The Joys of ShortCon

Michael Bracken

by Paula Gail Benson

I imagine readers are going to see a lot of posts about ShortCon, the program organized by Michael Bracken and Stacy Woodson that has taken place for the last three years at Elaine’s Restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia. This was my first time attending, but many participants had been to all three.

Why would you want to go and keep returning?

1. Writing is done in isolation. When you find your tribe gathering, you want to be part of the event, to make connections, catch up with friends, and hear the news. This is difficult for short story writers, particularly those in the mystery field. Most larger conferences focus on novels and have only a few panels on short stories. Also, I don’t think readers of short stories are usually drawn to conferences, unless they read mysteries generally. ShortCon provides the concentration and more intimate setting where people can easily talk.

For instance, I belong to the Short Mystery Fiction Society (SMFS), a group that welcomes members at no cost and annually recognizes excellence in flash, short stories, longer short stories, and novelettes with the Derringer awards (usually presented at Bouchercon). Joseph S. Walker is the President of the SMFS. I’m always reading his messages, but it was a real pleasure to have dinner with him and hear about his short story collection, Crime Scenes, that has recently been published.

Stacy Woodson

A Noir at the Bar event took place at Elaine’s the night before ShortCon. Some excellent writers read their own short stories. The atmosphere was relaxed, allowing participants to get to know each other better before the full day program began.

2. ShortCon operates on a very economical basis. There is a registration fee, but it covers the breakfast and lunch for the day of the program. Also, there are raffles and giveaways throughout the meeting. I asked Michael if any books would be available for sale and he replied that people paid enough to attend, the organizers wanted to give back. They did, in information and in extras.

3. Craft and market information are important. ShortCon recognizes and supplies both. Among this year’s craft presenters were Gary Phillips (who took the group through an exercise in creating a villain) and Art Taylor (who spoke about how to structure a novel in short stories). Art invited Ashley-Ruth Bernier to talk to the group about her recently released The Bush Tea Murder, a novel told in short stories. Art’s own On the Road with Del & Louise, A Novel in Stories, has just been reissued. Michele Slung explained the reading process for selecting stories to be included in Otto Penzler’s The Best Mystery Stories of the Year, and Jackie Sherbow, editor of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, spoke about transitions taking place at that publication.

4. Elaine’s has become well known not only for its superb Mediterranean cuisine but also as a haven for literary events. The Westin Alexandria Old Town (a fifteen-minute drive to Reagan National airport) had excellent rooms, an attentive staff, and a comfortable bar for discussions. Alexandria was a very walkable and Uber friendly city.

Are you a short story writer? Have you considered becoming one? You might want to check out ShortCon. It's a great learning and networking experience.

Mystery in the Midlands: Writing Short Mystery Fiction 2025

by Paula Gail Benson

For the second year in a row, author and editor Michael Bracken joined with the Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime and the Southeastern Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America to present a virtual program on writing short mystery fiction. We were delighted to have 189 registrants. Between 65 and 75 attended the sessions live on Saturday and dozens have asked for access to the recording.

The lineup of speakers and panelists was phenomenal. After resolving a few technical difficulties, we began with John M. Floyd, author of more than 500 stories that have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Strand Magazine, Best American Mystery Stories, Best Mystery Stories of the Year, and many other publications. He gave us a primer on plotting, saying that he began with a plot first, then populated it with interesting characters.

John recommended Ronald B. Tobias’ Twenty Master Plots and How to Build Them, which defined a story as a series of related events. For example, the king died, then the queen died was a story. However, the king died, then the queen spit on his grave became a plot, or a series of related events that introduced suspense and made the story readable and interesting.

He emphasized the importance of remaining observant because ideas might come from everywhere. When he was working for IBM, he traveled a great deal. He mentioned two instances when he encountered information he stored away for possible plots: (1) not being able to scuba dive within 24 hours before flying, and (2) losing or gaining a day when crossing the International Date Line.

Following John Floyd, Michael Bracken moderated a panel of New Voices in Short Mystery Fiction, consisting of N.M. Cedeño, whose short stories have appeared in science fiction and mystery publications; LaToya Jovena who writes about the D.C. suburbs and whose work has appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and The Best American Mystery and Suspense; and Tom Milani, who since 2022 has published ten short stories, a novella, and a novel and whose work has been short-listed for a Derringer Award. N.M. spoke about being runner up for several of AHMM’s Mysterious Photo contests. She then wrote a full story which EQMM rejected but was accepted by Analog when her brother-in-law suggested she submit it there. Latoya emphasized perseverance—never giving up in spite of the obstacles. Tom mentioned how helpful his writing critique group had been, particularly for hearing when something did not seem to work for many readers.

