From the Chapter President
Diana Catt

Welcome to the Speed City Indiana Chapter of Sisters in Crime. I’m thrilled to take on the role once again as President of the chapter. This year, we are planning and preparing for a hallmark anniversary that is approaching fast. This year, 2024, will be our 20th anniversary as a Chapter! Wow, time flies! We have some special events planned to celebrate. We will have an anniversary anthology that just came out at the end of 2023 (Amber Waves of Graves), a play is being written by an enthusiastic group of SinC members for the 2024 Indy Fringe (The Catphish Seat), and a members-only retreat weekend is being planned with an exciting guest speaker.

I’ve been involved with this chapter since 2006 as a member, an officer, or a board member. We have an extraordinary group of talented individuals and a very active chapter. If you are a writer looking for a like-minded tribe, or are a reader who loves mystery and crime, please think about joining Sisters in Crime. But, you are here and reading this, so you found us! Welcome!

I’d like to tell you about some opportunities that you will have as a Speed City Indiana SinC member.

• First and foremost: Camaraderie and networking – we support each other, encourage each other, and rejoice in each other’s successes (and there have been so many!)
• We have a no-nonsense critique group – our chapter has a members-only critique group that currently is meeting by Zoom every month. You will receive (and learn to give) thoughtful, insightful, and helpful comments on the pages submitted for critique. I am an absolute believer that a good critique group can improve one’s writing!
• Attend and participate in monthly Chapter meetings (open to the public) – each month we have a hybrid business meeting. Over the pandemic years of forced Zoom, something amazing happened. People who reside too far away to attend our monthly meetings in person were now able to join in and the Zoom feature allows us to invite speakers who are not local and wouldn’t ordinarily be able to join us. What a surprising bonus to come from an otherwise horrible time! We also invite SinC members from other chapters to join us on Zoom for our outstanding speakers and panel discussions.  Our meeting dates, locations, and Zoom link are listed here on our website. Our past speakers are recorded and available on our YouTube channel. You can access them from the Monthly Meeting tab on our website.
• Because our anthologies are chapter fund raisers, if you like, you will have the opportunity to submit a short story to our anthology, act as an editor or judge for the anthology, submit cover art for a proposed anthology, gain hands-on experience with self-publishing, marketing, or sales, while learning from experienced members.
• Our chapter has sponsored conferences such as Magna cum Murder, Prime Crime, and Midwest Writers Workshop where we have a lot of fun hosting a flash fiction contest for attendees and continue our networking.

Please check our website often for monthly updates! We are also on Facebook. Now that the world has opened up again, look for us at libraries, book stores, and other events were books are sold. Please stop and say hi!

Sincerely,
Diana Catt
Speed City Indiana Chapter President

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