Tag Archive for: Paula Gail Benson

Looking Forward to Deckle Edge

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by Paula
Gail Benson
This weekend, I’ve delighted in reading
about all the activities at Sleuthfest. Next weekend, in Columbia,
S.C., we’re looking forward to our own literary festival, Deckle Edge, on
Saturday, March 23. The “deckle edge” is the rough edge on hand cut
paper, often seen on early printed books. If you’re in the area, please come to
the main library on Assembly Street for a day of celebrating the written word.
I’m particularly excited to be moderating a
panel about the Detective in the South. The panelists are authors David
Burnsworth, Sasscer Hill, Roger Johns, Raegan Teller, and Maggie Toussaint.
Here’s some information about the topic and participants:
To paraphrase Raymond
Chandler, “Down the mean streets a detective, man or woman, must go, who is not
himself or herself mean.” What happens when those mean streets happen to be in
the American South? Does the setting change the crime or detective, or both?
Join us for a lively discussion involving traditional and unique fictional
detectives whose investigations have a Southern flair!
David Burnsworth became
fascinated with the Deep South at a young age. After a receiving a degree in
Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and fifteen years in
the corporate world, he made the decision to write a novel. Having lived in
Charleston on Sullivan’s Island for five years, the setting for his Brack
Pelton novels was a foregone conclusion. He and his wife call South Carolina
home. He also writes a series featuring private detective Blu Carraway. http://davidburnsworthbooks.com/
Sasscer Hill is the author of
the Agatha and Macavity nominated Nikki Latrelle horseracing series. Her latest
novels, Flamingo
Road and The Dark Side of Town,
have followed Fia McKee, who after being put on leave for use of excessive
force as a Baltimore police officer receives a second chance working for the
Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau. Flamingo Road won
the $10,000 Dr. Tony Ryan Best in Horse Racing Literature Award for 2018. In
addition, Sasscer, herself and expert horsewoman, has written a Nikki Latrelle
prequel for Young Adults and a number of short stories. https://www.sasscerhill.com/
Roger Johns writes the Wallace Hartman Mysteries from
St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books: Dark River Rising (2017)
and River of Secrets (2018). He is the 2018 Georgia Author of
the Year (Detective·Mystery Category), a 2018 Killer Nashville Readers’ Choice
Award nominee, a finalist for the 2018 Silver Falchion Award for best police
procedural, runner-up for the 2019 Frank Yerby Fiction Award, and the 2019 JKS
Communications Author-in-Residence. His articles and interviews on writing and
the writing life appear in Career Authors, Criminal Element, and the Southern
Literary Review. He co-authors the MurderBooks blog at www.murder-books.com. https://rogerjohnsbooks.com/
Raegan Teller is the award-winning author of the Enid
Blackwell series. Murder in Madden (Pondhawk Press, 2016) was
her debut novel, followed by The Last Sale (2018) and Secrets
Never Told (2019). Her mystery novels are set in and
around Columbia, where she lives with her husband and two cats. Teller writes
about small town intrigue, family secrets, and tales of murder, and while her
books are fiction, her books are inspired by real events. She is a summa cum
laude graduate of Queens University, Charlotte, and a member of Sisters in
Crime, South Carolina Writers Association, and Charlotte Writers Club. http://RaeganTeller.com
Maggie Toussaint is a
scientist by training, a romanticist at heart, and an award-winning author of
mystery, romance, romantic suspense, and science fiction. Her series
protagonist Baxley Powell has inherited the ability to dreamwalk in order to
find answers about crime. Through her investigations, Baxley seeks justice for
the dead and solace for the living in a unique lowcountry setting. Maggie is
the Past President of the Southeast Mystery Writers of America and a member of
Low Country Sisters in Crime. https://maggietoussaint.com/
We hope you can join us!

I HEART The Stiletto Gang!

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by
Paula Gail Benson

In
this lovely month, I have to admit, I adore my Stiletto Gang blogging partners.

What
a truly delightful group with which to be affiliated!

