Home

Newsletter

Board Members

Members' News

2004-2005 Program. . .

Our monthly meetings at INK feature interactive programs with dynamic guest speakers. Examples of subjects presented so far this year are:

• manuscript format, the query letter, the synopsis
• an ex-RCMP officer remembers cases, faces and places from his lengthy career
• a Calgary Police Services forensics detective presents real-life cases.

If you can't get to a meeting, you can still catch up! We give a written report of each meeting and presentation in the newsletter. This year our Program Co-ordinator has lined up a series of intensely interesting talks about crime and criminals, the current technology and science of detection work, and how-to talks about writing mysteries.

Program Schedule 2004-2005

Looking for something fun to do? Check out our programs for 2004-2005! See below for details. Meetings are the second Thursday of every month from Sept.-June from 7-9 pm.

Thursday Sept. 9 7:00-9:00 pm
Welcome back!
Topic: The Enneagram
Presenter: Gayle Laird
Learn about this ancient system of personality types to create your characters.

Thursday Oct. 14 7:00-9:00 pm
Sharon Wildwind, Lorna Schultz Nicholson, and Anne Jayne will share information gleaned at the Bouchercon conference in Toronto about such topics as...editors (what they want); agents (getting and dealing with one); who is publishing mysteries in Canada; many craft topics; and much, much more!

Thursday November 11 7:00-9:00 pm
In honour of Remembrance Day, we will turn our attention to the way that mystery authors have approached issues of war and peace. Jani Meyers, a librarian with Calgary Public Library who has a passionate interest in mysteries, will talk about the issues that authors have explored in mysteries set during war-time. We will send out a book list shortly, with the request that members read one or two books on the list before the November meeting, if possible.

Thursday December 9 7:00-9:00 pm
The December meeting will be more than just New Member Orientation! Meet fellow members of INK, and take advantage of free mini-workshops provided by our more experienced members: researching for fiction writing, networking opportunities for writers, how to create compelling mystery characters, and breaking into alternative markets for mystery writers (short stories, plays and contests). On top of all that, this is our big social event of the year accompanied by plenty of food and XMAS cheer.

Here's the icebreaker game we played at the meeting. Follow the clues about our members' sleuths to track down their source . . . see if you can figure out which member created which detective. Members were asked to name one thing their sleuths would NOT want the general public to know about him or her.

One of the panel discussions was on networking, and we've compiled a list of networking sources for your referral.

Thursday January 13 7:00-9:00 pm
Joan Hendrickson, a pharmacist, will speak to us about poisons.

Thursday February 10 7:00-9:00 pm

Sgt. Sean Doyle, who is a member of the Organized Crime Unit of the Calgary Police Service, will be talking about the experience of working undercover.

In the Piano Corner during coffee break: Lorna Nicholson, discussing how she overcame obstacles to get her first mystery published.

Authors reading from their work: Hope Newlyn (aka Brenda Collins and Donna Tunney)

Thursday March 10 7:00-9:00 pm
Eileen Coughlan will speak on setting. Eileen is a mystery novelist who set her first book in Calgary. She teaches courses on writing at the Alexandra Writers Centre.

Thursday April 14 7:00-900 pm

Cecelia Frey will be our guest speaker. Cecelia is an experienced and respected author and writing instructor. She will begin her presentation with a talk on plotting. Next she'll move into the editing process, and at the end leave enough time for Q &A.

Thursday May 12 7:00-900 pm

Our May meeting will be held at the Steve Johnson Range in northeast Calgary. The range is located near the Deerfoot Mall and the northeast Calgary Police Service building. The meeting will start at the usual time, 7 p.m. sharp. Our gun expert will talk about the myths and realities of the use of handguns. He will show us a number of handguns, of all shapes and sizes. We'll be able to examine them. Nobody will be doing any actual shooting. (Our expert will explain what members should do if they would like to try shooting.) Bring your questions about guns to this meeting!

Thursday June 9 7:00-9:00 pm

The Annual General Meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 9, 2005, at our regular meeting place (Common Room, Old Y, 223 12th Ave. S.W., Calgary). After the AGM (7 – 7:30), we will enjoy Death by Chocolate during the break. Six authors will read from their work during the program part of the meeting.

Location . . .

Join us! Remember to lug-a-mug and enjoy a bottomless cup of coffee or tea for only 25 cents. All programs (with the exception of field trips) take place at the Old Y Centre, 223 - 12th Ave. SW. Please ring the buzzer by the door.