Workshop 1: The Author’s Six Hats with Matt Cost
Saturday, September 27th 10:20 - 11:10 AM
Gone are the halcyon days of yore when a writer had one simple job to do: write. In the current era, authors must now engage in six different stages of the process. The first is the idea, the inspiration if you will, followed by research, and then writing. But that is only the halfway point. Then the author must edit, market, and promote. Author Matt Cost will take you through the process in a workshop format to see all the different components of the writing life that the contemporary author must engage with to complete the life cycle of a book. Cost has been writing and publishing three books a year for the past five years. Come with an idea and leave with a plan. Write on!
$20 per workshop for Crime Wave attendees; limit 12
Matt Cost has owned a video store, a mystery bookstore, and a gym. He has also taught history and coached just about every sport imaginable. During those years, since age eight actually, the true passion has been writing. I Am Cuba: Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution (Encircle Publications, March, 2020) was his first traditionally published novel. Cost has now written six books in the Mainely Mystery series, five books in the Clay Wolfe Trap series, and two books in the Brooklyn 8 Ballo series. A few historical fiction pieces fill out the shelves. The Not So Merry Adventures of Max Creed is Book One in the Max Creed Chronicles. Cost now lives in Brunswick, Maine, with his wife, Harper. There are four grown children: Brittany, Pearson, Miranda, and Ryan. There are four dogs to help with editing. He now spends his days at the computer, writing.
Workshop 2: How Not to Do a Reading with Barbara Kelly
Saturday, September 27th 11:25 AM - 12:15 PM
Kelly has taught workshops on perfecting your public readings for over 20 years. In this workshop, she will guide you through the dos and don'ts of what an effective reading should be—everything from where to do the reading to how long to do it. Attendees will come away with tips to make sure their audiences have the best experience enjoying their work.
$20 per workshop for Crime Wave attendees; limit 12
Barbara Kelly—or just Kelly as she prefers—has been a bookseller for over 40 years . She has worked at Bookland and was Tradebook Manager at USM before starting Kelly’s Books To Go. She specializes in bringing books to support authors and speakers at events throughout the state. She of course loves reading and especially the thriller/ mystery genre. Based in South Portland, when not selling books, she is a costumer for local theatres.
Workshop 3: The Doctor is In with Gayle Lynds and Gabriela Stiteler
Saturday, September 27th 2:20 - 3:10 PM
Have you ever wanted to break it off with a character you used to love but now you don’t know who they are? Have you ever woken up and realized the project you’ve been working on doesn’t actually have a plot? Have you started three drafts but not been able to get beyond 25,000 words? Have you ever finished a story and wondered, What am I really trying to do here?
If so, the doctor is in.
In this interactive workshop, participants will share the challenges they face while writing. Gayle Lynds and Gabriela Stiteler will lead the group in diagnosing the possible issues and prescribing a variety of remedies. Participants will walk away with a deeper understanding of the core challenges writers face, tools to support their self-awareness and reflection as a writer, and concrete strategies to elevate their practice.
$20 per workshop for Crime Wave attendees; limit 12
Gabriela Stiteler is a writer based in Portland, where she lives with her husband, children, and rescue lab. Her debut short story, published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine in 2023, was shortlisted for a Fish Award by the Mystery Writers of America and the Best American Mystery and Suspense (2024). Her work has since appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, The Best New England Crime Writing, Shotgun Honey, Dark Waters, and A Rock and a Hard Place. She is active in and appreciative of the amazing Maine crime writing community.
Gayle Lynds is the New York Times bestselling author of 10 novels, including The Book of Spies and The Last Spymaster. Library Journal calls her “the reigning queen of espionage fiction.” Her books are published in 30 languages and have been People magazine Beach Reads. The Military Writers Society of America awarded The Assassins Best Novel. She’s appeared on CBS Sunday Morning. With Robert Ludlum, she created the Covert-One series, and The Hades Factor was a CBS miniseries. She cofounded International Thriller Writers and ThrillerFest, with David Morrell. Visit her at GayleLynds.com.