My
opportunity to join this blogging band came from two outstanding writers: Linda
Rodriguez, acclaimed mystery author, poet, and writing teacher, and Debra Goldstein,
former judge, award nominated short story writer, and author of several mystery
series, including the new Sarah Blair One
Taste Too Many. Not only do I respect these wonderful women, but I feel
incredibly lucky to count them among my friends. So many times they have come
through with a word of encouragement to me when it was so needed. And, I love
reading their work!

I was
fortunate enough to room with Debra and Kay Kendall at Killer Nashville the
year Kay’s novel Rainy Day Women (how
could you not love a book with that title?) received two Silver Falchion awards:
(1) best mystery/crime novel (presented by Anne Perry), and (2) best book by an
attending author (presented by conference founder Clay Stafford). On the night
of the banquet, I had called it an early evening, but understand when they came
in from celebrating that I raised an arm in salute before returning to sleep.
We continued partying after we all woke the next day.

Debra
introduced me to T.K. Thorne’s beautiful writing by sending me a copy of T.K.’s
Noah’s Wife. T.K. tells history in an
involving manner and her descriptions bring you right to the heart of the
story.

Shari
Randall and I got to know each other by blogging with Writers Who Kill. We met in
person at Malice Domestic. This year, I am so proud to be celebrating her
Agatha nomination for best first novel, Curses,
Boiled Again!, an Allie Larkin/Lobster Shack mystery. I’m also glad that we
share past careers as librarians!

Bethany
Maines continues to amaze me with her boundless enthusiasm and the scope of her
work. As Publishers’ Weekly put it: “Maines deftly combines humor with action.”
You go girl, and keep going!

I
had the privilege of moderating a Malice Domestic panel with the Sparkle Abbey team of Mary Lee
Woods and Anita Carter. What a Dynamic Duo! I loved hearing
about their writing process and they are so much fun.

Bless
her, Dru Ann Love, brings joy to so many people just by signing into Facebook
early each morning with a hello and happy message. Her blog has spotlighted so
may fine authors and been nominated for numerous awards. She is the proud
recipient of the 2017 MWA Raven. But, I’ll never forget, when she made a trip
to Charleston, S.C., she asked me to join her with Dorothy McFalls for a day of
fabulous exploration and food. Thank you, Dru!

USA
Today bestselling author Julie Mulhern writes the Country Club Murders and has
just begun a new Poppy Fields Adventures series. A.B. Plum has an impressive
list of psychological thrillers. J.M. Phillippe made my holiday season with her
paranormal holiday novella, The Christmas
Spirit, about Charlene Dickenson, who must navigate her way through an
unexpected spirit life. It’s a terrific read.

Cathy
Perkins and I share a background of being raised in South Carolina. Cathy now lives in
Washington and writes financially-based mysteries. Her work has won several
awards, including the distinguished Claymore at Killer Nashville.

Judy
Penz Sheluk and Lynn McPherson are our Canadian contingent. Judy and I have
been fellow Guppies (members of the online Sisters in Crime group that
originated to celebrate the “great unpublished”). I’m so impressed that in
addition to her own writing, she also runs Superior Shores Press, her own
imprint. Lynn McPherson writes the light-hearted Izzy Walsh mystery series that
takes place in the 1950s on the New England coast. Her second novel, The Girls Whispered Murder, came out in
September.

Colorado
poet extraordinaire Juliana Aragon Fatula has just joined us. I love what
Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on
Mango Street, says about Juliana’s work: “[she]writes histories so
terrifying they feel as if they were written with a knife. . . . Her
fearlessness is inspirational.” Wow. I can’t wait to read Red Canyon Falling on Churches.

So
here is my Valentine’s message to my terrific blogging partners:

Red
heels in the morning
Means
a day of nonconforming.

Red
heels at night
Means
a dancing invite.

With
stilettos of red
No
one can be blue
I’ll
follow the thread
Of your
writing bold and true

And, don’t let me
finish without saying, I heart each of YOU!

Calling All Short Story Writers: Check Out Bouchercon’s New Bill Crider Prize!

