KAREN O’DOWD
Contributing Writer
odowd@lbknews.com
Sarasota author Suzanne Beecher produces a blog and DearReader.com, which offers five-minute reads from 12 book genres, delivered to your e-mail daily.
Most often we Floridians are interested in learning ways to lean back, relax, and reduce stress and tension. But this weekend more than 100 aspiring writers, authors and fans gathered at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Sarasota to find ways to heighten tension and keep both Florida and global readers sitting on the edge of their chairs, turning pages in the thrillers they hope to publish.
“Mystery Florida, A Conference to Die For!” aims to help writers keep their readers sweating. This year’s attendees’ lucky day began Friday the 13th this August, and the conference continued to draw their undivided attention throughout the second full day of the conference. Published authors shared their secrets, agents and scouts outlined formulas for success, and publicists talked about touting finished works throughout the two-day conference.
The technical aspect of mystery writing was not overlooked. A lineup of True Crime Investigators from the Sarasota area presented “just the facts” as seen through the eyes of crime investigation professionals, rather than the fictitious scenarios we see in the movies or on television. The forensic specialists say the “CSI Effect” creates unrealistic expectations in solving real homicides.
“Crimes can’t be solved instantaneously,” said Dave Street, special agent of the FBI, citing the fact that DNA can’t be run through a state lab in an hour. “It has to go to Quantico, Va., and can take weeks.”
Dr. Russell Vega, the District 12 medical examiner, said, “The only exception to pinpointing the exact time of death is if a dead person has a pacemaker or defibrillator—you’ll know the exact time of flat line.”
Mystery writer Lisa Black, a forensic scientist with the Cape Coral Police Department, says a Citizens Police Academy is a great source of information for local mystery writers. There is also an FBI Citizens Academy that has an eight-week course in Tampa with demonstrations, and includes a tour of FBI facilities in Washington, D.C., and Quantico.
The panel also included Mike Gorn, forensic supervisor of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, and Lt. Skip Wood of the Sarasota Sheriff’s Department Homicide Unit. Mystery writer Lt. James Forrest was the moderator.
Advice about whether to outline or just sit down and start writing your mystery or novel varied with each author. “Put yourself in a chair and write,” was the unanimous piece of advice for aspiring authors.
“Discipline is the biggest thing. If you’re driven, you will write. Sit down and do it every day,” said New Jersey author Mary Jane Clark.
Presenters ranged from a young mother, Lisa Unger, who currently has a book on the N.Y. Times best seller list, to Sarasota resident Noreen Wald, a.k.a. Nora Charles, who received her first royalty check the same year she received her first Social Security check. Noreen teaches “The Anatomy of a Murder Mystery” classes, and she sets her “cozy” mystery series locally.
Other topics covered during the two-day event included discussions on e-publishing and e-readers, how to submit queries and manuscripts in today’s markets, and self-publishing tips. Out of the 180,000 books published last year, half were self-published.
All of the authors and panelists were available for conversation and autographs at the Mystery Mingle event, which was open to the public. Books were provided for sale by Circle Books. Proceeds over expenses will go to Longboat Library on Longboat Key and Tingley Memorial Library in Bradenton Beach. For more information about the 2011 Mystery Florida! conference, visit www.mysteryfla.com.
From Long Boat Rey News published on Aug. 04, 2010