The Nutshells: Frances Glessner Lee’s Crime Scenes in Miniature at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore. Frances Glessner Lee is considered the mother of forensic science. Born in Chicago in 1878, Glessner Lee created the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, twenty true crime scene dioramas recreated in minute detail at dollhouse scale, … Read more

James L’Etoile on What Authors Need to Know About What Really Happens in Prison Jim found himself woefully unprepared to become a writer after spending twenty-nine years in prison. (Wait. Let’s try that again.) Jim uses his twenty-nine years behind bars as an influence in his award-winning novels, short stories, and screenplays. (Um . . … Read more

Wendall Thomas – The Business of Screenwriting Have you ever wanted to write a screenplay? Or adapt your novel for the big or little screen? But what is this business of screenwriting all about? How is it different from my current career as an author? Wendall Thomas, author of the Lefty Award-winning novel Cheap Trills, will … Read more

D.P. Lyle Explains the Facts of Murder at our March 10 Zoom Meeting If you want to know which poison to use, what knifes, ice picks, and bullets do to a body, or just need help killing your antagonist in your next novel, you need to listen to D. P. “Doug” Lyle. Lyle is a … Read more

Southern Noir Author Panel, Feb. 10, 7PM EST Join top contemporary southern noir authors as they share techniques for bringing your setting to life. From dialogue to geography and customs, they’ll discuss key considerations in writing about region in your next mystery/thriller novel or short story. Virtual panel featuring: Ace Atkins, Pulitzer Prize-nominated former journalist and current … Read more

No matter what stage you’re at in your publishing career, you can learn a thing or two from Dan Conaway, one of the biggest and best literary agents in the business. His clients include Megan Abbot, Greg Iles, Stacy Willingham, Joseph Finder, Marcia Clark, and many more. To accommodate his schedule, we will meet with … Read more

The MWA Mid-Atlantic Chapter holiday party will be 6-9 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 11 at Elaine’s, 208 Queen St. in Old Town Alexandria. Come, network, and have a good time reconnecting with fellow writers. A stone’s throw from the majestic Potomac River, Elaine’s specializes in delicious Mediterranean fare. Enjoy savory bites, dessert, beer, and wine (cocktails available … Read more

Large language models need words to grow. Are they stealing yours?    The Mid-Atlantic chapter of Mystery Writers of America invites you to join us for an evening of conversation with Umair Kazi, Director of Policy & Advocacy for The Authors Guild, about the Guild’s fight against AI theft and the Human Authored certification.    Tuesday, October … Read more

Brand You U—Building a Winning Personal Brand Google, Nike, Kleenex—just the name is enough to remind people of what these brands stand for. No one asks, “What’s a Google?” So how do you capture that same level of recognition for yourself and your books? In this talk, Kevin Tumlinson shares what he’s learned about building … Read more