tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post540951979150569314..comments2024-03-29T07:25:04.687-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: Happy in My ShortsLeigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-34699625753713282032022-12-05T19:28:11.662-05:002022-12-05T19:28:11.662-05:00Thanks, Shirley. How true. I can't help thinki...Thanks, Shirley. How true. I can't help thinking of the times that I've read a novel that SHOULD've been a short story. And yes, I think anyone can write short--a good story doesn't have to be a long story.<br /><br />Thanks so much for stopping in at SleuthSayers!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-34077899003250726442022-12-05T15:17:01.482-05:002022-12-05T15:17:01.482-05:00Great post, John. So many of my writer friends te...Great post, John. So many of my writer friends tell me they can't write short. I always assure them they can if they try. I started on shorts and continue to write them. As you said, they are just fun to write.<br />Shirleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04337958837908666504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-64496258147098921082022-12-05T14:26:58.539-05:002022-12-05T14:26:58.539-05:00Yes!Yes!Jeff Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00316081079528920123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-50490799101537506902022-12-05T13:13:06.039-05:002022-12-05T13:13:06.039-05:00Hey Jeff. Yep, wealth and fame are usually not the...Hey Jeff. Yep, wealth and fame are usually not the short-story writer's (or any writer's) reward.<br /><br />I agree with you about writing as therapy. I wrote and sold more stories during my recovery period from surgery in 2018 and during the pandemic in 2020 than in any other time in my life. It really does help.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-53186590115643176442022-12-05T00:08:46.535-05:002022-12-05T00:08:46.535-05:00Yup! I write mainly short stories and it can be fu...Yup! I write mainly short stories and it can be fun and therapeutic when things aren't going well. Just sit down and lose yourself in another world. And, John, your article reminded me of lines from the old Spider-Man cartoon theme: "Wealth and fame/he's ignored/Action is/his reward." Keep up the good work, John!Jeff Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00316081079528920123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-80325527379683069452022-12-04T14:20:48.358-05:002022-12-04T14:20:48.358-05:00Writing short stories (especially flash fiction) i...Writing short stories (especially flash fiction) is not hard work, it's fun. But writing novels can be excruciating. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-54163911393607476852022-12-04T13:17:03.299-05:002022-12-04T13:17:03.299-05:00Melodie, they are truly a pleasure--guilty or not....Melodie, they are truly a pleasure--guilty or not. Like you, I just love writing short stories, to the point that I feel lost if I'm not working on one, either in my head or on the keyboard. <br /><br />I think the reason shorts are so much fun really does lie in the fact that you can try things that are SO different, so often. You can write an SF story one week, a mystery the next, a Western the next, etc., and the freedom to do that is what keeps it from getting old. I certainly admire your success with novels as well, but it's just hard for me to hang with one project as long as it takes to finish a satisfactory novel. <br /><br />Keep doing what you're doing--it's obviously working! And thank you for the comment! John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-32033822728373244952022-12-04T13:10:24.440-05:002022-12-04T13:10:24.440-05:00Hey Rick--many thanks for stopping in, here.
As ...Hey Rick--many thanks for stopping in, here. <br /><br />As I said to O'Neil, you also are one of those writer friends I think of first when someone talks about success with BOTH stories and novels. Your track record with both--and with awards for both--is outstanding. And because I'm not a novelist (I have two out with an agent, but they are so far unsold), I wasn't fully aware of the amount of promotion demanded by publishing a novel. But what you say makes sense. And I suspect most of that demand on the author's time and money is more now than ever before.<br /><br />Thanks for the insider view--and best to you and family!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-74395280908788030262022-12-04T13:02:54.090-05:002022-12-04T13:02:54.090-05:00Judy, I might say the same thing you did in your f...Judy, I might say the same thing you did in your first two sentences, just exchanging your words a bit: "I have the utmost respect for novel writers. I've written a few and I find it to be more difficult than writing a short story." I do applaud you for your success with novels, and also for your editing skills in those anthologies you've done. Your talents are many! <br /><br />Thanks as always for the thoughts--have a great Christmas.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-8376176484172277522022-12-04T11:40:41.972-05:002022-12-04T11:40:41.972-05:00Melodie here. Yes, there is room for both, John, ...Melodie here. Yes, there is room for both, John, and in fact, I had sold 24 short stories before I even started to write novels! To this day, after 17 novels, I consider short stories my guilty little pleasure. Into my 70s with short stories now (the number of stories, not my age!!) and I enjoy writing them SO much more than novels! I know. Don't tell my publisher - grin.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-36829333568845428082022-12-04T11:09:13.941-05:002022-12-04T11:09:13.941-05:00One other huge advantage to writing short stories:...One other huge advantage to writing short stories: As an author, you don't have to spend a penny to promote them. I've published 22 novels over the last 23 years, and haven't made a penny in profit from any of them, because novel publishers expect authors to bear the lion's share of the promotions and publicity on their own nickel. Just attending Thrillerfest and Bouchercon in a single year can eat up an entire book advance--IF you were lucky enough to get one. With short stories, you write them, fire and forget, pocket the check, do a little social networking (FREE!) to publicize the story, and it's off to the next project. Writing short stories can provide a tidy side gig income. For most novelists, writing is an expensive hobby. Richard Helmshttp://www.richardhelms.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-18733538744946404842022-12-04T09:20:36.225-05:002022-12-04T09:20:36.225-05:00I have the utmost respect for short story writers....I have the utmost respect for short story writers. I've written a few and I find it to be far more difficult than writing a novel. There's no dipsy doodling allowed! In fact, at this point in my published life, I believe I have as many novels as short stories published. It is a real skill and I am far from skilled. But I love reading short fiction, crime fiction in particular. Judy Penz Shelukhttp://www.judypenzsheluk.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-1833890434707974752022-12-03T17:26:09.540-05:002022-12-03T17:26:09.540-05:00Good point, Nathan. Anthology submission calls are...Good point, Nathan. Anthology submission calls are indeed a great way to test the waters and to make valuable editor/publisher contacts. They're also a good way to connect with other writers, especially when you're starting out. One of the first anthologies a story of mine appeared in (Seven by Seven, Wolfmont Press), was an antho about the Seven Deadly Sins with seven stories each by seven authors in seven different states, and over the years a few of those other six writers--Frank Scalise, Deborah Elliott-Upton, BJ Bourg, etc., became some of my closest e-friends. Even now, I try to stay updated on what anthologies are coming out and when, and I submit to them whenever possible.<br /><br />Thanks so much for chiming in, here!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-20797653331138633912022-12-03T16:51:51.024-05:002022-12-03T16:51:51.024-05:00One of the things I loved the most about writing s...One of the things I loved the most about writing shorter fiction was how I got to "try out" various publishers and editors via anthology calls. When I did decide to write a novel, I already had a list of people I (a) knew I'd enjoy working with, (b) trusted to be professional, and (c) knew me already. While I see less and less open calls for anthologies these days, it's a great way to dip your toes and learn how publishing works. 'Nathan Burgoinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02172408588645074002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-33603266713125496032022-12-03T16:45:36.823-05:002022-12-03T16:45:36.823-05:00Hey, Chuck, *I* know how wonderful you are. And wh...Hey, Chuck, *I* know how wonderful you are. And who knows, maybe one day we will all be rich and/or famous. <br /><br />The time-constraint point is a good one. When I think of how many short stories I can write in the length of time it would take me to craft a satisfying (to me) novel, it does make me believe that I'm doing the right thing by concentrating on shorts. And yes, it IS entertaining to me the writer--I truly do enjoy it. And why *shouldn't* we have fun with all this? My friend Josh Pachter often reminds me that writing IS work, and he's right--but it's work that has to be, or at least should be, fun as well. <br /><br />Thanks as always, Chuck.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-29972826758121056972022-12-03T16:35:50.116-05:002022-12-03T16:35:50.116-05:00Well said!! And how true. I've never thought a...Well said!! And how true. I've never thought about it exactly that way--but I'll certainly remember it. I agree completely, and yes, that freedom to write about wildly different things and times and places and people makes all this a lot more fun. <br /><br />You are of course another writer who's had great success with both shorts and longs. No small feat.<br /><br />Thanks so much for the thoughts!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-6870583558901507102022-12-03T16:26:44.292-05:002022-12-03T16:26:44.292-05:00Right on point, John!
I write shorts mainly due ...Right on point, John! <br /><br />I write shorts mainly due to time constraints, but also because I really enjoy the form and its flexibility. <br /><br />And since we're not going to be rich or famous either way, we should write what we enjoy and entertain ourselves, and hope the rest of the world is finally smart enough to see how wonderful we are. lolChuck B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10440314005099700273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-60677175461845466272022-12-03T14:18:37.912-05:002022-12-03T14:18:37.912-05:00Oops--forgot to add my last name: PhelanOops--forgot to add my last name: PhelanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-25622945970006164372022-12-03T14:17:50.764-05:002022-12-03T14:17:50.764-05:00I enjoy the challenge of revealing character in a ...I enjoy the challenge of revealing character in a few brief strokes in a short story, of bringing an idea home in a few pages, to an ending that is both surprising and inevitable. Novels and short stories serve two different needs. Do you prefer to spend an evening reminiscing about your youth with a childhood friend, or to hear someone you love say, "I missed you" when you come home after a long trip? You enjoy both. If your childhood friend only said, "I missed you" all evening, or your sweetheart recounted every detail of everything he did while you were gone, it might not be so pleasant. Ideas for stories are the same—is this an idea that sustains a novel? Or better kept short and sweet? Finn Teller has developed into who she is over five novels (and two stories) now—I know her voice, her world. On the other hand, I'm free to write about the NYSE in the 90s, or from the point of view of an antique bureau (yes, talking furniture) in a short story. I can try to stretch as a writer in either form. Twisthttps://twistphelan.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-61114193818325903582022-12-03T10:59:20.758-05:002022-12-03T10:59:20.758-05:00The folks at the bar don't pay you for them?
...The folks at the bar don't pay you for them? <br /><br />R.T., considering your law-enforcement past, I bet the characters in your stories DO get a name-change before they appear in print. But what a great background you have for generating stories! As for our fantasy world . . . it is fun, isn't it?John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-35528457477841765632022-12-03T10:55:16.371-05:002022-12-03T10:55:16.371-05:00Aha. Should've suspected that was you.Aha. Should've suspected that was you.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-2431182527161819502022-12-03T10:54:12.621-05:002022-12-03T10:54:12.621-05:00Absolutely love Bradbury's short stories. And ...Absolutely love Bradbury's short stories. And Fredric Brown, and lots of their fellow mainly-science-fiction writers.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-9320289545300213212022-12-03T10:51:25.764-05:002022-12-03T10:51:25.764-05:00Ha! Don't worry, I won't be wearing them a...Ha! Don't worry, I won't be wearing them again until April or so.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-75682106238685758472022-12-03T10:47:59.330-05:002022-12-03T10:47:59.330-05:00John, I think you covered SHORTS quite well. Thank...John, I think you covered SHORTS quite well. Thank you.<br /><br />As for me, I consider myself as telling short stories to friends over drinks. it's just that I sometimes get paid for these stories when I put them on paper. Mostly, the character's names and settings do get changed before the words get typed. And yes, it is a fun fantasy world to live in.R.T. Lawtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15523486296396710227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-15950423273290773092022-12-03T10:43:28.937-05:002022-12-03T10:43:28.937-05:00I forgot to sign in for the above anonymous commen...I forgot to sign in for the above anonymous comment.Larry Chavisnoreply@blogger.com