The February Mystery Writers’ meeting is at U-Like Buffet, just north of Oracle and River, on the East side of Oracle. 5101 N. Oracle Road. (We are bumped out of our regular spot by the gem show). Graze through acres of lunch choices!
Our meeting starts at 10:00 am even though the restaurant doesn’t open until 11. Just walk straight through to the meeting room in the back.
Morning Session: Call 911 !
Who Is Answering Your 911 Calls? Brianna Edwards, Sheriff’s 9-1-1 Dispatcher, will tell us all about the people who answer 9-1-1 calls and dispatch the deputies to those emergencies. Stories to tell! She also is the current class counselor and trains new hires on how to do these two jobs. Bring your questions to this interesting session.
We’ll have a delicious lunch and a fun book drawing.
Workshop Session: How an Idea Becomes a Story
How does the tiny seed of an idea grow into a novel? Does a story sometimes come to a writer fully formed? How should you proceed when it seems the core idea is not enough to become a story?
We’ll explore these questions with a panel of three talented local authors. They will share insights and techniques that can work for any writer. There’ll be exercises illustrating how to make your idea into a story.
(Coincidentally, the AMW adult story contest is now open! You have until May 30 to craft your idea into a prize winner).
Panel members:
Alan Petrillo is a Tucson-based journalist who writes full-time for national, regional and local magazines and newspapers. He has been editor of several national periodicals and is the author of three historical mysteries, A Case of Dom Perignon, Asylum Lane, and Full Moon; five books on historical military firearms; the non-fiction work, Ice Hockey in the Desert; and has contributed short fiction to several anthologies. His short story, Burn Unit, won the 2005 Short Fiction Best Literary Award presented by Writer’s Post Journal magazine.
Rhema Sayers is a small town doctor. She completed her family practice residency in Pennsylvania then worked ten years on the border in Douglas, Arizona. Boredom led her to take a job in an ER. Like most ER docs, Rhema claims she’s an adrenaline junkie with a short attention span. She has accumulated a mountain of stories and anecdotes from the ER, both hilarious and tragic. Rhema has written and published more than 40 short stories and articles. She is widely read, appreciates fine writing, and has many years’ experience as a judge for writing contests.
Author and professional editor Michaele Lockhart holds college degrees from the University of Arizona and the University of Maryland. Her writing embraces history to contemporary mystery. She is also a freelance editor and author advocate.
Bring your questions for the panel!
Admission: $25 for RSVP’d AMW members, $30 non-members. Price includes a hot lunch. Pay at the door.
Please RSVP by 9:30 a.m. on the TUESDAY before the meeting to reserve your space.
RSVP by clicking the button on http://www.meetup.com/Arizona-Mystery-Writers-of-Tucson/ or email amwmembershipchair@gmail.com
And don’t forget: 2020 dues are due. $25 makes you a card-carrying member of the Arizona Mystery Writers. As a member, you can sell your books at the monthly meetings and in our tent at the March Festival of Books. And above all, you support your club and mystery writing in Tucson. Pay your dues at the door or mail a check to Arizona Mystery Writers, PO Box 31992, Tucson, AZ 85751.
We are looking for someone to help with the annual writing contest for adults. The contest runs from January to June, and we need someone to collect the entries and distribute them to the judges. If you are interested in being the Adult Contest Coordinator, speak to any board member at the meeting or use the About/Contact menu.
Reminder: No AMW meeting in March because of the Festival of Books. AMW will have a tent there! Next meeting is April 11th.
