The Sisters in Crime Quarterly September 2020
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inSinC the Sisters in Crime quarterly September 2020 inSinC • September 2020 • Page 1 Mission Statement Promote the ongoing advancement, recognition, and professional development of women crime writers. inSinC Board Members The Sisters in Crime Quarterly • September 2020 Lori Rader-Day, President inSinc is the official publication of Sisters in S.G. Wong, Vice President Crime International and is published four Faye Snowden, Secretary Jacki York, Treasurer times a year. One-year dues are $50 for pro- Tracee de Hahn, Membership & fessional US and Canada writers and $40 for Development Liaison non professionals; lifetime, $500 and $400. Kellye Garrett, Member at Large Address and all other changes can be made Stephanie Gayle, Grants/ACA Coordinator by members at our website. Debra H. Goldstein, Monitoring Chair Edwin Hill, Education Liaison Information in inSinC is submitted or Vanessa Lillie, Publicity Chair reprinted from sources listed in each Shari Randall, Library Liaison article. Where required, permission to Barb Ross, Web Liaison reprint has been granted and noted. SinC Alec Peche, Chapter Liaison does not investigate each submission inde- Sherry Harris, Immediate Past President Next Wave Group pendently and articles in no way constitute 550M Ritchie Hwy #271 an endorsement of products or services 833.492.7463 • 410.544.4640 Fax offered. No material may be reprinted ©2019 Sisters in Crime International without written permission from Sisters in inSinC Crime; contact Molly Weston. Molly Weston, Editor Most articles for inSinC are submitted by Margie Bunting, Proofreader SinC members. If you are interested in writ- Priscilla Gruenewald, Proofreader ing an article (or a series), check the SinC Merrilee Robsons, Proofreader website for guidelines. Marisa Young, Proofreader Presidents Sisters in Crime Sara Paretsky 1987—88 Barbara Burnett Smith 1999—00 Marcia Talley 2009—10 Nancy Pickard 1988—89 Claire Carmichael McNab 2000—01 Cathy Pickens 2010—11 Susan Dunlap 1989–90 Eve K. Sandstrom 2001—02 Frankie Bailey 2011—12 Margaret Maron 1990–91 Kate Flora 2002—03 Hank Phillippi Ryan 2012—13 Carolyn G. Hart 1991—92 P. M. Carlson 1992—93 Kate Grilley 2003—04 Laura DiSilverio 2013—14 Linda Grant 1993—94 Patricia Sprinkle 2004—05 Catriona McPherson 2014—15 Barbara D’Amato 1994—95 Libby Hellmann 2005—06 Leslie Budewitz 2015—16 Elaine Raco Chase 1995—96 Rochelle Krich 2006—07 Diane Vallere 2016—17 Annette Meyers 1996–97 Sue Henry 1997—98 Roberta Isleib 2007—08 Kendel Lynn 2017—18 Medora Sale 1998—99 Judy Clemens 2008—09 Sherry Harris 2018—19 inSinC • September 2020 • Page 2 Table of Contents From Molly ........................................3 from Molly hen I was a child, my grandpa From Lori Rader-Day ..........................4 spent summers with us. He SinC into Great Writing ......................5 was a wonderful companion for a young child — an abso- Board Slate .........................................6 Wlute treasure trove of stories, which he called tales. And he NaNaWriMo knew how to build anticipation. “Tell me a tale,” I’d beg as we sat on the front porch swing. “Aw-w, dogs have tails.” He’d Doreen O’Skea ...............................9 answer. “Well, tell me a story,” I’d counter. “You’re not sup- From an Editor — Elevator Pitches posed to tell stories,” he’d reply evenly. After several rounds of my pleadings and excuses, he would finally begin with “Once Kerry Cathers...............................12 upon a time …” Oddly enough I don’t remember any of his tales, just the process. Library Liaison Our family didn’t have a TV until I was in first grade, but Shari Randall ...............................15 we did have a big brown Bakelite radio. Daddy listened to We Love Libraries sports, I listened to kids programs, Mother didn’t really listen at all, but Saturday nights were for Grandpa. He always Susan Hammerman .....................16 tuned in to what Mother referred to as “Great Buckets of Education — Learn During Lockdown Blood.” As soon as that organ sounded the first ominous chords, she would hustle me outside where we’d sit on the Lori Rader-Day ............................18 back steps where she’d tell me “about when you were a little Move Your Writing to New Levels girl” and how to whistle between two blades of grass. Allison Baxter ..............................19 I suspect that wondering about the forbidden fruit in those “buckets of blood” planted the seeds for my great love of What I Love about Writing Fiction mysteries. As soon as I was able to read for pleasure and Building a World found mysteries in our school library, I was hooked for life. Connie Berry ................................21 I never dreamed that the stories in those buckets and the Counseling Cops sinister organ music would lead to my TBR stacks overflow- ing with terrific mysteries — suspense, private eye, police Ellen Kirschman, PhD ..................23 procedurals, and cozies set in countries all over the world. How grateful I am for the mystery community and for my The Truth Behind Fictional Crime grandpa’s stimulating my curiosity about what was in all Kristen Houghton .......................25 those buckets! Awards & Recognitions Till next time … Gay Kinman .................................27 Fabulous Forewomen P.S. SinC National sent a question to mem- Susan Rowland, PhD ...................29 bers asking about your favorite writing tools. The response was nearly overwhelming! We’ll Chapter News ..................................32 begin showing them in this issue — look for Virtual Chapter Meetings the email icon. By the way, the request has ended. Lori Rader-Day ............................33 inSinC • September 2020 • Page 3 from Lori Dear Siblings, Last week I got an email asking if I would speak to an arts camp for teens about writing a mystery pod- cast. I have never written a podcast script. I don’t write for teens. I don’t have kids. I like other people’s kids, but …not enough to hang out with them on Zoom, y’know? This is where I might have found another taker, someone who writes for that age group — except the talk was very short notice, only half an hour, online. I would have had to spend longer than a half hour tracking down another speaker for them. Fine. I said yes. I didn’t have any talk that was only 30 minutes, but I pulled together a few pieces that added up to some basic concepts to consider, PDF-ed a handout to leave behind, put on my Zoom shirt (it has lemons on it), and … had a great time. Was there any doubt? I love talking with other writers, don’t you? But maybe I was a little scared that all my references would be too old, that I would be revealed as just another dorky adult, a Facebook Karen among youthful, techno-savvy users of — I can’t even name a social media app here, as it will be outdated by the time this publishes. But here’s the thing: I am a dorky adult, and I used to be a dorky teen, too, one who would have loved to write a mystery podcast, if such a thing had existed. Teenage-me would have been geeked to meet a writer and talk shop, to know that a writer cared enough about my writing to spend a little time encouraging me. I gained several things from doing this session. First, I now have a 30-minute talk about mystery elements in case I ever need one again. (Don’t ask. The answer is no.) Also, putting together a primer is a great way to remind yourself of some of the ways to play with story elements and reader expectations. But more than that, I got a glimpse of the future of mystery and, if we’re lucky, of Sisters in Crime. These young people were serious, silly, thoughtful, smart, big readers, and eager to participate in this thing we have. This thing we have, though — it’s not ours. We are only stewards of it. Sisters in Crime may seem like part of the firma- ment of the mystery community, but it’s only 30-plus years old and, as we’re seeing right now in our community and out in the world, change is possible, unavoidable, sometimes swift. In 2019 (doesn’t that feel like a long time ago now?) I got to help celebrate Sara Paretsky as she received the Fuller Award from the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame. I spoke for all SinC members when I thanked Sara for the work she had started. Did she hope to break down misogyny in publishing and the patriarchy worldwide on her own watch? In the first year? She did. She’s an ambitious one, that Sara. But it is no failure that she didn’t. We continue the work. Sara was a steward, and now? We are. Sisters in Crime continues to exist because volunteers put in the time to make sure it does. Some (ahem) put in a great deal of time, but only because it’s important, not just professionally, not just personally. The future of Sisters in Crime is being written — and secured — by what we do now, all of us: the people we invite in, how we make them feel welcome and safe, how we support them and their careers. That work isn’t only for the board, but is also an opportunity for local chapters and their boards, for all members. Sisters in Crime is more than a group of writers and readers. Our founding, in protest for equality, means that we are steward-ing something beyond our own careers. We have to see the bigger picture. But if we do it right, we help make sure there are mystery writers, mystery readers, and mystery books way out into a future that, right now, we might be struggling to imagine.