1 THE PURLOINED NEWSLETTER March 2009 www.capitalcrimewriters.com Volume 21, Issue 7 – March 2009 Inside this issue: Message from the President 2 CCW MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT: Ken Gibson Special Guest: Rick Mofina Notes from the Editor 3 Katherine Hobbs March 11, 2009 at 7 p.m. I've Got An Idea... Now What? Categories of Mystery Fiction 4 Come and join us for an evening of discussion with Rick Mofina about the process he uses to go from idea to plot and from plot to Forensic Corner: M is for manuscript. Rick will also spend some time talking about pacing 5 Manslaughter and how it can be used to build or relieve suspense. Bring your ideas and questions for what is bound to be an enjoyable and Malice Domestic Report 1990 6 illuminating meeting. 7 How Long is it? CCW member, Rick Mofina is the acclaimed author of 9 bestsellers and numerous short stories. He uses the many years he worked as February Meeting Report: 8 Domestic Violence with guest a crime reporter as inspiration for his two series revolving Hoori Hamboyan around reporters and detectives. His most recent novel Six Seconds has just been released. The final bits & pieces 10 Check out Rick's website at: www.rickmofina.com Hope to see you there, Bev Panasky, Program Committee Capital Crime Writers is an And next up is…. organization of writers and editors working in the The April 8th meeting of Capital Crime Writers will focus on the mystery field, as well as experiences of reporters and journalists who cover criminal cases readers who love the genre. and court proceedings. The format will be an "interview" between We meet on the second two reporters with a lot of experience in the field. Wednesday of each month to discuss writing and Trish Dyer, one of our CCW members, covered crime for the To- crime. Meetings are sus- pended in July and August ronto Star in Ottawa, 1983-1990, when she joined the CBC as an for the summer. investigative journalist covering criminal issues. She was with the CBC for 10 years, retiring in 2000, to set up her own writing busi- Membership fees are: ness. $30 per year, $15 corresponding. Andrew Seymour has been the crime/court reporter with The Ot- Meetings are held in Room tawa Citizen for the past three years. His articles routinely appear in 156 at the Library and Ar- The Citizen. chives Canada, 395 Wel- lington Street beginning at See you in April, Tom Curran, Program Committee 7:00 p.m. 2 THE PURLOINED NEWSLETTER March 2009 www.capitalcrimewriters.com CCW Executive Message from the President - Ken Gibson At last month’s meet- President—Ken Gibson ing, the members ap- Chair@capitalcrimewriters proved Capital Crime Writer’s first set of by- VP – Vacant vp@capitalcrimewriters laws. They should be available on the web- Past President – site shortly for any Brenda Chapman member who wishes to pastchair access them. In the @capitalcrimewriters coming months they will be put to use as we Treasurer – Rachel Pitcher solicit nominations and Treasurer@ select members for capitalcrimewriters next year’s executive. Programs – This is Capital Crime about the process he uses to go from idea to Bev Panasky , Deborah Writers 20th anniver- plot, and from plot to manuscript. Don’t Gyapong & Thomas Curran programsworkshops@ sary year and the miss it. Ken Gibson capitalcrimewriters executive is consider- ing ways to give it the Membership Secretary: recognition that it What’s in a Name? Darlene Cole deserves. You will be membership@ hearing more on this in Way back in 1989 there were 13 members of capitalcrimewriters the weeks and months the group known today as CCW. Chaired by Newsletter Editor/ ahead. Linda Wiken, they were tasked to choose a Public Relations - name out of the following submissions: Katherine Hobbs Just to warm you up, 613-263-0069 Katherine has come Criminal Tendencies Capital Detection newsletter@ into possession of all Prime Crimewriters Sleuths Ottawa capitalcrimewriters the old newsletters go- Chapter 13 Criminal Intent pr@capitalcrimewriters ing back to the begin- Capital Clues Capital Sleuths ning (thanks to Michael and luckily the winner was Steinberg) and in this *** Capital Crime Writers *** Webmaster – issue she will take us Guy Mercier on a trip down memory webmaster@ lane. Don’t be sur- Happy Birthday Message capitalcrimewriters prised to see some fa- (from January 1990) miliar names pop up – and don’t remind them Capital Crime Writers is now a year old! We www.capitalcrimewriters.com that they are twenty years older! began as six people tucked around a tiny table in a kindergarten room. Jim (Reicker) brought