The MWA-NY Board is pleased to announce that the Leon B. Burstein/MWANY Scholarship for Mystery Writing is returning for a second year. The scholarship, which has been made possible by a donation from one of our members, is designed “to inspire aspiring mystery writers by offering financial support to writers who want to take a specific class, attend a conference, or do specific research as demonstrably necessary to a mystery work they are creating.”
Last year, we awarded Burstein Scholarships to Becky Muth and to Mally Becker.
Becky Muth is an aspiring mystery writer and the wife of a disabled fireman. In her application, she wrote:
“Attending Bouchercon 2015 was a life-changing event. It defined the art of mystery writing for me in ways that books or websites alone couldn’t achieve… After returning home from Bouchercon, I put what I learned to use. My local writing group says my voice is stronger and my writing has improved leaps and bounds over my early efforts. I believe attending events like Bouchercon help. In an industry that seems custom-tailored for introverts (like myself), conferences are the one place where mystery enthusiasts – cozy, thriller, anthology, true crime, urban fantasy, whodunit- can connect. These are my people. They get me.”
Muth had plans of returning to Bouchercon in 2016, but financial hardship prevented her. Thanks to the Burstein Scholarship, she will continue to pursue her writing goals and will attend Bouchercon in 2017.
Mally Becker is currently attempting to sell her first manuscript. She wrote:
“When I began writing, my goal was simply to write a story. My historical mystery, Neutral Ground, tells the tale of the two unlikeliest spies in the colonies. Rebecca Parcell is a young widow who’s too busy fighting for her own freedom to give a fig about the War for Independence. Daniel Alloway is a former prisoner of war who will do whatever it takes to leave the colonies and his nightmares behind. I’m astounded by how much I like the cacophony in my head as these and other characters argue with me about plot and the real villain’s identity. I like — and sometimes hate — the challenge of wrestling the right words onto the page. And I appreciate the sweet irony of smiling at neighbors in local grocery store aisles while contemplating whether one of my characters should push another down the stairs. In short, I’ve discovered that writing mysteries makes me happy. It’s as simple as that. Except that it’s not.”
Now Becker wants to learn more about the craft and the business of writing mysteries. Thanks to the Burstein Scholarship, she will have an opportunity to do just that, by attending CraftFest and PitchFest this summer at ThrillerFest.
At this time, we are pleased to open applications for the second year of the scholarship. We will accept applications until September 22. We expect to award two scholarships on or about November 8.
Aspiring writers can learn more about the Leon B. Burstein Scholarship and can obtain an application by following this link. Questions about the scholarship should be sent to outreach@mwany.org.