Weekend Road Trip: Writers Conferences

Writers Conference

 

Mock trial of Jacker Reacher (Lee Child) at Crime Bake 2007 in Boston.

l-r Michele Martinez (prosecutor), Judge Ken Freeman (judge), Lee Lofland (DEA agent), and Lee Child (Jack Reacher).

Murder Really Bugs Me panel. Bouchercon Madison, Wi.

l-r Hallie Ephron, Jan Burke, Lee Lofland

Bouchercon Madison, Wi.

Lee Lofland and author Lori L. Lake.

2008 Pikes Peak Writers Conference Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Deputy Sheriffs Mark Ortler and Gordon Carroll.

Southern California’s East of Eden Writers Conference mystery writing panel.

l-r Lee Lofland, Christopher Reich. D.P. Lyle, and Tod Goldberg

2008 Pikes Peak Writers Conference

Author Terry Odell takes aim.

2008 Scene of the Crime Conference Wichita, Kansas

K-9s were the star of the show on Saturday.

2008 Scene of the Crime Conference Wichita, Kansas

Conference attendees were given the opportunity to view a mock murder scene. Then, they wrote a short story about what they’d seen. The entries were judged and prizes were awarded. The stories were fantastic.

Dr. Katherine Ramsland, world renowned expert on forensic psychology, and Lee Lofland compared notes about serial killers and mass murderers.

(Notice the book in Dr. Ramsland’s hand. The person next to her had also just purchased a copy and couldn’t wait to take a peek. They just happen to be copies of my book Police Procedure and Investigation. Of course, the book I’m holding is The Human Predator by Dr. Ramsland).

Dr. Denene Lofland and SJ Rozan during the Yosemite Writers Conference in Yosemite, California.

SJ Rozan and Lee Lofland. Yosemite Writers Conference Yosemite, California.

7 replies
  1. Lee Lofland
    Lee Lofland says:

    Sorry, Guys, I was away all weekend.

    Elena – SJ is a brilliant writer. I’ll see if I can twist her arm into writing something for us. I’ll let you know.

    Linda – I saw that on your blog last week and meant to respond. I’ll send you a list of the comments I’ve heard over the years.

    Becky – We had a ball doing the mock trial. I’m sure the look on my face was a response to the defendant’s account of killing someone because “he needed killing.”

    Dave – I agree. Writers are really wonderful people.

    Bobby – I may be at the conference, but I’m not going to be part of the program.

    Terry – Photoshop works wonders.

  2. D. Swords
    D. Swords says:

    Great blog, Lee.

    It’s fun to see the faces of many of the people who have posted here.

    I’ve not done many conferences, but I cherish the friendships I have developed at the ones I have attended. They represent such a different world from the one in which I spent much of my life.

  3. Becky Levine
    Becky Levine says:

    So, the only thing about that “trial” is that everybody looks like they’re having too much fun. Somehow, I don’t think a real trial feels that way–I swear, you’re smirking in top one!

    That E of E panel was one of the funniest hours I’ve ever sat through. 🙂

  4. l.c.mccabe
    l.c.mccabe says:

    Lee,

    This is just perfect timing. My writers club is in the beginning phases of planning a writers conference for next year and I want to hear what writers like and dislike about writers conferences: their dream sessions versus their pet peeves, etc.

    Hopefully some of your visitors will share with me their thoughts on the matter.

    Here’s a shameless link to that post:
    http://tinyurl.com/626evp

    Take it easy if you can,

    Linda

  5. Elena
    Elena says:

    What fun, I never thought I’d get inside all those wonderful conferences – though I wonder where I acquired a moustache and beard 😉

    Any chance of getting SJ Rozan to join us with a blog? She is the writer I dream of being 🙂

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