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by Paula Gail Benson
I’m incredibly proud that Carol Puckett and Kendel
Lynn of the Bouchercon Dallas committee asked me to help with the inaugural Bill
Crider Prize for Short Fiction that will be awarded by Hank Phillippi Ryan at
Bouchercon in Dallas this October. This contest will recognize excellence for
short story writing with significant monetary and scholarship prizes. And, the
final round will be judged by Janet Hutchings (editor of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine) and Linda Landrigan (editor of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)!
Please see the information below and consider
entering. It’s a great way to remember a respected member of the mystery
community while giving a marvelous opportunity to talented short story writers.
Bill Crider Prize for Short
Fiction
Debuting at the 50th Anniversary of Bouchercon, Carol Puckett and
the 2019 Bouchercon Dallas committee launched the Bill Crider Prize for Short
Fiction to celebrate this treasured literary form, both the short story and the
widely-admired mystery author and reviewer, Bill Crider. Designed to encourage
writers from all over the world, these distinguished prizes award stories with
fascinating characters and twisty plots, all in the mystery genre.
Prizes
  • First Prize:
    $1000
  • Second Prize:
    $750
  • Third Prize:
    $500
  • Bill Crider
    Memorial Scholarship: Registration to Bouchercon 2020
Judging
  • Longlist
    Finalists
    • An
      anonymous judging panel of published authors will select an initial round
      of finalists (no public announcements will be made).
  • Shortlist
    Finalists
    • A
      second anonymous judging panel of published authors will select the
      shortlist finalists (no public announcements will be made).
  • Winners
    • Janet
      Hutchings, editor of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, and Linda
      Landrigan, editor of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, will
      choose the winners from the shortlisted writers.
    • Please
      note that no automatic publication in either EQMM or AHMM is attached to
      winning or being a finalist in this contest. All contestants (whether
      they make judges cuts or not) are welcome to submit to either
      magazine—but not both at the same time.
    • Once
      the final four writers have been chosen, all shortlisted authors will be
      notified on or near October 1.
    • Bouchercon
      Dallas Guest of Honor, Hank Phillippi Ryan,
      will recognize the shortlisted authors and award the top prizes during
      Bouchercon 2019 in Dallas, Texas.
All decisions are final and
may not be contested.
Submissions
  • Deadline: Mar 1,
    2019
  • Open to all
    writers regardless of Bouchercon registration or residency
  • Stories must be
    an original work, not previously published, submitted anonymously (as
    provided in these rules), and without identifiable series characters
  • Theme: Deep in
    the Heart (relating to Texas, whether locale, characters, history, etc.)
    with an element of mystery or crime
  • One submission
    per person
  • Manuscript
    Guidelines:
    • Word
      count: 3,500 – 5000 words
    • Format:
      Standard font Times New Roman at 12 pt size; no fancy fonts
    • Denote
      scene breaks with asterisks: ***
    • Double-space
      with one-inch margins on all sides
  • Email as an
    attached Word doc to: subs.deepintheheart@gmail.com
    • Subject
      line: CRIDER CONTEST SUBMISSION
    • Contact
      info (body of email only, not in Word doc):
      • Name:
        Actual
      • Pen
        Name: If applicable
      • Mailing
        address
      • Phone
        number
      • Email
        address
      • Story
        Name
      • Word
        Count
  • No identifying
    information anywhere in the story or document
  • Entrants retain
    full copyright of her/his work with the stipulation it cannot be published
    until Bouchercon Dallas ends on Nov 3, 2019.
  • No automatic
    publication in either EQMM or AHMM is attached to winning or being a
    finalist in this contest. All contestants (whether they make judges cuts
    or not) are welcome to submit to either magazine—but not both at the same
    time.
  • There is no
    entry fee, nor will any monies be paid for stories other than the four
    prizes stated.
Questions
Staff
  • Bouchercon
    Dallas LOC Chair: Carol Puckett
  • Contest
    Coordinator: Paula Gail Benson
  • Submissions
    Coordinator: James M. Jackson
  • Prize
    Ceremony Host: Hank Phillippi Ryan

The Novels Not Read

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by Paula Gail Benson

I grew up in a home where reading was encouraged. No
book was off limits, although some with graphic battle photos were not placed
in my hands. However, they remained on the shelf where I had access, if I
wanted to look. If I had questions, I could ask my parents for an explanation.
Only twice did I make the decision not to read a book.
The first time, I was in the eighth grade and learned the students in another
class could only read To Kill a
Mockingbird with their parents’ permission. Approval to read a book was a
new concept for me and signaled that there must be reasons why books should not
be read. It gave me the impression that there was something wrong with the novel. For
years, that kept me from reading Harper Lee’s masterpiece. When I finally did
in college, I was upset with myself for having delayed.
The second book I put off reading was M.C. Beaton’s The Quiche of Death. It had been the
selection of a mystery book club prior to my joining. Several members I respected disliked
the novel and made disparaging comments about it, so I decided not to
read it.
Fast forward to the Agatha Raisin series being
produced on Netflix. I was visiting a friend and suggested we give it a try. The
stories completely surprised me. Agatha was an intriguing person, for her flaws
as much as her initiative, and the plots, based on Beaton novels and shorts,
had symmetry and logic.
I went to Barnes and Noble and found that The Quiche of Death had been reprinted
to coincide with the program’s debut. It contained a forward by Beaton. Reading
her background intrigued me. Here was a person who persisted to enter the business of writing
and let no obstacle stop her from reaching her goals. She had published 25 Agatha Raisin
books as well as another series about Hamish MacBeth.
The
Quiche of Death was written in the 1990s. It opened with
Agatha’s retirement from a business she built. I was surprised how much of
Agatha’s backstory worked its way into the first chapter and wondered if it
might be rejected if submitted today. However, by the end of the first chapter,
the murder had occurred, and Agatha was poised to solve the mystery.

Now, I’m delighting
in reading the books in this series (as well as The Agatha Raisin Companion) and learning from Beaton’s story
structure and character development. It’s a great way to start the new
year!

A Special Christmas Gift from a Special Person

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by
Paula Gail Benson

D. Reece Williams, III

I
met Reece Williams when I had the privilege of working with him on a federal
court of appeals case. He immediately impressed me as being the quintessential
lawyer and Southern gentleman. As we sat waiting for the judges to enter the
courtroom and the arguments to begin, I noticed him reading a small book. It
was a collection of Shakespeare’s sonnets.

Reece,
who traces his family to Lancaster, South Carolina, in territory where Andrew
Jackson was born and spent his early life, has always been a supporter of arts
and community organizations. I’ll never forget him coming to a program I
presented with friends at the Museum of the Waxhaws and Andrew Jackson Memorial as well as a play I
wrote and directed for my church. He has served as a member of the S.C.
Philharmonic board and asked me to join him as a guest on the front row for a
performance. After being able to see the pianist and orchestra up close, I told
him, he’d spoiled me forever for seats further back.

He
adores his wife, children, and grandchildren, and has told me he would be
content for all of them to live under the same roof with him. Also, he is an
avid traveler and food connoisseur. Before I take a trip, I try to consult
Reece, who always graciously tells me about the places he has found most
interesting to dine in and see. I’ve never been disappointed in his
recommendations.

This
past week, Reece was in the news. When those of us who know him heard the
story, we weren’t surprised.

After
law school, Reece purchased a $250 Rolex watch, which he used in his adventures
with flying and sailing. The Rolex required a periodic $200 maintenance, so
when he later found a less expensive watch that provided all the extra time
keeping functions he needed, he put aside his Rolex.

Recently,
he came across the watch and took it to a jeweler to be serviced. Amazingly, he
learned he had a collectible. The appraised value was almost $40,000.

For
many years, Reece had worked with the local Salvation Army and served on its
board. I’ve heard him say that he has seen people he has known in other walks
of life become dependent upon the Salvation Army’s services.

Reece
asked the jeweler to find a buyer for his watch. When that was done, he gave
the watch to the Salvation Army.

To
Reece, the gift just made sense. To his friends and colleagues, it was simply
quintessential Reece. Here’s an article with more information about his donation:

Merry Christmas,
Reece, and happy holidays! Thank you for the many gifts you’ve given us.

Time for Christmas and Holiday Shorts!

