Starting Tonight!

If you’re in the mood for thrills and chills, mystery and suspense there’s an event just for you this weekend in Columbia/HoCo. The “Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity Con” is taking place at the Doubletree Hilton Friday - Sunday, September 10-12.

To be clear, this is a writer’s conference, not the kind where you are sure to run into costumed fans. There will be book signings, and classes with topics like “Twenty ways to jumpstart your writing”, “Writing espionage, intrigue, and police procedurals”, and “Earning Your Ending: How to Use Clues, Reveals, and Red Herrings." If your writing leans in the swashbuckling direction you’ll be interested to note that there will be a demonstration of sword fighting techniques.

Registration for the full 3-day conference is $285, which includes 5 meals, all panels and keynote speakers. You can also register for one day only for $160. If you would rather register at the door you can do that too. Bring cash, your credit card or a check made out to Intrigue Publishing.

Even if you aren’t up for committing an entire weekend plus the required funds to attend the conference, Friday night’s event might tempt you:

The C3 Noir at the Bar event is free and open to the public. Sounds intriguing.

I was just about finished reading up on this event when this caught my eye:

Yes, they’re having a Basket Raffle to support the Howard County Library System’s Project Literacy. How cool is that? If I were going to have a writers conference that is exactly what I’d do. Who loves reading more than writers? Who needs readers more than writers?

I was already inclined to like the sound of this event and this absolutely sealed the deal.

Alas, I already have plans for this weekend but I think I want to get on their mailing list. I’d love to see what an event like this is like. Especially since I’ve recently been immersing myself in the two mystery series written by Kerry Greenwood: Phryne Fisher and Corinna Chapman. (I might add that I’ve been supported in my quest to read every single one by our good friends at HCLS.)

Maybe next year.

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