WRITERS WORKSHOP: “Whodunnit?” isn’t the only question

In the beginning, there was the mystery. Both Edgar Allen Poe’s M. Dupin and Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes had the ability to see connections that others missed and thus solve criminal cases. But even in these first detective stories, other things were already important: Poe devotedly described the city of Paris (which he never knew personally), and Doyle developed the character Sherlock Holmes in such a multifaceted way that it is still taken up by authors today (Beate Baum being one of them).

Today, the genre is one of the most popular in the world. So just constructing a tricky mystery is less enough than ever before. When it comes to good, successful crime fiction, it’s also about interesting places, a convincing social situation, and, most important: the characters in the book need to be true to life. Plus, of course, never to be forgotten: the language, the style.

Beate Baum’s first crime novel came out 2001. She has been praised as one of Germany’s best crime fiction writers. To date, 15 crime novels (also under her alias Victoria Bertrams) and a book of short stories (You can find the English The High School Reunion in the Goliad Review 1.2, Fall 2018) have been published. In this workshop she will speak about the necessity and limits of plotting, the approach to the right setting and interesting topics, but you will also learn how to develop characters which work and receive critical feedback upon your writing.

Workshop Fee: $175. (Includes lunch both days)

To register, call 906-484-1333 or register online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/626565864367

Beate Baum Bio

Beate Baum holds a master’s degree in Comparative Literature has been praised as one of Germany’s best crime fiction writers. To date, 15 crime novels (also under her alias Victoria Bertrams) and a book of short stories, The High School Reunion, have been published. Prior to writing fiction, Baum worked as a freelance travel writer, focusing mainly on Great Britain, Ireland, and the USA for over 20 years. Baum was born in Dortmund, Germany, and now resides in Dresden.