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by Paula Gail Benson



On the day before
Thanksgiving, Dru’s Book Musings featured Sleigh Bells and Sleuthing,
an anthology of 16 cozy mystery novellas to celebrate the season. Here’s a link
to Dru’s post. One hundred percent of the
proceeds from sales of the anthology will benefit Good Fortune Farm Refuge, a non-profit ranch
located in Semmes, Alabama, which rehabilitates abused and abandoned animals
and finds homes for rescued animals.

Dru’s post reminded me
that this is the time for reading seasonal shorts, so here are a few anthologies you might wish to consider:

Murder Under the
Christmas Tree: Ten Classic Crime Stories for the Festive Season, edited by Cecily Gayford, has stories by Ian Rankin, Val McDermid,
Arthur Conan Doyle, Dorothy L. Sayers, Edmund Crispin, G.K. Chesteron, Ngaio
Marsh, Carter Dickson, Margery Allingham, and Ellis Peters.

Otto Penzler’s The
Big Book of Christmas Mysteries contains 60 stories divided into
categories like traditional, funny, Sherlockian, pulpy, uncanny, scary,
surprising, modern, puzzling, and classic. It features authors like Mary
Higgins Clark, Sara Paretsky, Max Allan Collins, Edward D. Hoch, John D. McDonald,
and O. Henry.

Mistletoe Mysteries,
Tales of Yuletide Murder were
compiled by Charlotte McLeod. It contains 16 stories by McLeod, Mary Higgins
Clark, Sharon McCrumb, Marcia Muller, Bill Pronzini, Peter Lovesey, and others.

Last year, I
discovered and was completely charmed by The Usual Santas. It
includes stories by Helene Tursten, Mick Herron, Martin Limón, Timothy
Hallinan, Teresa Dovalpage, Mette Ivie Harrison, Colin Cotterill, Ed Lin,
Stuart Neville, Tod Goldberg, Henry Chang, James R. Benn, Lene Kaaberbøl &
Agnete Friis, Sujata Massey, Gary Corby, Cara Black, Stephanie Barron and a
Foreword and story by Peter Lovesey.
In
2013, my December post for Writers Who Kill was
the final installment of a series about writing short stories and compared the
story structures of three excellent holiday short stories:

B.K. Stevens’ “Little
Dumber Boy” (individually published under the Fingerprints imprint by Untreed
Reads, December, 2010) (available on Amazon).
Barb Goffman’s
“Christmas Surprise” in the collection Don’t Get Mad, Get Even: 15
Tales of Revenge and More (Wildside Press April, 2013).
Earl Staggs’ “Caught on
Christmas Eve” in the collection Short Stories of Earl Staggs: 16 Tales
of Mystery from Hard Boiled to Humor (Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
2011).

At the end of the post,
I listed the following holiday anthologies:



Lori Avocato, Dana
Cameron, Mary Daheim, Cait London, Suzanne Macpherson, Kerrelyn Sparks, Sugarplums
and Scandal (HarperCollins Publishers 2010).

Carols and Crimes, Gifts
and Grifters (Wolfmont Press
2009) (Authors Tony Burton, Austin S. Camacho, Thomas H. Cook, Herschel Cozine,
Gail Farrelly, Margaret Fenton, Chris Grabenstein, Sue Ann Jaffarian, Frank
Zafiro, and others).
John M. Floyd,
editor, The Gift of Murder (Wolfmont Press 2009) (Authors
Austin S. Camacho, Hershel Cozine, Bill Crider, Kris Neri, Randy Rawls, Carolyn
J. Rose, Elizabeth Zelvin). 
Steve Hockensmith, Naughty:
Nine Tales of Christmas Crime (an e-book collection of stories that
previously appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine or Ellery Queen
Mystery Magazine).
Stuart MacBride, 12
Days of Winter: Crime at Christmas (HarperCollins Publishers 2011).
Margaret Maron, Five
Christmas Gifts (Maron & Company; Ebook edition December, 2012).

John Mortimer, A
Rumpole Christmas (Penguin Books, 2009).



May all your holiday reading be merry, bright, and only a little murderous!

