Category Archives: Fiction

“When Does the Past Become History?” (by Elizabeth Zelvin)

Posted on August 24, 2016 by somethingisgoingtohappen

Elizabeth Zelvin is the author of the well-received Bruce Kohler mystery novels. She is also a short-story writer of note, having two nominations for the Derringer and three for the Agatha award. Her stories have appeared in both EQMM and … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Books, Characters, Fiction, Genre, Guest, Historicals, History, Private Eye, Writers, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

“The Passion of Lizzie B.” (by Edward D. Hoch)

Posted on August 10, 2016 by somethingisgoingtohappen

It’s often been theorized that violent crime goes up in the summer due to higher temperatures. The murders of Andrew and Abby Borden are among the most notorious crimes committed on a hot summer day—on August 4, 1892.  Lizzie Borden, … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, Fiction, Genre, Magazine, Story | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

SUSPENSE, SERIALIZATION, AND THE SHORT STORY

Posted on August 3, 2016 by somethingisgoingtohappen

Five years ago I posted on the topic of serialization on EQMM’s webpage forum. I continue to be asked, often, whether EQMM serializes novels or novelettes. My position has always been that any piece we publish must be sufficiently self-contained … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Editing, Fiction, Genre, History, Magazine, Publishing, Readers, Suspense, Writers, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The Mysterious Secret Lost Reason For This Title (Buried Inside The Following Post!) (by Kristine Kathryn Rusch)

Posted on July 27, 2016 by somethingisgoingtohappen

Kristine Kathryn Rusch is a winner not only of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine’s Readers Award but of the comparable award given by our sister publication Asimov’s Science Fiction. Mystery and science fiction are not the only genres in which she … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Business, Editing, Fiction, Genre, Guest, Historicals, Novels, Publishing, Readers, Setting, Story, Writers, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

“Writing a New Series” (by Dave Zeltserman)

Posted on July 20, 2016 by somethingisgoingtohappen

Dave Zeltserman is the author of the Julius Katz mystery series, which began in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and has won the Shamus and multiple EQMM Readers Awards. Its next entry, “Archie on Loan,” will appear in EQMM’s 75th-anniversary issue (September/October … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Characters, Editing, Fiction, Guest, Setting, Thrillers, Writers, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

“The Story Is the Thing” (by Rand B. Lee)

Posted on June 29, 2016 by somethingisgoingtohappen

Rand B. Lee is a freelance writer living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His short stories can be found in many science-fiction anthologies, in periodicals such as The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and in the 2013 collection The … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Characters, Ellery Queen, Fiction, Genre, Guest, International | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

“The Role of Place in Creating Suspense” (by Sheila Kohler)

Posted on June 15, 2016 by somethingisgoingtohappen

Sheila Kohler is the author of fourteen books, and the winner of the Willa Cather Award and two O. Henry Prizes for her fiction. Born and raised in South Africa, she has lived in the U.S. for many years and … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Characters, Editing, Fiction, Genre, Guest, History, International, Setting, Story, Suspense, Writers, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Sisters in Crime and ‘A Currency of Generosity’” (by Leslie Budewitz)

Posted on June 8, 2016 by somethingisgoingtohappen

It’s been several years since Leslie Budewitz’s fiction has appeared in EQMM. In the intervening time she’s had stories published elsewhere, including in our sister magazine, AHMM, and she has two novel-length series running.  She tells EQMM that she “blends … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Guest, Publishing, Readers, Writers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

“In Defense of Dan Brown and Bad Sentences” (by Michael Noll)

Posted on June 1, 2016 by somethingisgoingtohappen

Michael Noll debuted in EQMM in the July 2015 issue with “The Tank Yard,” a story that was subsequently selected for the 2016 volume of Best American Mystery Stories. He is the program director at the Writers’ League of Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in Editing, Fiction, Genre, Guest, Story, Writers, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

“Fleshing Out Mysteries” by Sharon Hunt

Posted on May 25, 2016 by somethingisgoingtohappen

Sharon Hunt’s short stories had already appeared in a variety of literary magazines before her EQMM debut in August 2015 with “The Water Was Rising.” That story is currently nominated in the best-short-story category for Canada’s most prestigious award for … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Genre, Guest, Noir, Setting, Story, Suspense, Thrillers, Writers, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment