did this better than anyone else had with his graphic novel in 1986. In 1988, Alan Moore wrote the graphic novel “Batman: The Killing Joke,” which is considered to be the most iconic Joker story ever told. The story had a large effect on Batman’s continuity, one of the major points being the shooting and paralysis of Barbara Gordon (a.k.a. Batgirl). She went from Batgirl to Oracle, a wheelchair bound hero who is a computer expert and source of information for Batman. She used her preexisting knowledge and photographic memory to continue to assist Batman and many others in the superhero community. She would remain in a wheelchair for 22 years before she was rewritten as Batgirl once again.

Comic book writers are privileged with the task of continuing the adventures of these beloved characters. Because of this, they should be greatly respected for their fantastic contributions to comics and to literature as a whole.

_____

Emily Gomez is a junior at Calumet College of Saint Joseph. She is studying communications and when she graduates, she hopes to become an entertainment journalist. She would like to one day write for a blog, work for a TV news network, or start her own podcast.

Zombies and Demons and Ghouls Misused? Oh My!

By

Hannah Carr

Incorporating supernatural characters and elements into a story brings a darker theme. There are endless possibilities of what can be done using legends involving demons, werewolves, vampires, zombies, and ghouls.

Changing details such as abilities and characteristics in lore adds a creative twist to stories, but don’t stray too far away from the original. The farther away details get from what is known throughout the world, the riskier it becomes. However, that doesn’t mean a writer can’t get creative and add their own special touch.

Before writing a story, the first approach is to do research. Each supernatural being has its own lore. There are the basics that the majority of people know, but a good story heavily depends on the details. Without using vital information, a story can fail.

One of the most frequently used monsters is vampires. These creatures don’t require a lot of research if you’re not going too deep into the myth. The basics that normally get used for vampires are: fangs, drinking blood, deathly pale skin, and glowing red eyes.

Readers love seeing unique takes on the ancient myth, but only when they make sense. The “Twilight” book series changes specific aspects to intrigue readers. Instead of vampires turning to dust in the sun, these vampires sparkle. The change produced mixed feelings from fans. Some believed that the change fit the story while others found it cheesy.

Tweaking a few known ideas about a mythological creature isn’t always bad. Zombies are pictured as slow-moving creatures, but in the story “World War Z,” they become the opposite. The walking dead changes into the running dead. While it is a major detail, giving the zombies speed intensifies the story. These undead monsters still accurately present the ancient lore even with such a major twist, and it doesn’t distract readers from the story.

Changing the lore sometimes gives a refreshing splash, but keep in mind that a story is only as good as the details. Supernatural creatures create a special addition to stories, but only after fact checking to accurately portray the myth. A book that doesn’t incorporate specific elements might turn your readers away.

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Hannah Carr attends Calumet College of St. Joseph in Whiting, Indiana as a junior. She is the head editor for the school newspaper and a member of the Media Club. She previously worked for Sturgis Journal in Sturgis, Michigan. During the school year, Hannah competes on the cross country and track teams as a captain. Hannah intends on becoming a journalist for sports and pop culture.

Reading a Short Story through a Writer's Eyes

by

Bich Vu

A writer discerns perceptions in a way that makes one become a great storyteller. Reading the works of writers, one can develop and craft one's own perceptions for stories. There are many ways to read and comprehend a short story through a writer’s eyes.

First, one should read slowly and reread to understand the writer’s perspective. At a slow speed, you would likely grasp the writer's way of seeing and thinking about the world. You also predict how the writer brings his or her point of view into the story. With reading in this manner, you tend to possess good vision and amazing thoughts to create your own world through a writer's eyes.

Second, reading a short story through the writer’s eyes is an enjoyable and exciting way to read. Focusing on the techniques that the writer uses to communicate the message, you read deeper insights into the story. You also probably ask how those techniques affect your life as you experience the short story. With a writer’s eyes, you can confirm why and how the writer used the sentence structure and the plot in the story. You then can create from imagination and develop strong storytelling abilities. Reading short stories will help your brain develop a writing style whether the stories are from newspapers, magazines, or novels.

