Lying for DNA - when and how it's legal to obtain a suspect's genetic blueprint
Short video on the interior of a modern Canadian police car
Mapping out the scene of the crime
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Classes and Awards Announcements
On Thursday, April 22nd, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, there will be an Arthur Ellis Awards short list announced at the W.R. Castell Central Library in downtown Calgary.
Book Publishers Association of Alberta (BPAA) and Writers Guild of Alberta (WGA): Albertan writers and publishers will toast the best in Alberta books with the 2010 Alberta Book Awards Gala on Friday, May 14 in Edmonton. Among the awards at stake will be the inaugural Reader Choice Award. More details on this event will be available soon on the BPAA’s website and the WGA’s website.
Reminder: Ink's Master Class on the Mystery Novel with Garry Ryan
Saturday afternoons - April 17, 24, May 1, 8 - at Louise Reilly Branch in the annex. Free to Ink members but you must register your intent to attend with Anne Jayne or email info@mysterywritersink.com to reserve your seat. You must submit some writing for critique and put your best effort into critique of other participants' writing (minimum and maximum page limits will apply).
Online Classes of Interest:
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Review of Writer's Software: Scrivener
Reviewed by Anne Jayne
Scrivener is a word processing and project management program for writers.
Designed for writers who have projects that require research and structure, including novelists, screenwriters, playwrights, academic writers, journalists, non-fiction writers...
Available: Scrivener at Literature and Latte
Mac OS X 10.4 and higher (including Snow Leopard). No Windows version.
Price: U.S. $39.95 (About $43 Canadian)
If you’re writing a mystery, and you own a Mac, check out Scrivener.
A writer friend who had used Scrivener to write her novel strongly recommended this program to me. I took advantage of the 30-day free trial, and decided to buy it within a week. It is a brilliant program.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Ink March 11th Meeting
Next meeting: 7 pm, March 11, at Owl's Nest Books, 815A 49 Ave SW, Calgary.
Do you set your stories in Canada? If you do, don't miss this speaker.
Every Canadian mystery writer needs to understand how our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms affects the way that the police and the courts handle criminal cases.
Our speaker on March 11 is the ideal person to guide us through the Charter in the criminal justice system.
Linda McKay-Panos is an Alberta lawyer who started her legal career as a staff lawyer at the Alberta Court of Appeal. She is now the Executive Director of the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre. She also teaches courses on civil liberties and human rights at the University of Calgary.
The Charter sets out fundmental principles. As courts decide, case-by-case, how to apply these principles, the rules are clarified.
So what does the Charter cover, when it comes to criminal law? Here are some examples:
- What is a legal search and seizure?
- What happens if the police don't follow the rules when they search someone or someplace?
- In the movies, the police officer might tell someone: "You can talk to us here or we can go downtown." If Canadian police want you to go "downtown" to be questioned, do you have to go?
- What do the police have to do if they want to arrest someone?
- In American movies, the cops "read them their rights"--their Miranda rights, that is ("You have the right to remain silent...."). In Canada, we have Charter rights. What do Canadian police tell someone they're arresting? What are the consequences if they don't get it right?
- What rights does a person have, once arrested?
- Does a person who has just been arrested get just the one call?
- What information does the prosecutor (the Crown) have to give to the accused person before trial? What about the other way around: what does the accused person give to the Crown?
- How does the Charter affect the way that the trial is conducted?
- What happens if the prosecutor or the judge makes a mistake? What are the consequences?
And more! Bring your questions to this meeting.
If you would like to read the sections of the Charter before the meeting Charter Excerpts Here
Look for Legal Rights, sections 7-14.
Do you set your stories in Canada? If you do, don't miss this speaker.
Every Canadian mystery writer needs to understand how our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms affects the way that the police and the courts handle criminal cases.
Our speaker on March 11 is the ideal person to guide us through the Charter in the criminal justice system.
Linda McKay-Panos is an Alberta lawyer who started her legal career as a staff lawyer at the Alberta Court of Appeal. She is now the Executive Director of the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre. She also teaches courses on civil liberties and human rights at the University of Calgary.
The Charter sets out fundmental principles. As courts decide, case-by-case, how to apply these principles, the rules are clarified.
So what does the Charter cover, when it comes to criminal law? Here are some examples:
- What is a legal search and seizure?
- What happens if the police don't follow the rules when they search someone or someplace?
- In the movies, the police officer might tell someone: "You can talk to us here or we can go downtown." If Canadian police want you to go "downtown" to be questioned, do you have to go?
- What do the police have to do if they want to arrest someone?
- In American movies, the cops "read them their rights"--their Miranda rights, that is ("You have the right to remain silent...."). In Canada, we have Charter rights. What do Canadian police tell someone they're arresting? What are the consequences if they don't get it right?
- What rights does a person have, once arrested?
- Does a person who has just been arrested get just the one call?
- What information does the prosecutor (the Crown) have to give to the accused person before trial? What about the other way around: what does the accused person give to the Crown?
- How does the Charter affect the way that the trial is conducted?
- What happens if the prosecutor or the judge makes a mistake? What are the consequences?
And more! Bring your questions to this meeting.
If you would like to read the sections of the Charter before the meeting Charter Excerpts Here
Look for Legal Rights, sections 7-14.
Calgary Mystery Author Signing
Mystery author Linda Kupecek will be signing her debut mystery DEADLY DUES (TouchWood)
at Indigo Signal Hill in SW Calgary on Saturday, March 6 from 1-4 p.m.
at Indigo Signal Hill in SW Calgary on Saturday, March 6 from 1-4 p.m.
Contests, Classes, Manuscript Calls
MARCH 11 DEADLINE:
MARCH 15 DEADLINE: Mystery Women Short Story Competition 1,000 words, open to unpublished writers only. Full details here
Scene of the Crime Short Story contest. $100 first prize. Mystery/crime etc. open to Canadians who have not previously published in the mystery/crime genre. Full info here
For the crossover writers: Wild Rose Press is seeking romance novellas 25,000 - 64,000 words for e-book-only publication. Submission guidelines here
Sage Hill Summer Adult Experience will take place July 19-29, 2010 in Lumsden. Application deadline is April 19, 2010.
FEMFEST 2010: On the Edge is currently seeking submissions of finished scripts and proposals of work in progress. Subject matter is wide open but our focus this year is ‘edgy’ work that takes risks. The play must be written by a Canadian female playwright and have a running time of no more than one hour. All submissions must be received in the office by April 1st, 2010 Details and link to past Femfests
Postcard Perps 2010: Fatal Family Reunion
MARCH 15 DEADLINE: Mystery Women Short Story Competition 1,000 words, open to unpublished writers only. Full details here
Scene of the Crime Short Story contest. $100 first prize. Mystery/crime etc. open to Canadians who have not previously published in the mystery/crime genre. Full info here
For the crossover writers: Wild Rose Press is seeking romance novellas 25,000 - 64,000 words for e-book-only publication. Submission guidelines here
Sage Hill Summer Adult Experience will take place July 19-29, 2010 in Lumsden. Application deadline is April 19, 2010.
FEMFEST 2010: On the Edge is currently seeking submissions of finished scripts and proposals of work in progress. Subject matter is wide open but our focus this year is ‘edgy’ work that takes risks. The play must be written by a Canadian female playwright and have a running time of no more than one hour. All submissions must be received in the office by April 1st, 2010 Details and link to past Femfests
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