tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post6663021233014608016..comments2024-03-28T10:16:38.716-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: Going to Work in ShortsLeigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-86633855197293765022021-06-07T22:55:14.497-04:002021-06-07T22:55:14.497-04:00Hey Art -- Thanks for checking in. Hey, nobody ev...Hey Art -- Thanks for checking in. Hey, nobody ever said writing would make us rich, right?<br /><br />Congrats once again on the recent anniversary, and hi to Tara!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-90638831573624365072021-06-07T09:33:46.766-04:002021-06-07T09:33:46.766-04:00Great post! And thanks for the shout-out too, of c...Great post! And thanks for the shout-out too, of course. :-)<br />Agree on so many points here--including that downside. (No zillion dollars in my account yet....) And appreciate your perspectives, as always--inspiring and motivating!Art Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02409008167752619352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-31076484891037931472021-06-05T15:36:25.539-04:002021-06-05T15:36:25.539-04:00:):)Barb Goffmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16013123434790272424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-48030561904194606902021-06-05T14:17:00.257-04:002021-06-05T14:17:00.257-04:00Michael, I didn't start writing until long aft...Michael, I didn't start writing until long after you did, and I found out fairly soon that there's usually not much money in writing short stories. BUT I also discovered that, as you said, there are always a few markets that pay more than others, and if a writer's lucky enough to get a foothold in one of those (in my case it was Woman's World) it can pay really well. <br /><br />And yes, as surprising as it is, there do seem to be more short-story opportunities out there at the moment than a few years ago. Maybe that's because of the anthology possibilities, which I really believe have increased, but thanks to some of the newer mystery magazines there also seem to be a good many mag markets as well, if you look hard enough. <br /><br />I continue to be impressed by writers like you, who can make a living only from writing and writing-related jobs. More power to you!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-60777927673076379082021-06-05T13:35:50.831-04:002021-06-05T13:35:50.831-04:00One of the key reasons I concentrated on short sto...One of the key reasons I concentrated on short stories early on—and this relates to your comment about "time saving"—is that my income from short stories exceeded my income from novels. I was selling short stories to nationally distributed consumer magazines that paid a few hundred to several hundred dollars per story, and I was, for a time, selling several stories each month. My novels, which on average took five years from first word to published book, were published by small presses that didn't pay advances.<br /><br />A handful of novels still generate royalties and, until recently, short story reprints were few and far between. So, in the short term, short stories were the best bet. In the long term, who knows? Maybe some of the novels will continue generating royalties and the sum total might someday make for a nice bottom line.<br /><br />Alas, the short story markets have changed. While there seems to be an increase in the number of markets for short stories, they don't often pay particularly well.Michael Brackenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01072019804281421944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-12803010648332352832021-06-05T13:25:18.933-04:002021-06-05T13:25:18.933-04:00Hey RT. Yep, I can see how those memories of law-...Hey RT. Yep, I can see how those memories of law-enforcement operations could trigger story thoughts, especially mystery/crime stories. And, like you, I always read a LOT as a kid. Sometimes too much: I can remember sitting in the swing on our front porch in the summertime, shelling beans or peas in a giant bowl in my lap with a book propped open on the far side of the bowl, and paying a lot more attention to whatever action was happening on the page than the work I was supposedly doing at the same time. <br /><br />Whatever it was that led us to do what we do now, in our writing, I guess it paid off.<br /><br />Thanks for the comment. Take care, and stay in touch! John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-85256600970341054732021-06-05T12:31:43.471-04:002021-06-05T12:31:43.471-04:00I think you covered all the many good and few bad ...I think you covered all the many good and few bad points about writing short stories. Plus, everyone’s comments said pretty much what I was going to say. That’s the problem with being last to show up at the party. And, Josh explained quite well how he and I are more apt to write short, since we both seem to be Short Attention Span. It’s nice to be in such great company.<br /><br />Other than the fact that I read a lot as a kid, I think my urge to write short stories comes from the after actions of an operation where we would gather in a bar to analyze what went right and what went wrong and how we could do it better the next time. Invariably, the evening ended with seeing who could tell the funniest or oddest (short) story about the actions or reactions of one of the evening’s defendants, agents, cops or civilians on site. Some of these stories almost became legendary. All fodder to put in print.<br />R.T. Lawtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15523486296396710227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-1548706315410266202021-06-05T12:02:55.831-04:002021-06-05T12:02:55.831-04:00Bob, I should've put you in my list!
Like yo...Bob, I should've put you in my list! <br /><br />Like you, I read a lot of short stories, but I do still read novels also. (I've even been re-reading a lot of novels, by favorite authors.) I find that most of the short stories I read are from the mystery magazines and from the many anthologies that have been published recently.<br /><br />Thanks for stopping in. Keep up the good work!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-51066535565530975522021-06-05T11:36:44.979-04:002021-06-05T11:36:44.979-04:00Well put, John.
