tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post9104733196074632239..comments2024-03-27T23:53:59.771-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: Mixing GenresLeigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-44156826720353772302022-07-19T04:11:58.295-04:002022-07-19T04:11:58.295-04:00No problem! You seriously won't regret it!No problem! You seriously won't regret it!Jeff Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00316081079528920123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-12246804326695973812022-07-18T22:12:24.005-04:002022-07-18T22:12:24.005-04:00Jeff, I ordered the whole Night Gallery series on ...Jeff, I ordered the whole Night Gallery series on DVD a few minutes ago. It'll be here later this week. Much obliged for the recommendation.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-15922534425129796712022-07-18T21:57:57.078-04:002022-07-18T21:57:57.078-04:00You sold me, Jeff. I'll order them via Amazon....You sold me, Jeff. I'll order them via Amazon. <br /><br />Thanks!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-51050076206548587152022-07-18T20:04:54.869-04:002022-07-18T20:04:54.869-04:00John, I will recommend the Night Gallery DVDs. The...John, I will recommend the Night Gallery DVDs. The show (at its best) is worth it, even if you get a used copy! The tv reruns are unnecessarily hacked-up, and not only are these episodes whole and remastered but the set includes one they had to reconstruct (the one with Will Geer having some gleeful fun!) It also has the original tv movie and an Easter Egg of Serling in the Gallery mugging for the camera!Jeff Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00316081079528920123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-31109001473083136352022-07-18T08:59:52.515-04:002022-07-18T08:59:52.515-04:00Joseph -- Good to hear from you!
I'm not at ...Joseph -- Good to hear from you! <br /><br />I'm not at all surprised to hear that most of your mystery stories have been cross-genre. I think most of mine are also, at least in recent years. And I've found that the fun of writing a story often translates into the fun of reading it. In other words, if you found the story interesting to write, others will find it interesting to read. (I'm sure that's not always true, but I think it often is.) And introducing additional genres is usually interesting.<br /><br />Keep up the good work!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-44553118143570620712022-07-18T08:54:20.531-04:002022-07-18T08:54:20.531-04:00Jeff, I too watched "The Grave" again no...Jeff, I too watched "The Grave" again not long ago--as I think I told you, I bought a set of all the TZ episodes on DVD, and I love 'em. I've been debating whether to buy the Night Gallery series also, because I recall a lot of good stories there too. I do NOT remember "The Waiting Room"--but I'll find it! Thanks.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-39189401944263179302022-07-18T04:01:59.528-04:002022-07-18T04:01:59.528-04:00:):)Jeff Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00316081079528920123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-60824972397105268202022-07-18T00:53:33.369-04:002022-07-18T00:53:33.369-04:00You know, I had not actually thought about it unti...You know, I had not actually thought about it until now, but I have gotten more cross-genre stories published than I have straight crime-mysteries. I just did the count, and it looks like I've sold 11 traditional crime stories, versus 14 mixed-genre ones. I've done Steampunk tales, Historical stories, Adventure yarns, and Science Fiction narratives that all centered around a mystery. To be honest, it never struck me as that unusual, really, writing mystery stories in all those different genres. As a matter of fact, I am at this moment writing an Historical noir/mystery story set in the 19th Century ... for me, all of the genres are places to put a good mystery plot. I enjoy writing them, and really enjoy reading them as well.J. F. Benedettonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-85853838018681402072022-07-17T22:17:10.700-04:002022-07-17T22:17:10.700-04:00Oh Lord! "The Grave" is one of the best!...Oh Lord! "The Grave" is one of the best! It scared the bejabbers out of me when I was watching the reruns at age 10, and we saw it recently and it still chills! I'd pair it up with the "Night Gallery" with Buddy Ebsen: "The Waiting Room."Jeff Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00316081079528920123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-61019523244781658882022-07-17T08:34:11.429-04:002022-07-17T08:34:11.429-04:00Yes, Jeff, you and I watched shows like TZ but I&#...Yes, Jeff, you and I watched shows like TZ but I'm not sure either of us ever *grew up*. And I'm glad we haven't. BTW, the best spooky Western I ever saw on Twilight Zone was "The Grave." Lee Marvin, I think, and Lee Van Cleef and others.<br /><br />I agree that the Mag. of F&SF would be a great place to send a cross-genre science fiction story. I've submitted stories to them several times but alas, no cigar. (But it won't stop me from trying again.)<br /><br />Thanks for the post. And stay in touch!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-67006819978499171052022-07-17T04:17:44.355-04:002022-07-17T04:17:44.355-04:00Wonderful, John! We both grew up watching (we grew...Wonderful, John! We both grew up watching (we grew up? :) ) the original "Twilight Zone," which mixed genres, most frequently doing fantasy of sci-fi westerns. I'm barely a pro but I would recommend anybody who has one sending any sci-fi mystery to "The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction" which (from what I've heard) doesn't get nearly enough sci-fi.Jeff Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00316081079528920123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-73561295400141487612022-07-16T23:01:12.042-04:002022-07-16T23:01:12.042-04:00No explanation needed, Liz--sounds like you know e...No explanation needed, Liz--sounds like you know exactly what you're doing! And yes, I'm sure that was/is a challenge, finding markets for stories about Jewish shapeshifters. But you've found them! Keep writing those great stories.