Professor Lance McMillian, creator of the best-selling Atlanta Murder
Squad crime series, recently appeared before the Atlanta Writer’s Club to
discuss the craft of writing and his journey from recovering lawyer to law
professor to novelist. During his presentation, Professor McMillian
expounded on the tenets that make for a successful writing career,
including the need to embrace the struggle as part of the creative process
and the requirement of being a ruthless editor of one’s own work. He also
extolled the freedom of fiction to explore important social issues in ways not
available when confined to the box of traditional academic scholarship.
The Atlanta Writer’s Club was founded in 1914 and is the oldest,
largest, and most active organization in the Southeast dedicated to the craft
and business of writing. It has over 1,300 members. Previous speakers to
the Atlanta Writer’s Club include Pulitzer Prize Winner Natasha Trethewey,
two-time United States Poet Laureate Billy Collins, award-winning
playwright Pearl Cleage, and bestselling author Karin Slaughter.
In the past five years, Professor McMillian has published six novels:
The Murder of Sara Barton, Death to the Chief, To Kill a Lawyer, A Hard
Way to Die, The Just and the Unjust, and Street Girls. His books have
reached best-seller status on Kindle, Audible Plus, Apple Books, and Nook,
including holding the position as the #1 Best-Selling Legal Thriller in the
world.
Professor McMillian’s next novel, A Town on Trial, will be released in
the spring of 2025.