When I was younger, I read primar...Well put, John.<br /><br />When I was younger, I read primarily novels, and that's what I struggled to write (emphasis on "struggle"). Though I always wrote short stories, now that is all that I write, and pretty much all that I read.<br />rjpetyohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01456461141590991475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-82553058903965390502021-06-05T11:18:43.088-04:002021-06-05T11:18:43.088-04:00Sorry about the problem with commenting via your p...Sorry about the problem with commenting via your phone, Josh. Blogger does have a tendency to eat comments now and then. Glad you tried it a different way.<br /><br />Yes, I know that quote, and it does sound like BS, but I get his point. Less really is better, at times. And I think it's interesting that you took your unsold novel and whittled it down to a story you sold to EQMM!! (One usually hears of a short story that got so long it turned into a novel.) Maybe I need to try shortening my novel-length projects and see what happens . . .<br /><br />No cicadas for us this time, down here. Last time we had them, though, they were so loud I couldn't hear myself think. (There has to be a story in that, somewhere.) <br /><br />Thanks as always!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-18886475215552150342021-06-05T11:05:10.822-04:002021-06-05T11:05:10.822-04:00Barb, I've always envied those who knew at an ...Barb, I've always envied those who knew at an early age that they wanted to be writers. I didn't see the light until I was in my forties and well into a different career--though I'm probably lucky, incomewise, that things happened in that order. As for the fast turnaround, that (as I said) is one of the big reasons I love writing the short stuff. I'd never thought about the similarity to newspaper pieces, but you're right. I don't much like long, long projects (of any kind).<br /><br />By the way, you were the first writer I thought of when I started putting together my little list of those who write ONLY shorts. I'm not saying I'll never write another novel, but the short stories are truly my first love.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-12005408022191527492021-06-05T10:59:48.256-04:002021-06-05T10:59:48.256-04:00I tried to respond to this on my phone, John, but ...I tried to respond to this on my phone, John, but it ate all of my words, so I'm trying again from my desktop computer.<br /><br />Yes, I write exclusively short stories, and I agree with every word you said about the why of it and the rewards of it.<br /><br />In my case, I'd add that, since I have a demanding full-time day job and at least a mild case of ADD, I don't think I — hey, check out that squirrel! — what was I saying? — oh, right, I don't think I have the time or the focus to write a novel.<br /><br />Some wit — Oscar Wilde? Dwight D. Eisenhower? — once said he only wrote novels when he didn't have enough time to write short stories. (Actually, Ike said it about long vs. short letters, but his point was the same.) That is indeed a witty comment, but — at least from my perspective — it's bs. I can write a marketable short story in anything from a day to a couple of weeks, but the one time I tried to write a novel (which I finished, but which never sold until I cut so much out of it that it turned out to be a short story EQMM bought and published) it took me forever and a day to complete, and every single step of that journey was agony. Lesson learned? Why devote a huge amount of time to doing something I don't enjoy? So back to short stories I went, and that's where I remain to this — wow, those cicadas are loud!joshpachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12123432071405643210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-21124142202054201882021-06-05T10:58:25.239-04:002021-06-05T10:58:25.239-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.joshpachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12123432071405643210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-21387275853420924742021-06-05T10:57:17.942-04:002021-06-05T10:57:17.942-04:00Adam, you are another of those writers who seem to...Adam, you are another of those writers who seem to have found success in both worlds (long writing and short), and that's a good thing. I can certainly see how shorts would provide a "break" for you, between long projects, and it's interesting that you like doing both.<br /><br />Thanks as always for the observations.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-19657681781106783202021-06-05T10:54:18.920-04:002021-06-05T10:54:18.920-04:00Joe, I too like switching around from mysteries to...Joe, I too like switching around from mysteries to SF to westerns, etc.--though I write more mystery/crime than anything else--and I think it helps. I know it helps keep me from getting in too much of a rut.<br /><br />As for anthologies, that's a good point. It's always fun to see authors you know in Table of Contents with you, and when there are those you don't know, it's fun to find out about them and read their stories (and get to know them). Something I find interesting is that there seem to be so many more anthology opportunities out there now than in the past. And therefore more markets for our stories.