Third, when you read through a writer’s eyes, you attempt to answer the questions: How does the writer reveal the main idea? What types of details does the writer use? How does the writer achieve his or her purpose? How does the writer’s choice of words affect the reader? How does the writer not only use the technical conventions but also use tone, voice, place, chronology, and organization to make the story more attractive? If one can answer all these questions, one might improve knowledge and writing skills.

Fourth, you need to ask other questions when you reread the short story. You possibly might find some new experience or recall experiences from your past. In my experience in reading a short story, I enjoy reading a thrilling adventure, a remarkable discovery and a magical journey with the character in the story. Harry Potter is my favorite. A little genius boy had a fantastic journey and destroyed the dark force. When I was deep into the story, I felt those details become realistic by asking questions: What is the major conflict in Harry Potter? It seems as if I was walking into another dimension where I found beautiful images and a fascinating world.

In short, while it may be easy to comprehend a short story, knowing how to ask a good question and create an exciting story is essential. Hence, reading with a writer's eyes, you might understand more deeply by using the questions WHAT? WHY? and HOW? Understanding the writer's perspectives and styles, you will figure out the messages hidden in the story that the writer wants to convey. With great questions, you can dig deeper into the writer's style. The questions also help you to explore and connect to other characters from the stories that you read. Truly, there are many ways to read and comprehend a short story through a writer’s eyes. 

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Bich Vu is a senior at Calumet College who came from Dong Nai, Viet Nam. She will graduate from Calumet College of St. Joseph with a degree in English Creative Writing in December 2018. She wants to make a meaningful contribution with her critical, analytical and creative writing skills.

Overcoming Overwriting: The Art of Consolidating Thoughts

by

Kellyn Vale

We’ve all been there, writing a piece, drilling down thoughts as quickly as our brains will allow. Each idea seems more profound than the next until suddenly we come out of our creative haze and realize our 500-word short story has evolved into a 10-page jumble of words!

As creative writers, it can be difficult to tame all the ideas fighting to get out of our heads. There are countless ways to approach even one topic, and if you’re like me, you get personally attached to your sentences on an emotional level. You’ve created them from nothing, you see such potential for them, you desperately want them all to work, yet you have to cut something out! These can be some of the toughest times for us writers, but no need to fear! Here’s a process you could try to deal with those heart-wrenching moments when you have to *gasp* condense your precious thoughts.

Step 1: Make an Outline

Creating a basic outline of your piece before you write can help you stay on track by immediately pointing out the major details you want to focus on. It gets the wheels turning in your brain, and once you clearly identify the points you need to get across, your subconscious will already naturally be focusing on those when you begin your writing phase.

Step 2: Write Everything Out (and I mean EVERYTHING!)

When writing your piece, put every single thought you have on paper; don’t overthink it, just let it flow and blast words onto the page until you’ve drained your brain of all ideas related to your piece – key words being “related to the piece.” You want your thoughts to flow, but you also want to keep them on topic. I call this an “Objective Subject Word Splurge.” This step is similar to freewriting, but with slightly more direction. With a free write, your train of thought may make stops on several different topics. For example, you may begin free writing about experiences in nature, then shift your thoughts to forests, then to rivers, then to bodies of water, then the ocean, then the beach, then summer . . . and before you know it your mind went from nature to eating a popsicle in the sand and the content of the piece falls apart. With a free write you’re just a passenger riding the train of thought, whereas with a subject splurge you’re the conductor.

Step 3: Revise and Reread: Chop ‘til You Drop!

This probably sounds like old news to you seasoned writers, but never overlook the importance of a few quality revision sessions; read it on the computer, print it out and read it, is the whole passage in line with the theme of the work as a whole? Most editing tends to take the form of hunting for grammar errors and making sure the general organization of the piece flows. When your focus is cutting down on words, however, revising has to be a little more specific. For this step, refer back to the outline you made in step one. Revisit those key ideas that you absolutely need to include, and then go over all the content you’ve written; read it out loud – do some parts stand out as outliers that don’t really belong? They don’t fit no matter how bad you might want them to, like puzzle pieces from the wrong box. Identify those, and give them the axe; if a sentence does not directly contribute to developing those key thoughts into a masterpiece, then (you guessed it) out it goes!

Step 4: SAVE THE PASSAGES YOU CUT!

