Bloody Words - Writing Conference - 9June06 to 11June06
Mood:
celebratory
Now Playing: Van Hunt - On the Jungle floor
Topic: Writing Outings
Sunday 11June06 1:17pm
I attended the
Bloody words conference this weekend. Below are the notes I compiled from the seminars that I attended...
Friday Night
CSI:TorontoUnfortunately Alan Benton, the training sergeant (The Toronto Police Service Forensic Identification Services Unit) was late. He was unable to give his full presentation. He could have given a hand-out of all the names of the different organizations. He flew by it so quickly there was no time to make decent notes.
Basically they process crime scenes, industrial accidents and suspicious incidents. They fingerprint prisoners in court and detention centres as well as deceased persons.
They provide evidence in court. They assist uniform units, divisional criminal investigation bureau, homicide bureau, sex crimes.
They liaise with the coroner, fire marshall and the ministry of labour.
He said that in the Cecilia Zhang case that he took approx 1500 pictures of her house and room and still he'd be asked for a more specific photo form a certain angle.
He showed us blow ups of photos of the Posluns case from the 1980's (the real estate agent that was killed in Yorkville). He mentioned the Paul Bernardo case and the High Park Rapist.
He said that although they have a digital finger printing system checking finger prints or comparing them from unknown fingerprints is still done by people. The computer is used to check if a person has a previous record.
Also that they are making more use of palm prints.
The funny thing that he said was that ,given all that we know as a society, people still write harassing letters.
For the most part finger prints don't stick on a surface on their own but because we touch ourselves so much (such as our faces) the oils from our skin help to leave the fingerprints. The oil on our fingers is like a stamp pad.
Document FraudPresented by Timothy Campbell, Centre of Forensic Sciences, Toronto.
They identify or eliminate documents using a 5 stage scale:
positive identification
probable identification
unable to determine
probable elimination
positive elimination
They do not identify documents using percentages like on television. They's never say this document is 100% the same as that document.
He showed us slides of the tools they use:
a Hand lens
a stereo microscope.
When comparing two documents they cut and paste the same words or similar forms and compare. If you wanted to disguise your writing you would need to know the nuances of your writing and know to change them. Like if you write with letters on a slant you'd need to know to write upright. If you have certain spacing between specific letters you'd have to know to change that. Also Pen types will change the look of your writing.
He showed us a slide of the boxes with the videotapes in them with the labels on them (from the Paul Bernardo and Karla Holmolka) case. On the next slide he showed us a photocopy of all the video titles and then a sample of Paul Bernardo's handwriting. We were able to see how with some letters in the same combination he has a larger space between them on both the sample writing and the videotape labels. Also that he loops certain letters in a certain way etc. He also pointed out that one of the titles for one of the tapes was ,"Karla, Tammy and me"
Tammy of course was Karla's sister that they raped and killed. That was unsettling even though living in Toronto we know about it. But seeing a concrete piece was still unsettling and got gasps from the Canadians.
With physical matching of cheques they compare the rips on the cheque to the cheque book it may have come from.
With a forged document , like a will, if the 2nd of three pages was changed they would compare the staple holes of pages 1 & 3 to page 2. Chances are page 2 would have less staples and that would be a sign that the page was changed. They study the way the pages rest against the other pages. If a paper was taken out of a different package it would rest differently than the pages that came from the same package.
Spy vs Spy vs Spy - Surveillance Gadgets and More
Presented by Ursula lebana, owner of
Spy TechUrsula showed us spy stuff:
a camera in a smoke detector
8mm x 8mm camera
eyeglass camera
button camera
pen camera
zippo lighter camera
all the above attach to a recorder that fits in your pocket.
Digital recorders
pen recorder
KGB recorder that can record in a 25 foot radius ( I want this!)
pen microphone
lipstick microphone
wrist watch microphone.
Detector unit (sweep unit) that lets you know if something is transmitting in your area (any listening devices)
voice changer that can make a woman sound like a man.
The most amusing piece was a checkmate kit. It's an infidelity test kit that helps you to check the underwear of your spouse for traces of semen. Apparently they sell well.
Voice stress analyzer ( it can detect the changes in stress but not if someone is lying)
X-ray spray that you can spray on sealed envelopes and read the contents. It dries in 15 seconds.
Rear view glasses - they have a little mirror and you can see what's going on behind you. I tried them on and could see myself tripping from being too busy looking behind me instead of looking where I was going.
Hollowed out books that you can hide stuff in.
