In January 2023 a small group of writers in Boise, Idaho first met with the plan of forming a new Idaho chapter of the international organization, Sisters in Crime — bringing together local and regional writers of all flavors and types of mystery and crime fiction. We set up our first website, idahosinc.com.
Though we’re now changing direction, here’s a brief look back at that year’s activities:
Our kick-off meeting!
In January we met for the first time at a local Idaho Pizza. It was great to connect, and some interim officers volunteered to help for the duration. We started with an alternate-months plan.
SWAT teams
In March we welcomed Raul Garcia, 30-year veteran of Law Enforcement. Recently retired from the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, he’s instructed other team members in tactics and firearms as a member of the training cadre.
We’re dead chuffed
Michaelbrent Collings is an internationally bestselling novelist, produced screenwriter, and speaker. Best known for horror, Collings has written bestselling thrillers, mysteries, sci-fi and fantasy titles, and even humor and nonfiction. He was our featured guest for two monthly meetings and spoke on “the how and why of using crime in stories,” and on the publishing process during an extended Q&A. By now we’re meeting monthly: alternating pro presentations with guided discussion meetings.
Is writer’s block real?
Our second guided open discussion covered something we all face. Do you get “stalled”? Have trouble getting started or part-way through? What do other writers do about this?
A red-hot ATF meeting
September’s meeting featured Joel (“Jay”) Miller, recently Acting Resident Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) Boise Field Office where he’s served for the past seven years. There’s no way to properly summarize this fascinating and information-filled meet. We’ll definitely have Jay back for a future meeting.
Mysteries of short stories – making, and marketing
A great topic we’ll repeat based on the interest. (Great turn-out.) Short stories are rather like cupcakes. Tasty and quickly consumable in a single sitting. This October meeting, again a guided open discussion, let us both to share our knowledge and experience, and to ask questions that others can help with.
Sharp intelligence
November’s Zoom meeting featured Carmen Amato, who’s turned lessons from a 30-year career with the Central Intelligence Agency into crime fiction loaded with danger and deception.
Holiday-theme crime stories
A natural for December’s Zoom meeting; a guided open discussion on writing, reading, and marketing holiday-themed stories. Holidays are not limited to Christmas!