Chopping words and sentences out of your piece doesn’t mean you have to throw them in the metaphorical fire and lose them forever! After identifying what needs to go, don’t just delete it and never see it again, cut and paste it into a new document or folder and come back to it later; if it’s really that good of a thought, you’ll come back to it and create a whole new masterpiece of words, I guarantee it. Maybe even something you never imagined would come from its original purpose!

For many writers, consolidation is a brutal process. However, if you approach it with an open mind and positive outlook, it can feel cleansing and leave us feeling lighter at the end of the day; don’t be afraid to cut things out, it could benefit you more in the end.

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Kellyn Vale is a 22 year old student at Calumet College of St. Joseph. She has a passion for running, coffee, and writing. Kellyn is currently working as a New Media Journalist for Ideas in Motion Media and plans to continue to incorporate writing into her future career.

Inspire Creative Writing by Creating Art

by

Shelbey Collins

INTRODUCTORY NOTE: IWC thanks Professor Janine Harrison and the students in her Editing class at Calumet College of St. Joseph in Whiting, Indiana, for providing the posts to round out the final year of the IWC blog. Here is the first one.

Writing ideas can be sparked by almost anything, but working in an illustrated journal is my favorite way to get my creative juices flowing. An illustrated journal is the art of daily life, a workshop for ideas, and a practice of attention and creativity. Creating a journal can help you balance self-reflection, creation, an exercise for the mind. Just like a normal notebook or journal, an illustrated journal is a great way to write down ideas, feelings, and stories. However, an illustrated journal takes your creativity a little further. Every journal is unique; some journalists draw with markers or pencils, some paint with watercolors and acrylics, some even make collages out of scraps of newspaper articles or old photos. Some of my favorite ways to get an idea for the next page in my journal is by listening to music or taking a walk outside. Anything can be turned into art, and the act of creating it will help spark even more ideas; some that might even aid in your writing. It doesn’t matter how you artistically depict your thoughts, just the act of expanding your mind and looking at ideas in a different way can help spark a new creative side to yourself that you can implement in your writing.

The thing is, as writers we sit and ponder, racking our brains for something new and inspiring to write. But this can put us all in what many people call “a writer's block.”  Starting a journal filled with colors, ideas and photos is a way to let your creative side prosper. According to “Artist network,” “Art journals open doors to our unique brands of creativity as places to plan, dream, respond to something that catches our eye and process the events in our lives.” This is a way to “Trace your creative path.”

You don’t have to be an amazing artist. Heck, you can be terrible! This illustrated journal is for you, and you alone. Hear a poem you like, draw the picture you see in your mind when reading it. Find a news article, cut it out and paste it in! There are no limits to an illustrated journal, and that is exactly why it the perfect way for creative writers to expand and see their thoughts on paper but in the form of art!

I have included some of my own journal pages. Most of these were illustrated after I had read a poem or seen a piece of artwork that I loved.

Inspired by Fiddler Jones excerpt from Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology.

"Whatever it was I lost, whatever I wept for

Was a wild, gentle thing, the small dark eyes

Loving me in secret" -- "Milkweed" by James Wright

Drawn after an English professor referred me to the poem 

"Not Waving but Drowning" by Stevie Smith because he noticed 

that I always seemed panicked whenever I raised my hand for a question.

A rendition of Monet's Water Lily series 1897-1899.

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Shelbey Collins is a junior English major specializing in both creative writing and communications. Shelbey enjoys dancing, journaling and spending time with family and friends. Shelbey hopes her love of writing, travel and art can lead her down a path to a future career in travel journalism.

A Grand Way to End It

On October 27, Indiana Writers’ Consortium held its fifth—and last—Steel Pen Creative Writers’ Conference. But it was a grand way to end it.

Unfortunately, IWC is closing down on December 31 because it can’t generate enough funds or volunteer hours to continue. The January 2, 2019 blog post will provide more information in a tribute to ten great years, but this post is a celebration of a conference that was almost perfect.

The day began with continental breakfast and a panel on writing science fiction and fantasy. Lunch was a filling sandwich buffet and an entertaining and inspirational speech by Michael Poore, or rather by Emily Dickinson. It ended with a cocktail hour with a wide selection of appetizers and a costume contest. If you get the impression that we like to eat, you got it right.

The rest of the day contained five breakout sessions with two choices at each. Agent Kaitlyn Johnson and two other writers also provided critiques.