In the last segment, I moderated a discussion with three wonderful editors: Barb Goffman, who has won the Agatha, Anthony, Derringer, Macavity, Ellery Queen Readers Award, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society’s lifetime achievement award as well as edited or co-edited 15 anthologies; Sandra Murphy, whose stores have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, and other publications and who has edited 4 anthologies; and Josh Pachter, author, editor, and translator, who joined us from Morocco. They all emphasized the importance of following instructions but also being creative in developing a story to meet the theme. In addition, they gave viewers a lot of good information about currently pending anthologies and how to find submission calls.

If you would like to view the recording, connect to the link below by pressing CTRL (control) and clicking on the link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/iZh6oa8BgBpUUzPDxu1nDwpbbfmq8sWcKe7KT4XdknrONPNVGTaNvsG6X-m3k3HS.OG0O8fzM1XHqDPtt?startTime=1760799152000

When prompted, enter the Passcode below.

Passcode: 7Zb@%i5f

Do you write short stories? Why do you enjoy that format? 

Free Program about Writing Mystery Short Stories

by Paula Gail Benson

More and more authors are considering writing short stories, to tell parts of their characters’ adventures between novels or to experiment with different types of storytelling. Fortunately, we are experiencing a time when magazines and anthologies give excellent opportunities for entering the short story field.

In May, Michael Bracken, author of almost 1,300 short stories and an Edgar Award nominee, Shamus Award nominee, Derringer Award winner, and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer Award for lifetime achievement in short mystery fiction, launched ShortCon, the Premier Conference for Writers of Short Crime Fiction. An in-person gathering in Alexandria, Virginia, ShortCon will take place again this year on Saturday, June 7. Please check it out at this link.

Meanwhile, if you would like to attend a virtual conference dedicated to short story writing and FREE, please consider this year’s Mystery in the Midlands: Writing the Short Story. The Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime and the Southeastern Chapter of Mystery Writers of America have collaborated with Michael Bracken to bring you some of crime fiction’s phenomenal practitioners.

WE HOPE YOU CAN ATTEND!

 Here’s the information to register for the program, to be held this Saturday, October 19, 2024:

FREE—JUST REGISTER

MYSTERY IN THE MIDLANDS: WRITING THE SHORT STORY

VIRTUAL CONFERENCE—SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2024

11:15 AM TO 2:45 PM EASTERN TIME

10:15 AM TO 1:45 PM CENTRAL TIME

9:15 AM TO 12:45 PM MOUNTAIN TIME

8:15 AM TO 11:45 AM PACIFIC TIME

Do you write mystery short stories? Would you like to learn how?

The Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime and the Southeastern Chapter of Mystery Writers of America are proud to present this FREE conference featuring some of today’s most expert mystery authors to unlock the craft and business of writing the short story.

 Register in advance for this meeting at the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIsdu2spj8rHdQA5w1n6kKl9rC1dY6Ack6m

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

PROGRAM

11:15 AM/10:15 AM/9:15 AM/8:15 AM                 WELCOME

 

11:30 AM/10:30 AM/9:30 AM/8:30 AM                 Crafting the Short Story—Art Taylor

 

12:30 PM/11:30 PM/10:30 AM/9:30 AM                New Voices in Short Mystery Fiction—Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier, James A. Hearn, and Stacy Woodson (moderated by Paula Gail Benson)

 

1:30 PM/12:30 PM/11:30 AM/10:30 AM                The Business of Short Story Writing—Michael Bracken

 

2:30 PM/1:30 PM/12:30 PM/11:30 PM                   CONCLUSION

 

FACULTY:

Art Taylor (www.arttaylorwriter.com) is the Edgar Award-winning author of two short story collections—The Adventure of the Castle Thief and Other Expeditions and Indiscretions and The Boy Detective & The Summer of ’74 and Other Tales of Suspense—and of the novel in stories On the Road with Del & Louise, winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel. He won the 2019 Edgar Award for Best Short Story for “English 398: Fiction Workshop,” originally published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, and he has won three additional Agatha Awards, an Anthony Award, four Macavity Awards, and four Derringer Awards for his short fiction. He edited Murder Under the Oaks: Bouchercon Anthology 2015, winner of the Anthony Award for Best Anthology or Collection, and California Schemin’: Bouchercon Anthology 2020. He is an associate professor of English at George Mason University, and he has contributed frequently to the Washington Post, the Washington Independent Review of Books, and Mystery Scene Magazine.

Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier (www.ashleyruthbernier.com)’s work has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Weekly, Stone’s Throw, Smoking Pen Press, Malice Domestic's Mystery Most Devious, The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023, and other anthologies. Originally from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Ashley-Ruth writes mysteries highlighting the vibrant culture of her home. She currently lives with her family and teaches first grade in North Carolina. 

James A. Hearn (www.jamesahearn.com), an Edgar Award nominee for Best Short Story, writes in a variety of genres, including mystery, crime, science fiction, fantasy, and horror.  His work has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, numerous anthologies, and has been selected for inclusion in Best American Mystery and Suspense.

Stacy Woodson (www.stacywoodson.com) made her crime fiction debut in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine’s Department of First Stories and won the 2018 Readers Award. Since her debut, she’s had almost forty stories accepted for publication, one adapted for animation. She’s a two-time Derringer award winner, a Macavity Award and Thriller Award nominee, and has a story included in Best Mysteries of the Year 2024. When she’s not writing, she co-edits anthologies with Michael Bracken.

Paula Gail Benson (www.paulagailbenson.com), a legislative attorney, has thirty plus stories that have appeared online and in anthologies including Mystery Times Ten 2013; A Tall Ship, a Star, and Plunder; A Shaker of Margaritas: That Mysterious Woman; Fish or Cut Bait: a Guppy Anthology; Killer Nashville Noir: Cold Blooded; Love in the Lowcountry; Heartbreaks and Half-truths; Malice Domestic’s Mystery Most Diabolical; Dark of the Day; and Smoking Guns.

Michael Bracken (www.CrimeFictionWriter.com) is an Edgar Award and Shamus Award nominee whose crime fiction has appeared in The Best American Mystery Stories, The Best Mystery Stories of the Year, and many other publications. Additionally, Bracken is the editor of Black Cat Mystery Magazine and several anthologies, including the Anthony Award-nominated The Eyes of Texas. In 2024, he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his contributions to Texas literature. 

Intimidation and Mystery in the Midlands by Debra H. Goldstein

Intimidation and Mystery in the Midlands by Debra H. Goldstein

I’m not easily intimidated, but sometimes, when I’m in the presence of authors whose books I adore, I find myself absolutely tongue tied. Rather than bothering the author, I quietly sit back and observe unless something happens that breaks the ice for me.

 

The first time it happened was at one of the first Malice Domestic conferences I attended. There, standing across from me in an elevator was Carolyn Hart, a writer I’d met and admired for years. I tried not to stare or to make eye contact, but when there are only two of you in such a confined space and lots of floors for the elevator to go up… you get the idea. As the elevator slowed, I looked right at her and blurted out “Ms. Hart, I love your books.” She thanked me, pointed to the doors open behind me, and politely asked if this was my floor. I stumbled backwards out of the elevator – Carolyn Hart and I had talked to each other.

 

During the conference, our paths passed several times. Each time, I observed how warm and gracious

she was to everyone, but what impressed me most occurred during the hour she was being interviewed as the Amelia award recipient. Carolyn Hart took a moment from her hour of glory to give a new writer a shout-out. It was the first time I’d seen that kind of generosity from an honoree, and I was impressed. We ended up in the elevator alone again on the last day. This time, I was able to talk intelligently and end by saying, “Carolyn, have a safe trip home.” You see, I’d finally realized that the mystery community is warm with its welcoming embrace and giving with advice and support.

 

That’s why, on June 26, from 10:30 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. EST, I’m going to be in awe but also thrilled by the wonderful authors who will be sharing a part of themselves with readers and other authors alike as part of the virtual Crowdcast Mystery in the Midlands conference. Mystery in the Midlands, which is sponsored by the Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime and the Southeast chapter of Mystery Writers of America, will feature three panels moderated by Dana Kaye – Searing Suspense, Hot for Historicals, and Scorching Shorts. It will also have a keynote interview of Dr. Kathy Reichs, the author whose life and books inspired the television show, Bones.

Besides Dr. Reichs, the panelists read like a who’s who of the crime fiction writing world. They include Alex Segura, Yasmin Angoe, Robert Dugoni, Caroline Todd, Laurie R. King, Lori Radar-Day, Michael Bracken, Barb Goffman, and Frankie Y. Bailey. I could be intimidated, but I know these wonderful people have so much to offer readers and

writers that I want to take advantage of every word they have to say. I hope you do, too. The cost, to defray expenses, is only $5. The registration link is: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/mystery-in-the-midlands-2/register .

By now, you’re wondering how seeing so many people I idolize in a virtual setting could possibly intimidate me? It’s simple – I’m the one interviewing Kathy Reichs.