Crime Wave; the Roundtable Way!

Crime Wave in Portland, Maine, like any good mystery, has a good ole twist this year.

Festivities start off on Friday, September 26^th, at 4:00 with a special guided tour at the Maine Historical Society for the special exhibit, Notorious: Maine Crime in the Public Eye, 1690-1940. Get a chance to experience Maine’s fascination with true crime through history from early American printing to the dawn of photojournalism, public consumption, and the social impact of high-profile Maine Crimes. More Info.

This amazing road trip through the history of Maine Crime will be followed by Noir at Novel. Fellow Maine Crime Writer, Gabi Stiteler has put together an amazing cast of literary legends reading five-minute snippets of their work. This will take place in the very speakeasy vibe of the basement space at Novel in Portland.

The doors to Noir at Novel will open at 6:30 to grab a cocktail, share some gab, and prepare yourself for a night of chills, laughs, twists, and moral ambiguity. Maine Crime Writer Jule Selbo and I will host an incredible array of talent of cynical protagonists set in gritty and dark settings from the city streets to the north woods. Lit legends sharing their work will include Brenda Buchanan, Richard Cass, Bruce Robert Coffin, Paul Doiron, Mo Drammeh, Julia Spencer Fleming, Kate Flora, Chris Holm, Barbara Ross, Gabriela Stiteler, and Katie York. Wow. Just wow. More Info.

And then comes the Crime Wave Roundtables. The format this year is something… novel this year. Instead of panels where authors speak at you, we are going to make connections by having a series of round table discussions. There will be an ‘expert’ at each table to moderate and move the conversation along, but it will be a much more immersive and interactive experience this year. Crime connections will be made.

More Info on Experts.

The day will start with Speed Connections. This will give people an opportunity to meet a variety of other attendees. Published writers, those working the first draft or looking for a publisher, and readers, will all get a chance to mingle in an organized fashion.

Then, we will have the first session of roundtable conversations. The first theme will be Playing the Long Game and topics at the various tables will include Building an Addictive Series; One & Done: Writing Standout Standalones; Twists & Turns: Committing the Perfect Short Story; Choose Your Weapons: Writing Tools, Research, and Resources; Getting It Done: Planning, Outlining, or None of the Above; First Drafts That Kill; No Loose Ends: Revision Tactics; and The Blueprint for Murder: Crime Novel Structures.

After a short break, session number two will begin, The Business of Crime Writing 101with the following topics: The Path to Traditional Publishing; Hybrid & Self-Publishing; Bring Your Book to Screen: Options; Short Stories: Characteristics, Markets, and Submissions; Online Marketing: Websites & Social Media; Talks, Events, and Conferences; and Mid-Career Blahs: Changing Agents or Publishers.

After lunch and Two Minutes in the Slammer, Julia Spencer Fleming will host this year’s CRIME MASTER, Paul Doiron. This promises to be an exhilarating conversation between two masters of the craft as they discuss the finer points of writing bestselling mysteries.

The final round table session of the day will follow, Many Rooms in the Mansion, about subgenres. Conversations will include: The Call from Inside the House: Domestic Thrillers & Romantic Suspense; The World at Risk: High Stakes Thrillers; Professional Sleuths; Amateur Sleuths, Cozies, Traditional Mysteries; Out of this World: Paranormal/Supernatural; Younger Readers: YA/Middle Grade/Children’s; and Plumbing the Past: Historical; True Crime.

Each roundtable session will also offer a specific workshop breakout session. The first one will be offered by me on The Six Hats a Writer Must Wear, or the many jobs that they must be accomplished at, from ideas, to research, to writing, to editing, to marketing, and finally promoting.

The second workout breakout session will have Barbara Kelly talking about How Not to Do a Book Reading. This is most certainly one of the six hats that a writer must do, and do well, to build their brand, increase their sales, and get people reading their books.

The third workshop, in the afternoon, will be The Doctor is In, with instructors Gayle Lynds and Gabi Stiteler.

More Info on the Workshops.

The conference will end up with a wild, free-wheeling, melee of an author panel with a panel riffing on just about everything in the writing world moderated by Brenda Buchanan.

More Info on the Schedule.

That is a day of it. Come check it out. Write on!