18 September 2021

Ten Years at SS


  

As you know from my friend Brian Thornton's post yesterday, we Sayers of Sleuth have been at it for ten years now. None of us who started the blog, way back then, knew if it would work or not, and if it would be even half as successful and as enjoyable (to us) as its predecessor, Criminal Brief, had been. All we knew for sure is that we had a good group and we all loved mystery fiction. (By the way, Brian, thanks for the kind words.)

Since I was chosen by my SleuthSayers co-conspirators to "kick off" our new blog with the first column on September 17, 2011, I've been asked to write today about what the blog has meant to me over this past decade (plus one day). The request caught me by surprise, because the anniversary caught me by surprise. Until then, I'd never thought much about how long we've been doing this. Most of the thinking I've done about the blog was probably along the lines of How in the world will I come up with something to write about for my next post?

There have been a lot of them. FYI for those of you who don't read us: I post a SleuthSayers column every first, third, and fifth Saturday, whether I have anything meaningful to say or not--and when I totaled them up the other day (not counting "guest posts" done by my writer friends), it came to 258 columns. Most of those have been on the subject of short mystery stories because that's what I write most. Others were about novels, some were about movies, and some were my random thoughts about the mystery genre or the writing life or the writing process. Looking back over the posts, I found that a surprising number were about style--punctuation, grammar, spelling, capitalization, abbreviation, sentence construction, paragraph construction, word choice, word usage, etc. The kinds of things that I hated during high school English classes but that I now realize are vitally important. At least if you want to get published regularly.

Some of the columns I most enjoyed writing: "Deja Vu All Over Again," about "writing tight"; "The Washed and the Unwashed," about literary fiction vs. genre fiction; Crime (and Other) Scenes," about favorite movies; and "Candy Is Dandy," about the late Ogden Nash.

As for what the blog has meant to me as a writer, here are a few things (besides our fantastic salary) that come to mind:

I've made friends who are now dear to me. Some only online, but many face-to-face as well. At every Bouchercon I've attended I've run into fellow SleuthSayers and "commenters," and when we meet in person it's as if we've known each other for years. Which we have, in a way, because of many, many blog posts, emails, and Facebook messages. I won't name names here because I would certainly miss someone, but you know who you are--and I will always treasure your friendship.

I've learned a lot about the craft of writing. The folks who post and guest-post at SleuthSayers read and write all kinds of fiction, not just mysteries, and many of them have great tips about how to create effective short stories and novels. Some of this stuff you can't find in the style manuals and the how-to books.

I've found out about new markets to target for my stories, as well as helpful facts about publications I was already familiar with. Some of these markets are not well known, and even if they are, the insider information is sometimes the kind they don't include in their submission guidelines.

I've discovered stories, books, and movies I would otherwise never have read or watched. All of us like to pass along recommendations based on what we've enjoyed or learned from, and when you hear these suggestions from those whose opinions you've come to trust, it makes a difference.

I've been forced to write to a deadline. When you know you have to produce an article of around 1000 words at least once every couple weeks, it keeps the writing muscles working. It's nothing like the pressure of a daily-newspaper deadline, but it's still something you're expected to create and deliver on time, and it means you can't just take long breaks from writing. I think that kind of discipline also helps in producing fiction, and is one of the reasons I've been able to turn out so many short stories.

In addition to all these things, I've had a chance to tell others about my own writing. Often that means giving them a behind-the-scenes view of my stories, and sharing whatever information I've picked up about the writing and marketing of those stories. That usually leads to a discussion, and I usually wind up learning more than I'm trying to teach. The bottom line: To be able to reach and swap views with a large number of readers and fellow writers on a regular basis is a rare opportunity, and as a member of SleuthSayers I have that.

