A reception and book signing at the Barnes & Noble store in Schaumburg store last weekend kicked off the 13th annual mystery writing workshop “Of Dark and Stormy Nights.”
But after a night of socializing, about 225 faculty and guests turned their attention to the how’s, why’s and wherefore’s of bumping off people for fun and profit at the workshop, sponsored by Mystery Writers of America Midwest Chapter and held at the Holiday Inn in Rolling Meadows.
Sessions covered the ins and outs of crime writing and ranged from a discussion of poisons to the identification of serial killers. There were more mundane topics as well, such as negotiating with agents and publishers.
In a session on craft, Waukegan novelist Eleanor Taylor Bland advised writers to write to please themselves. “This is a job,” she said. “Why in the world would somebody do this if they weren’t having any fun?”
Other faculty included novelists Robert Goldsborough of Wheaton; Sam Reaves of Evanston; Mark Richard Zubro of Mokena; D.C. Brod of St. Charles; Michael Allen Dymmock of Northbrook; David J. Walker of Wilmette; and Barbara D’Amato, Hugh Holton, Paul Engleman, Percy Spurlark Parker and Michael Raleigh, all of Chicago.
Also on hand to lend their expertise were literary agents Connie Goddard and Jane Jordan Browne of Chicago and Donald Maass of New York, as well as Los Angeles film producer Roger J. Barski.
New York editor and novelist Robert Gleason clued the luncheon audience about what it takes to promote one’s own books.
“There was a lot here for the intermediate writer,” said Elgin writer VonElle Kostelgny-Vogts, who helped organize the event. “People have said that this was the conference where they’ve learned the most.”