It was a great day of learning and networking, but the most fun came at the end with the costume contest. The MC (Edgar Allan Poe) didn’t participate, nor did our keynote speaker Emily Dickinson. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo before she shed her wig, but the next photo shows everything else. Emily was accompanied by two of her poems in their own costumes as Death and Hope, but I didn’t get pictures of them, either.

Laura Ingalls Wilder (Juliana Clayton) won the female literary figure category, and the Mad Hatter (Grant Fitch) won the literary character category and the grand prize. There were no entrants in the male literary figure category, so that $20 Amazon gift card went to Louisa May Alcott (Mariah Julio), who was the third highest vote getter. The next photo shows these three winners.

Personally, I wonder if Juliana Clayton wasn’t the smartest of them all. The costume works for Laura Ingalls Wilder in her younger days, but when I first saw her I thought of Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables, who would have been in the literary character category. I should have asked Juliana if she originally came as Anne but changed her mind when she saw the competition she was up against. If that’s what happened, it was a brilliant move. After all, would you want to compete against the Mad Hatter?

Here are a few more pictures from a really great conference.

How to Get the Most Out of a Writers' Conference

With the 2018 Steel Pen Creative Writers’ Conference a week and a half away, we don’t have any time to write new blog posts. Instead, we are reprinting one from September 27, 2017 with minor modifications.

Registration for this year’s conference is already closed, but the suggestions in this post apply to any writers’ conference, not just ours. So whether you are signed up for the 2018 Steel Pen conference or considering attending a different one, this advice is for you.

What can you get from a writers’ conference, and how do you make the best use of your time? Here are some tips based on the Steel Pen Conference Committee members’ experiences.

1.     Prepare before you go.

a.      Research the presenters as well as reading the breakout session descriptions, then rank your choices. Unfortunately, you may arrive at the conference to discover that your top choices conflict. But if you have ranked them in advance, your decision will be easy even if it isn’t happy.

b.     If a conference offers pitch sessions with editors and agents, you should look at their websites and review the types of books they accept before deciding to pitch them. If an editor or agent specializes in adult science fiction and you write children’s picture books, you will be wasting your time and theirs. That said, there are a few conferences where editors and agents are there to mentor as well as to acquire. If they offer critiques, for example, you may benefit even when you talk to someone outside your genre. But if you have a choice, you still want to choose the person most familiar with the type of manuscripts you write. 

c.      Make sure you have plenty of business cards with contact information on them. If you are worried about giving out personal information, leave off your home address and just include an email address, your website if you have one, and preferably a telephone number. If you have a published book, you should also take promotional bookmarks or postcards.

2.     Know what you want to accomplish at the conference, but keep your expectations realistic and your goals flexible. You may go to learn about writing memoirs and come away with a great idea for a murder mystery. Or you may hope to sell a book but meet the perfect critique partner instead. Few writers sell their first book at a conference, but many develop relationships that eventually lead there.

3.     Take notes at the sessions you attend. The notes probably won’t be as extensive as the ones you took in your high school or college classes, but if somebody says something that gives you an “ah-hah” moment, write it down. Steel Pen will give you a notepad and a pen, but that may not be true at other conferences. If you don’t know, take your own. And even if note-taking materials are provided, you may prefer your favorite portfolio and lucky pen.

4.     While the rules about session attendance vary from conference to conference, if the conference allows movement between classes (and Steel Pen does), don’t feel bound to spend the entire breakout session in the same room. If your top choices conflict, maybe you’ll want to spend some time in each. Or if that session on flash fiction reiterates information you already know, it is not disrespectful to leave (quietly) and head down the hall to the session on poetry where you may learn something new.

5.     Whether or not the conference offers pitching sessions, it helps if you can describe what you are working on or trying to sell in one to three sentences. If someone asks you—and they will—about your current project, they are looking for a thumbnail sketch, not a dissertation. They can always ask for more details if they want them.

6.     Part of the value of conferences comes from what the business world calls “networking” but is more accurately described as developing relationships. Writers tend to be introverts, and conferences are a good time to meet new people—if you make the effort. Even if you don’t meet an agent or editor who is interested in your book, you may find a new critique partner or meet somebody who has experienced the good and bad of hiring book cover designers and is willing to pass on that knowledge. But don’t lead off an informal conversation by talking about yourself. Ask about their current project or expertise or what they expect to get from the conference. At some point they will ask you the same question, and then it’s your turn.

