Brewing up mysteries at Crime Bake 2014

Craig Johnson listens to another panelist

Craig Johnson listens to another panelist

After a twenty year wait, two decades of raising kids and working a day job, I finally attended the annual writers’ conference sponsored by Sisters in Crime, a group formed in the 1980’s to raise awareness that women mystery writers made less money than their male counterparts. Men are allowed in, of course. What fun would it be otherwise?

Crime Bake, as the event is called, was a three-day mystery writer’s dream: master classes, a guest of honor who was warm and funny and welcoming (Craig Johnson, author of the books on which TV show Longmire is based), panels with authors on topics like the publishing industry and which platform is right for you, writing short or long pieces, a practicing your pitch class and lots of books to be bought and signed by the authors who came.

Post-panel posing

Post-panel posing

There were practical components, including a chance to hone your agent pitch, then an actual five-minute block of time in which some of us pitched to one of over eight agents and editors in attendance. Five minutes isn’t long, but you have to learn how to do an “elevator pitch,” which would be exactly as long as you ride in an elevator with a producer, agent or editor you manage to corner. It was a great experience. You have to dust off and get back in the saddle. And it gave me some insight into my own novel in progress: things I need to decide, like who are the “stars” of the book out of an ensemble of characters.

Thankfully no real bodies

Thankfully no real bodies

And the kicker was a crime scene, set up by experts in police investigation and forensics. We had all day Saturday to visit the room as many times as we wanted, take notes on the details of the scene and on Sunday the experts gave a panel on the outcome. It was based on an actual case the two had worked a few years before.

Whodunnit?

Whodunnit?

I’ll build in the time and money for these conferences for keeps now. Once you’re published, and my beer book counts, the expenses should be tax deductible (check with your accountant), and the amount of networking I did made it all worthwhile. If you write mysteries, check out Sisters in Crime.

(www.sistersincrime.org)

Kate Cone

About Kate Cone

Kate Cone has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, is a freelance writer and the author of "What's Brewing in New England: A Guide to Brewpubs and Microbreweries," published by Downeast Publications in 1997 and completely updated in 2016. She has been a foodie since age 8, when her dad taught her how to make coffee and an omelet, lifelong skills for happy eating.