Mystery in the Midlands Goes Short 2026!

by Paula Gail Benson

For the past few years, The Southeast Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America and the Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime have teamed with Michael Bracken to organize a FREE half-day program on the craft and business of writing mystery short stories. This year, mark your calendars for Saturday, October 10, from 11:15 am ET (10:15 CT/9:15 MT/8:15 PT) to join us again for a great day of information from some true experts in the field. We’ll start out with Joseph S. Walker talking about structure; followed by a panel of Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier, Carla Damron, and Art Taylor—all of whom have created larger works out of connected shorter stories; and finally editors Alex Mattingly, Katy Munger, and Roger Nokes talking about how to make sure your submissions are noticed and accepted.

All you have to do is register using the link below:

Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/H7AkECfcQB-9Ej98_UX2DQ

Here’s the schedule with panelists’ biographies:

11:15 am Welcome Michael Bracken and Paula Gail Benson

11:30 am -12:25 pm Some Loose Thoughts on Tight Structures

Joseph S. Walker is an Edgar-nominated author of short mystery fiction and the current President of the Short Mystery Fiction Society. His first collection, Crime Scenes, was published by Level Best Books in March 2026.

12:30 - 1:25 pm Short Stories as Building Blocks

Moderator: Paula Gail Benson

Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier’s short fiction has appeared in many publications, including Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023, and has earned an Agatha Award and nominations for the Derringer and Anthony Awards. Originally from St. Thomas, USVI, Ashley-Ruth now lives in North Carolina. Her first novel-length work, a novel-in-stories called The Bush Tea Murder, was published by Crooked Lane Books in 2026.

Carla Damron is an award-winning novelist and short story writer who uses fiction to examine social justice issues like human trafficking and mental illness. A retired social worker, she lives with her husband in South Carolina and teaches writing classes on Writers.com.

Art Taylor is the Edgar Award-winning author of two collections and of the novel in stories On the Road with Del & Louise, winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel. He is a professor of English at George Mason University.

1:30 - 2:25 pm Editors Reveal All

Moderator: Michael Bracken

Alex Mattingly is the editor of Cold Caller Magazine, and his stories have appeared in PANK, North American Review, Shotgun Honey, Tough, Rock and a Hard Place, and other publications. Writing as Craig Francis Coates, his story “Grendel” was selected for Best American Mystery and Suspense 2025.

Katy Munger is the co-editor of the neo noir literary journal Dark Yonder and has edited numerous short story anthologies in her role as a senior editor for Thalia Press. She is also the author of 18 mystery novels and was a book reviewer for the Washington Post’s Book World.

Roger Nokes is the Editor-in-Chief at Rock and a Hard Place Press. He writes fiction under the pseudonym Stanton McCaffrey. His short stories have been featured in Dog Named Dog Magazine, Tough, Reckon Review, Dark Yonder, Mystery Tribune, Vautrin, Shotgun Honey, and more. He has published two novels: Into the Ocea; and Neighborhood of Dead Ends. His short story, “Will I See The Birds When I Am Gone,” was featured in The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2024.

2:25 - 2:30 pm Final Questions and Comments

We hope you’ll join us on Saturday, October 10. 

Hazards of Research -- The Mystery Edition

It’s a story that went viral in only a few hours — a woman innocently uses Google to search for “pressure cooker” followed on the same computer by her husband who innocently uses Google to search for “backpack” followed by their son innocently using Google to reach for information about the Boston bombing . . . followed by a not-so-innocent visit from some well-armed gentlemen bearing pointed questions.

It sounds like the inciting incident for a mystery novel. But it really happened. Sort of.  As did the story of the novelist who wrote a blog called How To Murder Your Husband and who was indicted last year on charges of — you guessed it — murdering her husband. She is currently being held without bail as she awaits criminal trial—she is also facing a multi-million-dollar civil lawsuit filed by her stepson. I am virtually certain that part of her defense will be asking what kind of idiot would write such a thing and then actually do it.

As a crime writer, I tend to look at the news as idea fodder, fuel for the creative engine. These stories hit several particularly interesting subjects — Internet privacy, free speech, the broad powers of the NSA, the ethical and moral and civil rights issues of being spied upon by a faceless bureaucrat armed with equally faceless tracking programs.