Thankful for Words

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by Paula Gail Benson


My mother told me when I was a baby, I was fascinated by words. She said, as I rode in the car, if I saw a sign with a message, I would point to it and say, “Read.”


I remember having many favorite Little Golden Books (including retellings of Walt Disney movies) that my father read to me. Very often, when he reached the end, I turned the book back to the first page and said, “Again.”



As you can see, I was a demanding child. To my parents’ credit, they were indulgent in reading (multiple times) to me.


There is something about words that is magical. Words allow us to share a connection over distances of both time and location.


So many have been delighted by the musical Hamilton. While it employs some “modern” techniques to convey the history, the bond with the characters is established by the use of their own words taken from contemporaneous documents.


Hearing or reading a story in a safe environment lets you experience it all the more vividly and consider the emotions and reactions of the characters involved. Theater and movies make an impression because the audience members allow themselves to become captivated by the story being presented.


In school, I learned about the cave paintings found in Lascaux Caves in France. Sometimes called the “prehistoric Sistine Chapel,” these drawing are estimated to be 17,000 years old. The people who by candle light, discovered them thought they were encountering real animals and were amazed by the size and accuracy of the depictions. I think those drawings were significant for both the tellers and the listeners. The hunters, in remembering the events of the day, could take the time to reflect on how they had been challenged and used their skills to be successful in the hunt. (Maybe even embellish the tale to celebrate their return!) Through the telling and depictions, the listeners, who had remained behind, hoping for food for nourishment and skins for clothing, while worrying about the hunters’ safety, could relive the excitement of the chase, knowing that their loved ones were safe among them.




Recently, I’ve become involved with My First Books SC, an initiative of the Palmetto Project and affiliate of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The purpose of the organization is to send books to children free of charge from birth to age five. The books selected contain questions in the back to provide discussion topics for the parents or others reading to the children. Any child registered for the program receives the books without charge. I’m so happy to be part of this effort to continue the tradition of helping children realize the importance of words. Do you have a similar or affiliated program in your state? It is a great way to encourage literacy.



During this Thanksgiving week, I’m grateful for so many things, but near the top of that list is the appreciation for storytelling and the joy of reading. Thanks to Dolly Parton and so many others who pass that joy to a new generation.

Where Will Those Ruby Slippers Lead Us?

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by Paula
Gail Benson

 

Toni L.P. Kelner and Dr. Stephen P. Kelner, Jr.
I’ve
read books about and spent time in a number of writing classes where story structure and character
motivations were explained by using examples from The Wizard of Oz. One example would be Debra Dixon’s excellent
text, GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict.

This
past weekend, at a terrific workshop about The Psychology of Writing, organized
by the Atlanta Chapter of Sisters in Crime, with Debra H. Goldstein as event coordinator,
I heard another analogy to Oz’s characters presented by Dr. Stephen P. Kelner,
Jr., husband of author Toni L. P. Kelner (the Laura Fleming and Where Are They Now? series and numerous short stories),
who also writes as Leigh Perry (the Family Skeleton series).

First,
I have to express my admiration for Toni allowing her husband to analyze her reasons
for writing before an audience. I thought it was incredibly brave. When I
mentioned it to her, she brushed it off, saying she was used to it. Still, the
honesty with which she and Stephen approached the subject made it truly
informative for the listeners.

Second,
I think Stephen’s evaluations and theories, explained in greater detail in his
book, Motivate Your Writing!: Using
Motivational Psychology to Energize Your Writing Life, are very insightful.
They certainly helped me to better understand my own writing motivations and characters.

Stephen
suggested that there are three basic motivators:

(1)
achievement,

(2)
affiliation, and

(3)
influence.

He
said these motivators described the goals of the characters we see in The Wizard of Oz and in the Harry Potter
series.

The achiever wants to accomplish a
great deal. This person will do all he or she can to increase production. Like
the Scarecrow and Hermione, they are depended upon for intellect and direction.
What sometimes makes them less effective is their aim for perfection or their
need to micro-manage.

The affiliator is interested in establishing
and building relationships. Like the Tin Man and Ron, they want to be liked.
Sometimes, they can be too anxious about gaining friends or hurting feelings.

