Category Archives: Editing

In Praise of Short Stories: Why Should a Prospective Novelist Start by Writing Short Stories? (by John F. Dobbyn)

Posted on July 3, 2013 by somethingisgoingtohappen

Last week author Twist Phelan talked about some of the different challenges involved in writing short stories and novels.  This week, author John F. Dobbyn argues that even writers interested primarily in becoming novelists should begin by writing short stories. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Characters, Editing, Fiction, Guest, Magazine, Novels, Publishing, Writers | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Writing Novels Versus Stories: It’s Not About the Word Count (well, just a little)” (by Twist Phelan)

Posted on June 26, 2013 by somethingisgoingtohappen

Twist Phelan is a former plaintiff’s attorney whose novels, but not her short stories, often make use of her legal background. Perhaps that’s because, as you’ll see in this post, her approach to short stories is very different from her … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Books, Editing, Fiction, Guest, Novels, Setting, Writers | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Posted on June 19, 2013 by somethingisgoingtohappen

At the Malice Domestice Convention this year, I met Wildside Press publisher John Betancourt in the book room and received from him a gift of his 1993 anthology Swashbuckling Editor Stories. In John’s introduction, after noting that editors are “underpaid, … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthologies, Books, Business, Editing, Fiction, Publishing, Writers | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Free Advice from James Lincoln Warren

Posted on June 12, 2013 by somethingisgoingtohappen

On this site posts seldom involve explicit advice to writers, but James Lincoln Warren wrote an engaging piece for Criminal Brief, a blog site he founded, several years ago that we thought readers as well as writers would enjoy. He … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Editing, Fiction, Genre, Guest, Setting, Writers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

THE SCIENCE OF CRIME?

Posted on April 17, 2013 by somethingisgoingtohappen

I spent the week before last doing jury service on a medical malpractice case. After decades immersed in fictional recreations of trials and courtrooms (what mystery editor hasn’t encountered barrelsful of successors to Perry Mason), it was enlightening to see … Continue reading →

Posted in Courtroom Mysteries, Editing, Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

“Murder, He Giggled” (by Jack Fredrickson)

Posted on February 27, 2013 by somethingisgoingtohappen

Jack Fredrickson, whose fiction-writing career began in EQMM’s Department of First Stories in 2002, has gone on to write a series of award-nominated novels featuring Chicago P.I. Dek Elstrom. He has a distinctive style, creating noir  ambiance with wry prose. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Characters, Editing, Fiction, Guest, Noir, Setting, Writers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

THE WIDE WORLD OF MYSTERY FICTION

Posted on January 23, 2013 by somethingisgoingtohappen

The Edgar Allan Poe Award nominations for 2012 are out and the staff at EQMM wishes to congratulate Tom Piccirilli, author of the November 2012 EQMM story “The Void It Often Brings With It” and Teresa Solana, author of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Awards, Editing, Ellery Queen, Fiction, History, Magazine, Translation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Something Is Going To Happen” (by Cheryl Rogers)

Posted on December 12, 2012 by somethingisgoingtohappen

In her post for us this week, Australian Cheryl Rogers describes herself as a new writer. That may be true in terms of the length of time she’s been at it, but she is already a well-recognized writer of short … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, Editing, Fiction, Setting, Writers | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

“Looking Back on a Half-Century Love Affair with EQMM” (by Josh Pachter)

Posted on December 5, 2012 by somethingisgoingtohappen

Josh Pachter falls into an unofficial group connected to EQMM that he doesn’t mention in the following post: most valued friends of the magazine.  He started out in the category we treasure most of all: devoted EQMM reader. From there, by the trail of events … Continue reading →

Posted in Conventions, Editing, Guest, History, Magazine, Writers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

“Does It Ever Get Easier?” (by Michael Z. Lewin)

Posted on September 26, 2012 by somethingisgoingtohappen

An award-winning writer of novels, short stories, poems, radio plays, and stage plays, Michael Z. Lewin has the experience to speak knowledgably of the writing life. In his post this week he considers a writer’s need to connect with other … Continue reading →

Posted in Editing, Fiction, Guest, Writers | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments