This week, I’m planning to do some sleuthing.
What is sleuthing?
Merriam-Webster defines it this way: “to act as a detective ; search for information”.
Then yes, that’s exactly what I’ll be doing this week!
Starting Thursday, I’m participating in SleuthFest 2014 in Orlando, Florida. SleuthFest is a three-day conference for mystery writers and fans. We’ll be talking about how to put that “WOW” factor into a book and how to keep mystery writing fresh. I’m going, not only to contribute my two cents, but mostly, to search for information, or “sleuth”, about how to keep bringing you the best stories I can craft.
Guests of Honor this year include Laura Lippman, Ace Atkins, and Hank Phillippi Ryan.
Laura Lippman
Ace Atkins
Hank Phillippi Ryan
Saturday afternoon, I’ll be speaking on a panel at SleuthFest with some author friends of mine. The topic is today’s modern writing partnerships. For me, that means an emphasis on Lee Child. He, of course, created the Jack Reacher character who inspires so much of my work. Which means he and I, along with you, are all writing partners.
How so?
Every time you write to me about my books, I take your notes to heart. Your reviews, your comments here on the blog, the replies to my newsletters, the messages you send me on Facebook and Twitter and Words With Friends, and even the chats we have at cocktail parties add to and inform the stories. It’s such a privilege to write for you.
Since my participation on Saturday is a panel format, a lot of my thoughts will be improvised, but I will try to bring you a summary via blog when I return.
If you’re in the Orlando area, it’s not too late to register for SleuthFest! I would love to meet you!
And if you can’t make it, I invite you to spend some time this week thinking about what makes us good work partners now and how we can improve our partnership. Get out your magnifying glass, do some sleuthing, and let me know what you come up with.
I think it would ne so neat to sit in on such an event, Maybe not for a non writerr but it just sounds like so much fun. I love to read but I know I am not a writer, Have a great time and get more inspired to write more of those block buster novels with series in your mind, I enjoy keep up with my ‘new friends’ in series, maybe they will be my new bfs. Get more inspired!!
Doris Fodor
Was there a couple years ago. Great conference! My critique partner, Lynnette Hallberg/Austin is there with you. She’ll be right on board with your “Caffeinate” comment 🙂
Wonderful blog, Diane. Hope you have a lovely time.
Diane
CHERISH THE KNIGHT
Sounds like a great time will be had. Wish I was a writer and had the money to go. I only live 30 mins from Orlando :).
That sounds like a lot of fun, I love investigative work and love reading those types of books, always so much fun to try to figure things out. Have a ball.