FollowThis year Jackson County Reads celebrates mysteries. On March 26, 2011, the Medford Branch Library of the Jackson County Library Services in Southern Oregon hosted about 70 attendees in a workshop featuring five southern Oregon mystery writers: Phil Messina, Ken Lewis, Tim Wohlforth, Robert Arellano and Morgan Hunt. Sponsored by the Jackson County Library System and the Ashland Mystery Readers Group, the free four-hour workshop covered all the how-tos any aspiring crime fiction writer would want to know.
Phil Messina, Central Point city manager and co-chair of the Southern Oregon Chapter of Willamette Writers kicked things off with “Why We Love Mystery?” Rogue River Police Chief Ken Lewis followed. Ken Lewis, the author of Little Blue Whales and The Sparrow Blade, explained the ins and outs of police procedurals. It was a police academy short course without the calisthenics.
Pushcart Prize nominee Tim Wohlforth was next. The author of Harry and the forthcoming The Pink Tarantula (featuring his short story characters Crip and Henrietta) explained why short form mystery is important and how to develop an idea into a short story.
Southern Oregon University professor Robert Arellano was a nominee for this year’s Edgar Award for his fourth book, Havana Lunar, published by the prestigious Akashic Books. Arellano described how to develop your writing and polishing skills and the delicate balancing act between writing and being a writer. Morgan Hunt, author of the musically-titled Tess Camillo series (Sticky Fingers, Fool on the Hill and Blinded by the Light) talked about marketing your brand and your crime fiction.
The afternoon session was packed with questions and comments as participants broke into small groups to work with each expert on specific problems and opportunities. Kudos to the writers for sharing both their Saturday and the tricks of their trade.
Jackson County Reads Mysteries! The capstone event is still to come when in mid-April Carola Dunn, author of the Daisy Dalrymple mysteries arrives in Southern Oregon. Dunn will be at the Ashland Branch Library on Thursday April 14, 2011 at 7p, at the Klamath Falls Public Library on Friday April 15, 2011 at noon, and at the Medford Branch Library on Saturday April 16, 2011 at 1p. She’ll squeeze in an interview with Cathy Carrier at the Ashland Springs Hotel for Ashland Mystery rvtv noir on Saturday morning.
