CONFERENCES & CONTESTS - Sleuths Ink Workshop

NOTE from my desk: While I have not attended most of the conferences I showcase, I have heard excellent comments regarding their offerings. Please check their website thoroughly and if you have any questions, use the contact information on their page.

If you attend any of the conferences or enter the contests I list, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please share your review in the comments section of that conference's post.

Know of a great conference you'd like me to share? Please use the contact form on the right to drop me a note.

Thank you!

Today, I've asked Tierney James to stop by today to answer a few questions regarding the workshop.

Thanks for taking us a bit behind the scenes of the Sleuth's Ink Workshop.

1 – You have an excellent line-up of speakers. Lori Copeland as a keynote is a great way to kick off the event. Why Lori in particular?

Lori is a seasoned writer/author who has seen trends in the publishing industry come and go. She knows how to adjust to the market, whether it is a traditional house or transitioning to the now popular “indie” route. She has received success over many years and has even broken into the television market with one of her books being made into a Hallmark movie. 

2 – Most would think that a mystery writing group would have more genre-specific topics for the workshop, yet with the exception of a couple of breakout sessions, SI seems to be focusing on mechanics. How did the content decision come about?

After attending a variety of writing conferences, sitting in on critique groups, and judging contests, it became clear there is a need for the mechanics of writing. Just because you write words doesn’t make you a good writer. There needs to be a lot of fine tuning to get it right. Most of us just aren’t aware there is a right and wrong way to create stories. There are rules of grammar, punctuation, genre, etc.

3 – Sometimes having two workshops scheduled for the same time slot makes it hard to choose which one to attend and which one to hope a friend is taking good notes.  I see some workshops are scheduled twice. Is this to allow others to not miss something in the rotation?

Absolutely! There will be a lot of good ideas and time is short. By scheduling some sessions more than once, writers don’t have to worry about missing something that could add that spark they’ve been looking to push them ahead.

4 – How did you select your other speakers?

 Some of the Sleuths’ members searched their own bank of talent and formed a committee to see who might be interested in taking this project on in hopes of inspiring new writers and reminding not-so-new authors of their own greatness. As it turned out our group had a lot of tips and tricks to share.

5 – What do you hope attendees will take with them from the workshop?

My hope is that they will see the road ahead of them filled with possibilities, not potholes. Attending a one-day conference or workshop is a sure-fire way to ignite the fires of the imagination. We also can’t wait to meet new writers who want a support group and can add a little pizzazz to Sleuths’ Ink. 

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Angela Drake - The Chosen Path

For the past few weeks, I've been talking about jumping on the indi-publishing train. I'm anxious about this new path as well as excited for the journey.

I told you yesterday I was making adjustments to my writing space so that I could be more productive. A specific space is mandatory for me to switch my mental gears from the day job writing, to the words I need to put on paper in able to become a published author.

Aside from putting my office space in order, I'm setting goals towards getting A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER into the hands of my readers - hopefully in time for the holiday season. Because the story takes place in Eureka Springs AR, I 'd love to have the book ready for sale by the time I attend the Ozark Creative Writers Conference in October.  Since this is my first indi and there's a learning curve to doing all that needs done, I'm not sure I can make the timeline. But until I actually put a the project on paper, I won't know for sure if I can make that goal. I'll let you know on Friday how I'm progressing.

In the meantime, tomorrow I'm sharing information about a great one-day workshop in Springfield Missouri. I've interviewed one of the coordinators, Tierney James. She'll be sharing what went in to planning the workshop and what they hope the attendees will take away from the educational day.

WHODUNNIT? Contest - Sponsored by Sleuth's Ink Mystery Writers

Do you like a little Mystery and Suspense with your Romance? Or do you just like to write Mystery? Either way, I have the perfect contest for you!

Join the ranks of mystery writers and try your hand at writing a mini-mystery. If you've never written this genre, we suggest you read Woman’s World magazine, which publishes a new mystery weekly. The mysteries are located near the back, are always 700 words, and a solution is provided.

These mysteries are fun and interactive. And who doesn’t like to solve a whodunnit? Put on a Columbo trench coat and try your hand at this genre.


Guidelines and Word Count:
Simply write a short "solve-it-yourself" mystery of 700 words. That count must include the narrative and the solution. Stories should be fun and entertaining with an ending that challenges to the reader to figure out whodunnit or howdunnit.

Submission information:
Send your entry to Sleuthsink95 [at] gmail (dot) com.
Write "Contest Submission" in the subject line.

Payment information:
Include a $5 entry fee per entry. (You may enter as many times as you want, but you’ll need to mail $5 for each entry.)

Mail your entry fee to:
Stephanie Jarkins
Sleuths' Ink Treasurer
6911 N. 23rd Street
Ozark, MO 65721


You will receive a confirmation once we’ve received your entry and your fee.

Cash Prizes for first, second and third place winners.

Additionally, all entries will receive feedback by at least two published WW authors! What have you got to lose?

Deadline: May 31, 2014 (winners will be announced in early July)

Note: This is a contest sponsored by Sleuths' Ink Mystery Writers, and has no affiliation with Woman’s World Magazine. We do, however, encourage you to submit your finished story to WW. Remember, you are eligible to win cash prizes, plus your stories will be judged and critiqued by at least two published Woman’s World authors.


Questions? Email us at Sleuthsink95 [at] gmail (dot) com and good luck!

Post Nano

Okay, my Nano was a complete wash as far as workable word count is considered. All I managed was to get a grasp on what the book needs to be about (aside from The Wild Rose Press guidelines for HonkyTonk Hearts), who the players are and what's at stake for each one. Oh yeah, and I proved I am definitely an outline kind of gal.

I think I'm a throwback from members of my family who were all truck drivers. Dad, retired after many years on the road, taught me at a young age how to read a road map. Two of my older brothers and an older sister all drove truck at some point in their lives. Being an over the road trucker (before GPS) meant knowing how to get from point A to point B and in the shortest amount of time. On the road, making delivery deadlines, like any other deadline, is critical to making sure everyone gets paid.

I am a planner. I need to know where I'm going, how I'm going to get there and if there are alternate routes should I need them. My road map stays tucked into the back of my driver's seat at all times just in case (though I have given in to using hubby's GPS when I go to Nashville). As a planner, I need to know all of those things about a book before I can write it. That's what I did for Nano.

I take December off from writing. December is my time to close out one year and prep for another. It's the only way I can manage all of the projects I have going on 24/7. But come January 1, 2012 while the rest of the world is recuperating from festivities and celebrations, I'll be participating in JANO with my local writers group, Sleuths Ink. We do things only slightly different than the big NANO group.

1) we still have to write 50k in NEW WORDS

2) we can work on an existing project AS LONG AS IT'S NEW WORDS

3) member privileges allows for some of us to do a collection of short stories - totaling 50,00 min.

4) we have an extra day to write. That 1 extra day can make a difference

5) members who write 50k + also go into a drawing for a Kindle at the end of the year.

So yeah, I'm gearing up for January 1st. Anyone is welcome to play. But joining Sleuth's does have a couple of advantages. :-)

Wanna play?