The influencer wants to leave a
legacy. This person asks, “Who will remember me?” Like the Lion and Harry,
influencers may be competitive. They may push others aside in order to be
noticed and get ahead.

Photo from etsy.com
Interestingly,
in his studies, Stephen found that although achievement is part of writers’
goals, for most, including Toni, the primary motivator is to influence, to be
remembered. When influence is the focus, a writer needs to find a way to
measure what has been accomplished. Otherwise, the writer may get lost in being
part of a writing community rather than actually producing work. After all, it’s
wonderful to go to conferences and discuss craft with others, but that takes
time away from producing stories.

Photo from the Harry Potter movies
For
Toni, the answer became setting a manageable number of weekly words. She began by aiming for 600 words a day, writing 4 days, for a total of
2,400 per week and approximately 65,000 words per year (at that time the size
of most mystery novels). Once she was able to reach and maintain that goal, she increased
it to 800 words per day.

Both
Toni and Stephen cautioned against selecting a ridiculously high goal, which would
just set a person up for failure. Also, realize that life does not always
proceed at an even pace. There may be times when, due to other obligations, a
writing goal cannot be accomplished. Be forgiving, but get back on track
and, Toni encouraged, always do your best to meet deadlines.

The
workshop was a terrific success and I commend everyone who was involved with it.

I’m
looking forward to reading Stephen’s Motivate
Your Writing! and Toni’s latest as Leigh Perry, The Skeleton Paints a Picture. (Her next, The Skeleton Makes a Friend, is available for pre-order and will be
released November 6, 2018). For more about the workshop, please check out my
post tomorrow on the Writers Who Kill blog.

Meanwhile, keep on
following that Yellow Brick Road!

Three “Red” Short Stories

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by
Paula Gail Benson


During
this time when we are celebrating our new red stilettos logo, I thought it
might be fun to seek out some “red” mystery short stories. Thanks to the
internet, I quickly located three–two familiar and one new to me–with the
word “red” in the title.


The
earliest is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Red-Headed League,” a Sherlock Holmes
adventure, which, according to Wikipedia, was published in The Strand magazine
in August of 1891 and ranked by Conan Doyle as his second favorite Holmes
story. The person who instigates this investigation is “a florid-faced, elderly gentleman, with fiery red hair.” This gentleman, Mr.
Jabez Wilson, a pawnbroker by profession, responded to an advertisement for “the
Red-Headed League” and was hired to fill the opening, to write out portions
from an encyclopedia for four pounds a week (again, according to Wikipedia, that’s
currently equivalent to 400 pounds a week). Mr. Wilson’s job ended as abruptly
as it began and he came to Sherlock Holmes to find out why his stream of income
had vanished. Holmes begins by laughing at the situation, then considering it
in earnest. The answer was: Mr. Wilson had been diverted from his ordinary
business so he would not notice some pending criminal activity.


Second, is O. Henry’s “The Ransom of Red Chief,”
published in the Saturday Evening Post in 1910, and now known more for its
parodies than the actual story of thieves who kidnap an important man’s son,
but end up paying to have the father take him back. The “red” comes from the
kidnap victim’s hair color and the fact that he refers to himself as “Red
Chief.”


The last is a new story to me, but one Raymond Chandler
fans will recognize as a Philip Marlowe tale. Initially published in 1938, “Red
Wind” begins with Marlowe having a drink at the bar across from his office and watching a man
enter, then be killed by another man.

Often writers are advised never to open
with the weather. Not only does “Red Wind” break that rule (“There was a desert
wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down
through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and
your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little
wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands’ necks. Anything
can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge.”), but
uses the wind throughout the story as a symbol of the unrest in the characters’
lives.

Finding Doyle’s and Henry’s stories is easy with versions
available on the internet. Chandler’s is in an anthology that costs $30 plus or in an audio version read by Elliott Gould for just under ten
dollars. I downloaded a Kindle version that had been translated into Korean,
but also had the English text. Marlowe’s narration is so absorbing, I
hurriedly skipped over the interspersed translated portions!



What “red” stories have
you read lately?