I tell my friends and family that if I’m ever accused of a crime — any crime — I’m sure to be convicted once prosecutors share my search history. In real life, I’m a rather average person, as bland as a picket fence. Online, however, I’m a schemer, a wacko, a homicidal manic searching relentlessly for the perfect way to murder — holy cow, like, a dozen people — in ways both mundane and extraordinary. And then hide all evidence of the crime. Or blame it on some innocent. Or skip town entirely and set up shop in Belize under an assumed name.

I mean, I’m a member of a blogging group called Writers Who Kill. What evidence could be more damning?

Should writers who research the dark side worry about that official tapping at the door? Only as much as any other citizen. In the meantime, I’m using Duck Duck Go as my search engine — they make it a point not to collect or track information from their users. You can learn more about them (including their reasoning behind their decision to offer anonymous searches) at their website — https://duckduckgo.com.

So, just between us, what does your search history look like? What are you researching now that would make you look nefarious if you were ever on trial?

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Tina Whittle writes the Tai Randolph/Trey Seaver mysteries. The sixth book in this Atlanta-based series—Necessary Ends—is available now. Tina is a proud member of Sisters in Crime and has served as both a chapter officer and national board member. Visit her website to follow her on social media, sign up for her newsletter, or read additional scenes and short stories: www.tinawhittle.com.

Care for an Adventure?

Do you remember those choose-your-adventure novels? Mine were all paperbacks that I kept in a stack in my reading corner. In those days before e-books and hypertext, I found the idea of one book containing multiple stories irresistible, especially since I was the protagonist.

My choices created the narrative. The most insignificant-seeming interaction could result in happily-ever-after or total nightmare, and so I bit my nails over every little A or B decision. Did I talk to the spooky old woman at the edge of the graveyard or pass her by? Take tennis lessons or go horseback riding? Visit the bell tower or explore the dusty attic? And the suspense! I would have closed my eyes and turned pages if I could have.

And so now I'm a writer. I'm at the helm of my own stories every step of the way (assuming my protagonists cooperate). And while I love immersing myself in the world of Tai's Confederate gun shop and Trey's corporate security firm, keeping them on track through multiple plot combinations and series-long character arcs is hard work. I miss those well-thumbed paperbacks!

And so now, in my fifth decade, I am discovering the world of online gaming. My teenager loves these immersive games, but I didn't really take them seriously until she convinced me to try the steampunky Fallen London, a darkly clever and smartly written adventure in a very Lovecraftian Victorian London. Fallen London is a browser game which can be played online on your computer or downloaded as an app for your phone. Either way, it's utterly addictive (and because it’s online, you can play with others who are also addicted—it's also free to play for the basic version). I am currently making my way through the Veilgarden, progressing nicely in my seduction of a charming jewel thief, and working on Ladybones Road with the Implacable Detective to solve the mystery of the Secret of the Face-Tailor. I've found a series of Compromising Documents and have an Infernal Contact (who may or may not be a devil) so I should be okay as long as the nightmares don't get me. Or the hell goat. Or my addiction to psychedelic honey.

Another great game is Oxenfree, a downloaded adventure that can be played from start to finish in a couple of hours. Once I got going, I was hooked immediately. Unlike the video games of my youth which were all spastic flash and bang, Oxenfree is languid and dreamy (until the possessions start, that is). With a muted nocturnal palette and subtly spooky soundtrack, it quickly immersed me in the narrative. Soon, I was making my way through a deserted ocean-side park at 3 AM, trying to save my friendships—and eventually my friends' lives—while battling a ghostly menace. Sometimes I had choices, sometimes I didn't, and sometimes my choices were fraught with disaster no matter what decision I made. Rich with backstory and character development, Oxenfree drew me into its unraveling, time-frayed world. I'm not sure I completely returned.

I still love my paper pages of course. Emily Dickinson was right—there is no frigate like a book. But I am discovering that game designers are creating some very intriguing stories in other mediums. Give one a try. And if you want meet me in Fallen London, head to the Singing Mandrake and ask for Maddusa. I may or may not be pawing through the reticule of an ambitious Artist's Model, looking for the scraps of Stolen Correspondence the wench filched from me in the House of Virtue.