In closing, I'd like to thank a few folks. One is James Lincoln Warren, who was the Head Fred at our Criminal Brief blog (without CB there would've been no SleuthSayers) and who was kind enough to recruit me to write the Saturday columns there, back in 2007. JLW, you might not be running the factory anymore, but you're still my hero. Special thanks also to my old friends and SS colleagues Leigh Lundin and Robert Lopresti for putting up with my foolishness and my stupid questions for ten years (fourteen, actually) and to all the other SleuthSayers as well, present and former. If you look at that list, you'll see that it includes some of the best mystery writers anywhere.

I can sense that Velma, our longtime and bossy assistant/receptionist/first-sergeant, is rolling her eyes and signaling me to wind this up, so I will. My final and most important thank-you is to our faithful readers. Your friendship and loyalty is much appreciated by us all.

I hope you'll stay with us for ten more years.





21 comments:

  1. Awwwww! Thanks, John! I agree with everything here! It's been a wonderful ten years! I remember the Criminal Brief days and I became friends online and later met face-to-face several of the writers and posters here! Here's to another ten years! (Remember nine years ago, I told you folks I was toasting your first anniversary with glasses of Miralax? Drinking tea tonight!

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    1. Jeff, all this wouldn't have been the same without you! Thanks for hanging with us, all these years.

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  2. Ten years! Your blogs have been a big, big part of the Sleuthsayers' success!

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    1. Yours too, Janice--thank you! And I'm so grateful to the readers who have stayed with us for this crazy trip.

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  3. Ten years! Your blogs have been a big, big part of the Sleuthsayers' success!

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  4. Speaking as a non-writer...I'm glad I found you all (I think via Rob Lopresti), It's introduced me to writers I wasn't aware of. Learning about how you all think about your writing has been fascinating (I used to be married to a writer of romance novels; she never talked about the process, which, in retrospect...). Long may you write.

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    1. I'm glad you found us, too, Don. I've always been surprised at how many non-writers tune in to SS, and we're all grateful to you. Long may you read!!

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  5. The only thing better than writing is writing about writing. With friends you can learn from (Or, is that "friends from whom you can learn?"). I drink my coffee, read the morning paper, then check the Sleuthsayers blog every morning. Then my day has officially begun.

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    1. Glad to hear it's part of your routine, Steve. I agree that it's fun to talk about the writing process, and I always seem to learn more than I teach in any kind of writing discussion.

      Go ahead, now--start your day.

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  6. It's been a good ride. See you all in person at some writers conference when we gather in person again.

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    1. It sure has, R.T. Yep, looking forward to getting with you again, in better times. I sure enjoyed our visits in Dallas and at other Bouchercons. Take care!

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  7. Ten years and still Sleuthsaying! Congrats on a big success. And we'd be lost without your wisdom, John.

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    1. Ha! Bob, you are too kind. I'm pleased SS is still blowin and goin, but I'm not sure my wisdom, such as it is, had much to do with it. Thank you, though.

      I'm especially glad you're part of the lineup. Keep up the good work!

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  8. Ten years - congratulations! I always love your blogs, and your stories, and I'm so proud to be able to be a part of this with you.

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    1. Likewise, Eve--thank you! I believe all of us are proud of what SleuthSayers has managed to deliver over the years. Keep writing those great columns!

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  9. Happy Anniversary! Thanks for being part of such a great blog.

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    1. Thank you, Judy. Thanks also for stopping in here regularly.

      Have a good week!

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  10. John, it was a fabulous stroke of luck for me to draw the Saturday slot as your SleuthSayers buddy ten years ago. And I'm so glad to be back after my sabbatical, even if not on Saturdays. Buddies forever, huh?

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    1. Buddies forever. And you weren't the only one glad that you came back, by the way.

      It really really doesn't seem like ten years, does it?

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  11. Hi John,
    Congrats on 10 years! In your article, you mention there have been many submissions with “great tips about how to create effective short stories.” Are there any you recall so strongly, you’d recommend them to someone new to the SleuthSlayers site?
    Thanks,
    Dan

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