Saturday Morning
Amateurs! - The Amateur Sleuth the panel consisted of writers:
Brenda Chapman, Jane Cleland, Lyn Hamilton, Alex Matthews and Moderator - Madeleine Harris-Callway
They said that female protagonists are currently hot.
For cross marketing opportunities, the sleuth should have an area of interest (hobby) like a craft or knitting or something along those lines.
The main thing about these books is that most people are nice despite there being a murder.
Often there is an element of humour since the premise is unrealistic that an amateur sleuth can solve a crime that the police couldn't solve.
Jane Cleland had me chuckling as I watched her in the audience on Friday night. She'd introduce herself and ask others their name then ask if she could tell them about her book. Everyone I saw her ask said yes. I chuckled because I was watching a master at work. She was obvious (she wants to interest people in becoming readers) and she was good at it. I have added her book, Consigned to Death to my books to buy book list.
In fact, all the people on this panel have been added to that list. They all write series novels which I want to do with my Dreamweaver books.
Setting as Characterthe panel consisted of writers:
Rosemary Aubert, Giles Blunt, R.J. Harlick, Maureen Jennings and moderator - Louise Penny.
This panel finally got me to connect with how I can use setting in my work (something I grappled with in the past). The basic advice was to look at places that you know but specifically places that sing to you.
I got Giles Blunt's book, the Delicate Storm, in my goodie bag. His mysteries are set in North Bay. A couple people mentioned that his writing is beautiful, so, he's been added to my book buying list.
Critters in Crime - The Animal Panelthe panel of writers consisted of:
Lou Allin, Anne Barton, J.D. Carpenter, R.G. Willems and moderator - Jean Rae Baxter
The discussion was about using animal companions.
Consider using them as a foil or to promote your plot.
R.G. Willems (Roxanne) is interested in the link between animal abuse and child abuse.
Animals will get your characters outside (IE, walking the dog)
Animals can be used as weapons - poisonous snakes, vicious dog.
Dogs get blamed instead of people - think Pit Bulls.
J.D Carpenter discussed the use of handicapped animals and what it says about a character that has one, adopts one, cares for one.
Reacting to the death of an animal.
Getting a new pet and the character having to take that in to consideration when they are doing what they do... "I have to get back to walk the dog." A built in time element.
A villain with a pet. How bad can someone be bad if they have a pet? How more shocking is a villain's behaviour because they are so caring of their pet.
A psychopath that goes to the character's residence to kill him only to find the pet. He kills the pet instead.
Saturday Afternoon
I was feeling the fatigue by this point...
This'll Slay You - The Humour PanelThe panel of writers consisted of:
Linwood Barclay, Tony Bidulka, Rick Gadziola, Mary Jane Maffini and the moderator was Michael Blair.
I laughed a lot but I didn't get any notes on this one. Basically humour is hard (subjective). What I find funny, you might not find funny. There is timing in humour even in writing.
Thrill of the Kill - The Thriller PanelThe panel of writers consisted of :
Peter James, Rick Mofina ( got his book ,Cold Fear, in my goody bag), Jonathan Santlofer, Michael Slade and the moderator was N.A.T. Grant.
The main gems were:
1) setting the scene up where the readers know something in the scene that the character doesn't know.
2) When your character feels safe pull the rug out from under her.
Multi-tasking Authors - Authors with Another Careerthe writers on this panel consisted of: John Ballem, Deborah Gyapong, Susanna Kearsley, Michael with moderator Vicki Cameron
Ideas were about juggling jobs, kids etc with writing.
I received better information from
Shirley Jump's writing group justwriteit on yahoo groups so I didn't write any notes.
but the basics are: compartmentalize, be able to put all your focus into writing when you are writing. Make use of time that comes up like at the doctor's office - writing is one word at a time so if you can do a paragraph at the doctor's office in the waiting room, write a paragraph while standing in line at the bank, write a paragraph while in line at the grocery store etc you could still write an extra page that you would't have done otherwise.
I personally use a digital recorder when I am walking to work and talk my ideas, sentences, titles then transcribe the notes later.
The panel was in agreement that they write an average of 3 hours a day, every day. One writer said that when she was single, lived alone and had all the free time to write she still only wrote about 3 hours a day.
My brain gave up in the midst of
Excess Baggage - When the past catches up to our Sleuth. It was apparently about historical mysteries. It was with Mel Bradshaw, Vicki Delany, Barbara Fradkin, Joseph Kanon with moderator - J. Madison Davis.
