President’s Message
It’s said that failure is the best teacher. If so, we learned a bunch when the newsletter link to our May program with William Kent Krueger failed to work. We’re reworking how we insert the links and are moving closer to recording events for the benefit of those who can’t attend.
For those of you who missed hearing Kent Krueger, I’d like to share a little of what he talked about in “What It Means to Be a Writer.”
Kent began by speaking about how he developed the habit of rising early and going to a local coffee shop where he wrote from 6:10 to 7:15 AM daily. From there, he would go to work. The habit structured his day and his life, and he noted that writing became essential to his sense of being.
He began writing the Cork O’Conner series because he knew mystery series sell, but the book of his heart is Ordinary Grace.
He’s written almost twenty novels featuring Cork O’Conner, a former sheriff who’s half Irish, half Native American. Kent made the decision to create a dynamic character who would change as he aged and be altered by his life experiences.
With a background in cultural anthropology, Kent is sensitive to fact that he is a “white guy trespassing on a culture not my own.” He relies on his friends in the local Native American community to guide him as he tries to accurately reflect their culture.
Kent praised the Sisters in Crime community for its generosity to fellow writers, but Linda Norlander related a story about Kent’s kindness to her. After he published Ordinary Grace, Linda was heading to Minnesota. She did not know him at the time, but asked to meet him for coffee. For two hours, he talked with her and shared his thoughts and advice.
At our June 8 meeting, we will host SinC chapter liaison, Kim Giarratano. Because Kim will join us from the East Coast, the meeting will begin an hour early at 6 PM PST.
Kim is a font of information and will demonstrate how members can take advantage of SinC Linc. You may have seen SinC Linc mentioned in the national newsletter. This new resource is available on the Tradewing platform and may offer us better access and ways to communicate.
Also at that same meeting, local members Laurie Rockebeck and Leslie Hall will give us a preview of what’s coming next April at Left Coast Crime and how you can get involved.
Don’t forget—no meeting in July, but do join us on August 13 for the Annual Picnic at Richmond Beach!
Happy Writing,
Catherine Linka
Next Meetings:
Further details, including registration info, are available on our Meetings page.
All meetings take place on Zoom unless otherwise specified.
June 8: Kim Giarratano, Chapter Liaison, will discuss and demonstrate Sinc Linc, Sisters in Crime’s new online community, on the Tradewing platform. She will show us how to login, as well as explain features, groups, and chapter communications. She will also discuss “under the radar gems” available with National membership such as webinars, archives, podcasts, and write-ins.
July: No Meetings, enjoy the sunshine!
August 13: Member Picnic at Richmond Beach
