News & Events
Young Writers Meet Maine’s Mystery Man
Budding storytellers at Mercersburg’s Young Writers Camp enjoyed an evening on campus with published mystery novelist Gerry Boyle.
Boyle, the Maine-based author of the Jack McMorrow mystery series (Deadline, Bloodline, Cover Story), is a former newspaper crime reporter. His experiences and dealings with criminals, detectives, and other colorful characters led Boyle to pen his initial novel, Deadline, which produced a series of several books revolving around the character of McMorrow, a former New York Times reporter who finds action and suspense in his new home state of Maine and points beyond.
In the visit and discussion with the camp’s 34 attendees (from grades 6–9), Boyle shared experiences and insights from his journalistic background (which he called “10 years of research for my first book”), the writing/editing/publishing process, and even how he deals with writer’s block. “I’ve never had it for very long,” he said. “In the newspaper business, writer’s block really isn’t allowed.”
Boyle described the process for each of his books as “six months of research and six months of writing.” Eight of his books have been published, and he has written two more, plus the screenplay for a movie version of his book, Potshot. Initially, Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey was considering the role of McMorrow; the project is temporarily on hold.
“Writing is a lot like music,” he told the campers. “Sentences need to have some cadence to them.” He says he reads his writing out loud—“it’s very important, and I’d recommend it. You have to really like your own writing. You need to find your own voice, and believe what you write. Don’t write for what you think other people will like.”
Boyle’s books have been translated into Japanese, Danish, Czech, and Bulgarian. When he’s not writing crime fiction, Boyle is editor of the magazine at his alma mater, Colby College.
“There’s this power in creating something,” Boyle said. “I make up the story and the characters, but now, even today, I’ll get a couple of emails a day from people asking me about the characters as if they’re real.”
Campers—mostly from the Mid-Atlantic region but some from as far away as Texas and Iowa—spend nearly two weeks at Mercersburg in classes, workshops with guest speakers and visiting artists, activities, trips (which this year included an evening on a mystery train), and writing sessions. Participants can also choose from specialty workshops ranging from journalism to short fiction and poetry.
“It was great to give them the opportunity to chat with a working professional,” said Mercersburg faculty member Kate Tompkins, who directs the camp and oversees the Writing Center on campus. “Gerry doesn’t do this sort of thing much—mostly due to scheduling—but he also doesn’t like meeting groups who aren’t really serious about writing, and he said he really enjoyed our kids.”
The offerings on Mercersburg’s campus each summer include camps and instruction in a wide variety of fields, from wrestling, theatre, and robotics to tennis, intensive English programs for international students, and the popular Mercersburg Adventure Camps and Teen Adventures. Read more about Mercersburg Summer Programs.
Learn more about Gerry Boyle at his official website.
Budding storytellers at Mercersburg’s Young Writers Camp enjoyed an evening on campus with published mystery novelist Gerry Boyle.Boyle, the Maine-based author of the Jack McMorrow mystery series (Deadline, Bloodline, Cover Story), is a former newspaper crime reporter. His experiences and dealings with criminals, detectives, and other colorful characters led Boyle to pen his initial novel, Deadline, which produced a series of several books revolving around the character of McMorrow, a former New York Times reporter who finds action and suspense in his new home state of Maine and points beyond.
In the visit and discussion with the camp’s 34 attendees (from grades 6–9), Boyle shared experiences and insights from his journalistic background (which he called “10 years of research for my first book”), the writing/editing/publishing process, and even how he deals with writer’s block. “I’ve never had it for very long,” he said. “In the newspaper business, writer’s block really isn’t allowed.”
Boyle described the process for each of his books as “six months of research and six months of writing.” Eight of his books have been published, and he has written two more, plus the screenplay for a movie version of his book, Potshot. Initially, Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey was considering the role of McMorrow; the project is temporarily on hold.
“Writing is a lot like music,” he told the campers. “Sentences need to have some cadence to them.” He says he reads his writing out loud—“it’s very important, and I’d recommend it. You have to really like your own writing. You need to find your own voice, and believe what you write. Don’t write for what you think other people will like.”
Boyle’s books have been translated into Japanese, Danish, Czech, and Bulgarian. When he’s not writing crime fiction, Boyle is editor of the magazine at his alma mater, Colby College.
“There’s this power in creating something,” Boyle said. “I make up the story and the characters, but now, even today, I’ll get a couple of emails a day from people asking me about the characters as if they’re real.”
Campers—mostly from the Mid-Atlantic region but some from as far away as Texas and Iowa—spend nearly two weeks at Mercersburg in classes, workshops with guest speakers and visiting artists, activities, trips (which this year included an evening on a mystery train), and writing sessions. Participants can also choose from specialty workshops ranging from journalism to short fiction and poetry.
“It was great to give them the opportunity to chat with a working professional,” said Mercersburg faculty member Kate Tompkins, who directs the camp and oversees the Writing Center on campus. “Gerry doesn’t do this sort of thing much—mostly due to scheduling—but he also doesn’t like meeting groups who aren’t really serious about writing, and he said he really enjoyed our kids.”
The offerings on Mercersburg’s campus each summer include camps and instruction in a wide variety of fields, from wrestling, theatre, and robotics to tennis, intensive English programs for international students, and the popular Mercersburg Adventure Camps and Teen Adventures. Read more about Mercersburg Summer Programs.
Learn more about Gerry Boyle at his official website.