The other seminars that took place while I was in my seminars include:
- Chapter 1 - The First Novel Panel
- Lure of Distant Shores - Books with International Settings
- The Police Procedural - It's Enduring Popularity
- The Agent Panel
- New Trends in Crime (Writing)
- An Hour with Mary Jane Maffini
- An Hour with Stuart Kaminsky
- Fast & Deadly - The Short Story Panel
- Humour in the Legal System
There were also half hour readings in the mystery cafe throughout Friday and Saturday.
Overall the conference was a great experience. The days were seminar packed. The people were friendly. The attendees were mostly older grey haired folks with a sprinkling of younger people. We all received tote bags with three books. There was a welcome reception, a book launch/reading reception and a banquet with awards presented (Hammett Award, presentation of Bony Pete Awards).
This morning there was a choice between a Screenplay Writing Workshop with Stuart Kaminsky or an old-style radio mystery show plus Q&A presented by the Canadian Space Opera Company but I was wiped and just plain didn't make it. I know I suck! But I have been psyched to write and considering this is my third entry to my blog today I'm not a total loss.
Next year's conference is in Victoria, B.C.
I wonder if I could get donations to the EY fund so I could go? I'm just putting it out there! ha ha.
EY
Inspired by published writers
Finding Myself
Mood:
sharp
Now Playing: nothing it's 4am I'm humming Brenda Russell - piano in the dark
Topic: Connections
4:41am Friday 5May06
I can remember that at ten years old I genuinely liked myself as I was. I knew that I was a caring person. I liked that I could stick up for myself and I knew that I had every right to be upset when I was put second or third. It was the beginning of my dismissive years for sure.
I liked that I could out run most of the boys and I knew that I was good enough to have the boy that I liked like me in return. And he did too. His name was Dennis and he was Greek. When all of us neighbourhood kids played hide and seek, Dennis and I always chose places to hide together. If I said that I couldn't find my way in the dark, Dennis would always say, "my hand is out, reach for my hand." I would touch his hand and we would hide pressed close together. It was the closest thing a boy and a girl would get to any kind of intimacy at 10 years old. Dennis was sweet and comforting and reassurring.
At 10 years old, I was sure of myself and my abilities. I loved to draw cartoons but my brother was such a superior artist that I decided to make drawing my secondary talent. I decided that I would be a writer instead and I started to write. Back then I wasn't overly critical of my writing. I somehow instinctively knew that with time and practice my writing ability would improve. Writing was a game of finding the right words like rolling doubles while playing monopoly. Writing occupied my mind and if I wasn't that quick with mathematics when quizzed in class at least I knew deep inside me that I had something that I was quick and smart at even if nobody else knew. I knew that I had my own special something within me.
I feel myself slowly moving through the tail end of my latest transition. I'm getting through and out of the repressed anger of the emotional hardships of the last few years - jobs that I hated but had no choice but to stay at for survival purposes, mistreatment of people that didn't turn out to be friends, the death of my mother and feeling like my whole sense of family died with her.
I'm feeling inspired. I'm focusing less on annoying incompetent people and more on my individual path, who is going to travel with me, who I'll have no sadness in leaving behind. I'm starting to genuinely like myself like that ten year old - good parts and not so good. I feel less of that need to be perfect and then beat myself down because I'm not. I feel less of a need to control the outcome of every situation and yet understand that I will have times when I backslide. That's human nature.
I want to be more of that person who is passionate about things like writing and music, enjoying nature and laughing at my favorite donkey buddy. I'm finding more inspiration and am coming up to the ability to see something loving in people that I don't particularly care for.
I had a conversation with Cinnabon on Sunday that what I love about doing body work (she is a massage therapist and I do Reiki) is that whoever gets on my massage table and allows me to put my hands on them I fall in love with. It's something about how all the daily masks and walls fall away when a person is on the table with their eyes closed and I can almost see what that person looked like as a child. I can feel the sensitivity and need for approval that every human being had at one time before they found the need to disguise their truth.
What a great gift to be able to see in to someone's soul. To cut through the disguises and find that under all the layers that we're all the same. To find some sort of connection to humanity. It makes life a little less solitary.
I don't know how I'm going to fit it in but I'm going to start offering my Reiki services again. Whether it's for free or I offer my services at a community centre or for fundraisers. That ten year old who I liked being had pursuits that she enjoyed. She got some of this living thing right. To start, Cinnabon and I are going to swap services with each other. Reiki for swedish massage.
Living an inspired life.
EY
The Daily Practice is an exercise in anti-perfectionism, discipline, and practice.
I designed My Five Precepts of Blogging for my parameters: 1)Write 250-1,000 words per night.
2)Post first drafts only. 3)Write it in under 30 mins. 4)Never blog about blogging. 5)Be nice, fair, and honest - without selling out.
chillin'
not sure