I attended this event at Victoria College, University of Toronto, on Sunday June 29. It was a lovely day, and I had a good time. The highlight for me was the panel discussion entitled Trope and Dagger: Playing (and Breaking) the Rules in Mystery Novels. The panelists were Margaret Cannon, Karen Sullivan, andz Gregg Hurwitz. My takeaways included the following quotes:
“Come into a scene in the middle, and write your way out.”
“Don’t make your villains all evil; they’re more interesting when they have good and bad traits.”
“Readers enjoy books that cross genres, but master a genre before you break its rules.”
“Detail is good, because you want to show the narrator’s (or protagonist’s) expertise, making them more credible.”
“World building is key. Choose a setting you know. “
“Create characters not by describing them, but by putting a mask on them and staring out at the world through their eye holes.”
I also made the rounds at the Crime Writers of Canada authors’ tables outside and enjoyed chatting with, among others: Del Chatterson (the new chair of CWC), Madona Skaff-Koren, Rosemary McCracken, Richard Chartrand, and Silva Redigonda. I hope to meet some of them again at forthcoming events! Unfortunately, living two hours away from Toronto, I don’t get a chance to attend many CWC get-togethers.