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-58885404199038353662022-07-16T18:25:29.904-04:002022-07-16T18:25:29.904-04:00I love to read urban fantasy and cross-genre myste...I love to read urban fantasy and cross-genre mystery/urban fantasy. I consider Charlaine Harris the #1 exemplar. I write a series of short stories about Jewish country artist/ shapeshifter Emerald Love (born Amy Greenstein). The first, a novelette called “Shifting is for the Goyim,” was originally published by Untreed Reads and is currently available for Kindle. One story appeared in a SinC Guppies anthology, one in Mystery Weekly (now Mystery Magazine), and one is due in August from Black Cat Weekly. I’m in the process of revising a new one. I’ve also written a couple of spinoff stories set in the 1950s about a high school girl, also a Jewish shapeshifter, who is actually Emerald’s mother. One appeared in Spinetingler, the other in Kings River Life. The challenge is definitely finding places to submit. I include crime because I don’t know how to write a story without a crime in it and make it interesting, even though I often have the situation and the characters and then struggle to come up with the crime. Sound crazy? What can I say?Elizabeth Zelvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13944424094949207841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-45059969641851481902022-07-16T18:14:33.365-04:002022-07-16T18:14:33.365-04:00Josh, I sit corrected--I doubted that EQMM would p...Josh, I sit corrected--I doubted that EQMM would publish a crime/fantasy story. Glad to hear you had success with that one. Also pleased that you found homes for those two crime/SF stories in anthologies. (That's where most of my mixed-genre stories have landed.)<br /><br />Keep selling those EQMM stories--I want to hear from you when they reach 100!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-46339274856543861302022-07-16T17:31:15.970-04:002022-07-16T17:31:15.970-04:00Hi, John, and thanks for another goodie. If memory...Hi, John, and thanks for another goodie. If memory serves, I have sold two crime/fantasy stories, one each to EQMM ("iMurder," about an iPhone app that kills people) and AHMM ("Pisan Zapra," which may—or may not—be about a vengeful Malaysian spirit), and two crime/sf stories to anthologies. All four of them were fun to write, but I don't think I'd make a habit of crossing genres into either fantasy or science fiction....joshpachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12123432071405643210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-3762234788296885672022-07-16T15:23:04.697-04:002022-07-16T15:23:04.697-04:00Mike, I've heard good things about WordPress, ...Mike, I've heard good things about WordPress, for sure. <br /><br />I think my current problem today (I often have several problems per day) is with Safari. When I open a different browser, Like Firefox, and sign into Blogger there, it allows me to enter a SleuthSayers comment as myself and not Anonymous. But it's still a pain.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-31314989781820186002022-07-16T15:20:25.569-04:002022-07-16T15:20:25.569-04:00Good to hear that, Mike. Thank you so much!Good to hear that, Mike. Thank you so much!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-30845864288517136632022-07-16T15:08:11.343-04:002022-07-16T15:08:11.343-04:00Have you tried WordPress? Works for me.Have you tried WordPress? Works for me.M.C. Tugglehttps://mctuggle.com/about/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-74971374548425921222022-07-16T15:06:07.027-04:002022-07-16T15:06:07.027-04:00John, however you want to describe your blog, it&#...John, however you want to describe your blog, it's a "go-to" site for me. M. C. Tugglehttps://mctuggle.com/about/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-36124341232057339632022-07-16T13:29:06.325-04:002022-07-16T13:29:06.325-04:00Me too, Eve. I'm beginning to think most write...Me too, Eve. I'm beginning to think most writers (and readers) do.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-26999718028313007282022-07-16T13:20:32.325-04:002022-07-16T13:20:32.325-04:00To put it simply, I love mixed-genre stories - whe...To put it simply, I love mixed-genre stories - when they're well done. Eve Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015761600962360110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-74443080628399173882022-07-16T13:07:19.020-04:002022-07-16T13:07:19.020-04:00Hey Bill. Yep, finding markets for the mixed-genre...Hey Bill. Yep, finding markets for the mixed-genre stories can be tricky. Do remember that Mystery Magazine occasionally takes mysteries that have other genres thrown in--seven of the eighteen stories I've sold to MM have been mixed-genre (Westerns, fantasy, SF, etc., along the the crime element). And ralan.com always has some good suggestions, since it's primarily a resource for otherworldly stories.<br /><br />Also, certain crime anthologies don't seem to mind if you include a woo-woo factor. So far I've not written a cross-genre story that I couldn't eventually place somewhere. Like you and me, I think editors and readers in general like those kinds of stories.<br /><br />Thanks for the comment!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-56942683683493167472022-07-16T12:41:27.761-04:002022-07-16T12:41:27.761-04:00Great post as always John. I actually am a big fan...Great post as always John. I actually am a big fan of mixed-genre or cross-genre stories, though they can be hard to sell. I've a recent sci-fi mystery that EQMM and AHMM both said was very good but too "out there" for them. I think Black Cat Weekly with its deliberate mix of genres may be an excellent market for those of us who like to dabble these sort of stores. Occult Detective too. I like detective stories in the Night Stalker / X Files vein (I wanted to be Kolchak as a kid!) but theyre a hard sell. Too weird for mystery magazines but usually not extreme enough for the science fiction mags. William Burton McCormickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15502763547533922846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-31757915996108966122022-07-16T11:00:08.381-04:002022-07-16T11:00:08.381-04:00This is John (Blogger has suddenly decided to make...This is John (Blogger has suddenly decided to make me "Anonymous"). Will try to get this fixed. Meanwhile, I guess this blog has become comedy and SF along with mystery . . .)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-2004578174756498592022-07-16T10:57:37.776-04:002022-07-16T10:57:37.776-04:00Well, dammit, now my comments are going in as &quo...Well, dammit, now my comments are going in as "Anonymous" too. This is John--I'll try to get this fixed. Man, I love Blogger more and more every day.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com