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-83275335326278734632021-06-05T10:12:39.509-04:002021-06-05T10:12:39.509-04:00Hi, John. Thanks for mentioning me. I love writing...Hi, John. Thanks for mentioning me. I love writing short stories because they fit with my personality well. I like the faster pace than someone who is writing a novel will find themselves in. When I was in college I knew I wanted to work in written media, but I didn't know what kind. So I interned for a summer at a monthly magazine, and that was not the right fit for me. You spent an entire month just working on one issue, on one article. So I then moved to newspapers and I loved the fast turnaround. I loved coming up with an idea and researching it and writing it and the next day it came out in the paper. And then I'd do the whole thing all over again. It all just fit with me so much better. And writing short stories is so similar.Barb Goffmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02172124872936856806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-27645152334693537722021-06-05T10:03:04.137-04:002021-06-05T10:03:04.137-04:00John, fascinating to see your thinking on writing ...John, fascinating to see your thinking on writing short -- and I totally get the appeal! Although I started out writing short stories, I gave them up for about a decade to work on longer projects like novels and screenplays. Eventually, I found that I missed short fiction. These days, I write short stories either as a way to escape the grind of a long project or in the gaps between longer projects. And I love doing them! Plus, every once in a while they become the seed for something longer .... Adam Meyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13002576075065193119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-69529391184110692952021-06-05T10:02:17.680-04:002021-06-05T10:02:17.680-04:00Thanks for the shout-out, John! Absolutely agree ...Thanks for the shout-out, John! Absolutely agree with everything you say here, especially the part about the fun and flexibility of shorts. Last week I was writing a story about international Lego smuggling (an actual thing that happens); this week I'm writing a horror story set in 1826; next week, if all goes according to plan, I'll be doing a Holmes pastiche. Getting to try out all these different voices and settings makes it a pleasure to go to the keyboard every day.<br /><br />I'd add another item to your list of advantages: socializing. Publishing in anthologies and magazines gives you a chance to get to know a lot of editors, as well as the other authors involved. Not only does this make writing a little less solitary, but it can lead to real friendships (and, not incidentally, sometimes additional writing opportunities). This has been especially important to me during this time of not being able to go to conferences or signings.Joe Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06317560144998411460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-7105767953739696542021-06-05T09:48:52.653-04:002021-06-05T09:48:52.653-04:00Hey Susan. Good point! In fact I know several no...Hey Susan. Good point! In fact I know several novelists who "tried out" their series character first in a short story. And yep, there's no wasting of words or romps through the literary daisies in a short story. Or shouldn't be. <br /><br />Thanks for stopping in, and for adding to the list of advantages of the short stuff.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-89118912055263007052021-06-05T09:43:35.973-04:002021-06-05T09:43:35.973-04:00I enjoy short stories for a number of reasons one ...I enjoy short stories for a number of reasons one of which you didn't mention here. In a short piece I can test an idea for a series character or a new setting. The short form requires precision in every aspect, no wandering around for twenty pages trying to figure out (Oops! "explore") what a character thinks or feels. It either works or it doesn't. There's a lot of room in a novel, unfortunately, for a writer to get it not quite right while the overall story is pretty good. Can't do that in a short story. In sum, John, I like shorts for all the reasons you gave and a few more.Susan Oleksiwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02693057997469296068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-42635011318433747592021-06-05T09:43:02.867-04:002021-06-05T09:43:02.867-04:00That's kind of you, Steve. But I do envy folk...That's kind of you, Steve. But I do envy folks like you and O'Neil and so many others who write both short and long and are able to do both well.<br /><br />Thanks as always.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-41994134305673255202021-06-05T09:40:45.787-04:002021-06-05T09:40:45.787-04:00Good thought, Eve. I too grew up around storytell...Good thought, Eve. I too grew up around storytellers, both in and outside the family. That kind of thing probably does contribute to the way we now tell our own stories.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-31851722882308196372021-06-05T09:38:26.069-04:002021-06-05T09:38:26.069-04:00Ambidextrous and multi-talented, O'Neil. You ...Ambidextrous and multi-talented, O'Neil. You and so many of our mutual friends are able to balance their writing of novels and shorts, and use both to, as you said, move forward. My mind is just better able to handle the shorter stuff. Keep doin' what you're doin'.<br /><br />By the way, the biggest mystery about this mystery blog is the way Blogger seems to handle the entry of comments. Sorry for the bother.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-85623243856634561272021-06-05T09:12:50.818-04:002021-06-05T09:12:50.818-04:00Said it all here, John. Really hard to argue with ...Said it all here, John. Really hard to argue with the success of you and everyone else you mention here, too.Steve Liskowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07107703903536520140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-37817658766431824512021-06-05T09:05:46.969-04:002021-06-05T09:05:46.969-04:00Huzzah for shorts! I think the main reason I writ...Huzzah for shorts! I think the main reason I write short stories is because I grew up in a house where everyone was 40 years older than I was, and everyone was a pretty good story teller. Oral stories are short, but they pack a punch. Same with written. Eve Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015761600962360110noreply@blogger.com