I always find it exciting the doughnuts and Vicki (Cameron) spilled the when one of our mem- tea. We decided to form ourselves into an in- bers presents to us at a formal group and meet monthly, with guest monthly meeting. What speakers whenever we could find them. We are “ better way to celebrate now a slightly more formal group, at least on “If the doctor told me I the organization than paper. We have an executive, and meet had six minutes to live, to showcase our own monthly in a classroom with full sized furni- I'd type a little faster.” members? We have ture. such an opportunity in Isaac Asimov March when Rick Happy Birthday CCW! Here's to another year of Mofina will talk to us mutual support and fascinating speakers. Linda Wiken 3 THE PURLOINED NEWSLETTER March 2009 www.capitalcrimewriters.com From the Editor- Katherine Hobbs an already established and the program book, legacy you have cre- career with an endorse- Margaret Dunlop on ated. Thanks as well ment of your book. You logistics, and OPL liaison for the hours of enter- can run into agents and Michael Murphy — have tainment from reading publishers, and just been working for more about the early CCW about everyone involved than 10 months to bring exploits. In one issue in the book business. this event to fruition. Vicki indicated she could have written a Bloody Words IX prom- It’s been fun, we laugh a book with the number ises to be both worth- lot and we’re learning a of words she’d gener- while and entertaining. lot too — and who ated in the newsletter Our Guests of Honour, knows, we might be dis- over the 6 or 7 years Denise Mina, Louise appointed when it’s all she was editor. How- Penny, Barbara Fradkin over. Whatever will we ever, I’m selfishly glad and Mary Jane Maffini, do with our free time? :) that she was chroni- Three months until the cover many different cling the inauguration Bloody Words Mystery types of mystery writing, So although I could go on and the founding years Conference opens its and all are tops in the and on about Bloody of the CCW. I plan to doors in Ottawa, and I biz. And to interview Words Mystery Con: share as much of it as find my mind dwelling on them we have Alan Neal www.bloodywords2009 I can in the months to it most of the time! So I of CBC Radio One, radio .com — there are some come. was thrilled when I stum- and TV host Jerri South- other things to talk about bled upon Vicki Cam- cott, KitchArt magazine this month. First of all I In this month’s issue, eron’s account of her editor Mike Levin and col- want to say thanks to in addition to the arti- experience at the Malice umnist Randall Denley of Michael Steinberg who cles from the premier Domestic conference in the Ottawa Citizen. has kept every newslet- editions of The Pur- 1990 in The Purloined ter since they started loined — we also have Newsletter, and thor- CCW members Trish back in 1989. Even some new stuff. oughly enjoyed reading Dyer and Deirdre Hart though I fell down in Forensic Corner and it. It reminded me of Jaimet have been pursu- Mike’s laneway, I man- CCW February guest how I felt last year at ing experts in the world aged to hold on to the Hoori Hamboyan Bloody Words in Toronto, of crime for the confer- precious binders he’d just intersect in a strange and Bouchercon in Balti- ence and they have handed me and not toss way. In M is for Man- more. Vicki’s sentiments found some wonderful them into the snow. slaughter I came resounded with me resources — forensic psy- Michael was the Purloined across cases of mainly because what was chiatrists, toxicology ex- editor for years — he was spousal killings that true then, is still true to- perts, private detectives editor when I joined the ended in manslaughter day — almost 20 years and more. Wynn Quon CCW. I used to love get- charges. Hoori talked later. is dogging publishers for ting my copy each about the book Life giveaways for the loot month, and I wondered With Billy, the story of Writers conferences are bags, and making great how he did it year after an abused wife who marvellous opportunities headway! year. Now I know at least shot her husband and to learn new things about part of the reason — he’s was charged with first the craft, to find out the In fact it’s mind-boggling ORGANIZED! degree murder, but it secret details of your fa- to think that they, and was reduced to man- vourite writer’s lives — the rest of the team of And to Linda Wiken, slaughter. The sidebar and hang around with a volunteers; Brenda Vicki Cameron, and all on page 9 gives more bunch of like-minded Chapman on publicity, the rest of the original details.