7.     If the conference offers pitching sessions with editors and agents, however, you will begin those sessions by talking about your book.  The special rules for pitching sessions deserve their own blog post. Since Steel Pen doesn’t offer them, this tip covers only the highlights.

a.      Don’t pitch a book that you haven’t already written and rewritten and polished. There are some exceptions for nonfiction and experienced writers but none for beginning novelists.

b.     As noted above, research the editors and agents in advance and don’t waste their time, and yours, by pitching somebody who doesn’t handle your genre.

c.      Unless asked, limit your pitching to the pitching sessions. At other times, wait until an editor or agent asks what you are working on or selling. And give editors and agents some room. Don’t corner them or follow them into the bathroom. They may remember you, all right, but only as someone to avoid.

8.     The last and most important tip is to relax and enjoy the conference. Writers’ conferences seldom make or break careers, but they can open doors.

Exploring New Worlds

Join us on October 27 for a panel titled “Journey into Strangeness: An Exploration of Science Fiction/Fantasy Literature – Past, Present, and New Frontiers.” The panel will be one of many highlights at the day-long 2018 Steel Pen Creative Writers’ Conference, which will be held on October 27 at Fair Oaks Farms just north of Rensselaer, Indiana.

The panel is moderated by Janine Harrison and features Michael Poore, Marilyn Kosmatka, and Carla Lee Suson. These sci-fi/fantasy writers will discuss the ever-evolving relationship of sci-fi/fantasy and mainstream literature, world building, content trends, character diversity, genre bending, game-changing online publication and promotion, working with publishers, and more.

Here are some interesting facts about each of the panelists.

·       Michael Poore is the author of Up Jumps the Devil and Reincarnation Blues. While his two novels could be classified as humorous fantasy, he has also been published in The Year’s Best Science Fiction. Poore is the keynote speaker for this year’s conference.

·       Marilyn Kosmatka’s novel Time Spike was written in collaboration with Eric Flint. It is a time travel story that makes use of Kosmatka’s experience as a prison nurse.    

·       Carla Suson’s first book, Independence Day Plague, also makes use of a non-writing background, but hers is in cellular biology. These days she teaches English composition at a local university and sculpts tales of ghosts, murder, and mayhem.

·       Moderator Janine Harrison is a creative writing instructor and a poet. She is a past president of the Indiana Writers’ Consortium and established the first Steel Pen conference in 2015.

This is a panel you won’t want to miss. Go to www.steelpenconference.org to learn more and to register for the conference.

Registration closes on October 15, so don’t miss out.

A Place to Buy Books

Most writers think of conferences as places to learn and to network, but some are also great places to buy books. Consider the 2018 Steel Pen Creative Writers’ Conference, which will be held on October 27 at Fair Oaks Farms just north of Rensselaer, Indiana. The conference bookstore has a large variety of books written by faculty and other attendees.

This year the bookstore will be highlighting Keynote Speaker Michael Poore’s two novels, and he will be signing them during the cocktail hour at the end of the conference. Told with his own brand of humor, Poore’s debut novel, Up Jumps the Devil, portrays Satan as a protagonist with very human emotions. His second, Reincarnation Blues, tells the story of a man who has been reincarnated 9,995 times and has just five more chances to earn a place in the cosmic soul or face oblivion. Both books are very funny reads.

So what other types of books will be for sale this year?

For younger readers (and the young at heart), the bookstore will carry everything from picture books through YA. For adults, the offerings include mysteries, science fiction/fantasy, memoir, poetry, and books for writers.

Conference registration allows you to take advantage of the conference bookstore as buyer, seller, or both. If you have not yet signed up for the conference, you can do so at www.steelpenconference.org. And after you register, you can consign your books to the bookstore using the form found near the bottom of the same page. If you haven’t made up your mind yet, the website is also the place to find more information. But do it soon, because registration for both the conference and the bookstore closes on October 15.

Come to Steel Pen to improve your craft and for the networking, but take advantage of the bookstore as well.

We hope to see you on October 27.

__________

The picture shows the bookstore tables from last year’s conference.