Out & About: Seton Hill hosts author Gretchen McNeil
The Seton Hill University Performing Arts Center in Greensburg has hosted many diverse events, including ballets and operas, but the Jan. 9 talk on a Lifetime TV horror film was a first. Seton Hill's Writing Popular Fiction graduate program hosted young adult suspense writer Gretchen McNeil for “Killing It With Words,” a lecture on her path from unknown novelist to source creator of the television movie “Ten: Murder Island.”
McNeil is no stranger to concert halls, having begun her professional career as an opera and circus performer.
Pop fiction program director Nicole Peeler introduced McNeil, who touched on the pros and cons of writing with a film in mind, the realities of optioning one's work and a few insider stories from the making of the film.
McNeil's latest book, “#MurderTrending,” will be released in 2018. When asked why she embraced young adult horror, McNeil said she read horror as a teenager, and she wanted to make sure there were still thrilling and scary options in an era “where vampires are boyfriends and werewolves are sexy.”
A post-lecture reception and book-signing followed, coordinated by Wendy Lynn, Katya Shaffer and Alicia DiPaolo.
Seen: Albert Wendland, Michael Arnzen, Anne Harris, Derek andSarah McElfresh, Kate Surles, Heidi Ruby Miller, Jason Jack Miller, Lee Tobin McClain, Victor Cypert, George Galuschak, L.J. Longo, Ashley Stern, Tacoma Tomilson, Jeremiah Cook, Lucas Click, Cathy Matuszak, Dana Jackson, Michael Roby, Felicia Kissel and Kali Dedominicis.
Greg Kerestan is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.
