Category Archives: Writers

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 editing, literature, publishing, short stories, short story, writers, writing, writing_technique | 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 elleryqueenmm, fiction, literature, mystery, novel, short stories, short story, writers, writing_technique | 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 authors, editing, editors, elleryqueenmm, fiction, new york city, publisher's row, publishing, writing | 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 authors, editing, eqmm, fiction, mystery, publishing, short story, writers, writing, writing_technique | 6 Comments

“Writing to the Edge” (by Sandi Ault)

Posted on May 22, 2013 by somethingisgoingtohappen

Adventure is a mystery-crossover category that we haven’t discussed much yet on this blog, but we’re correcting that today. Sandi Ault’s series of novels featuring Jamaica Wild, a Bureau of Land Management agent, are chock full of adventure, as EQMM … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Characters, Fiction, Genre, Guest, Setting, Writers | Tagged adventure, animals, characters, inspiration, landscapes, novel, research, setting, shortstory, suspense, technique, wild, wildlife | 21 Comments

MYSTERY’S BUSIEST WEEK

Posted on May 8, 2013 by somethingisgoingtohappen

Last week the Mystery Writers of America held its annual Edgar Allan Poe Awards banquet in Manhattan. Each year, writers come from all across the country to attend this formal dinner and the many parties, signings, and panel discussions that … Continue reading →

Posted in Awards, Business, Conventions, Writers | Tagged ahmm, awards, celebration, convention, dell magazines, edgars, eqmm, malice, Malice Domestic, the edgars | 2 Comments

“You Do WHAT With Your Short Stories?” (by Brendan DuBois)

Posted on April 30, 2013 by somethingisgoingtohappen

EQMM has published many prolific short-story writers over the years, most notably Edward D. Hoch, who, in the course of his lifetime, sold more than 900 short stories. A tenth of that number would be a lot by just about … Continue reading →

Posted in Ellery Queen, Fiction, Guest, Writers | Tagged elleryqueenmm, eqmm, fiction, literature, shortstories, short_form, writers | 3 Comments

“On Location in Paradise” (by Hayford Peirce)

Posted on April 24, 2013 by somethingisgoingtohappen

EQMM’s August issue, which mails to print subscribers a few weeks from now, contains a story set in French Polynesia—often said to be the most beautiful region in the world. Entitled “The Lethal Leeteg,” the story forms part of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, Fiction, Guest, Historicals, History, Police Procedurals, Setting, Writers | Tagged elleryqueen, eqmm, exotic, fiction, hardboiled, short story, suspense, tahiti, technique, thriller | Leave a comment

“A Post to Burn on the IRS Fire to Warm Mystery Writers and Those Who Plan to Be” (by Jim Weikart)

Posted on April 10, 2013 by somethingisgoingtohappen

With the U.S. tax filing deadline just days away, what could be more opportune than some advice to writers from former tax accountant turned full-time mystery writer Jim Weikart? In the early 1990s, it was my privilege to acquire and … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Guest, Writers | Tagged accountant, advice, business, eqmm, fiction, financial, taxes, writers, writing | 2 Comments

“History Mystery” (by Amy Myers)

Posted on March 27, 2013 by somethingisgoingtohappen

Ellery Queen thought the historical mystery the hardest of all to write. But he must have been drawn to the form, because he produced some of our genre’s most memorable stories involving history, such as “The President’s Half Disme,” and … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, Fiction, Guest, Historicals, History, Setting, Writers | Tagged elleryqueenmm, eqmm, fiction, historical fiction, historicals, history, literature, setting, short story, writing_technique | Leave a comment