Tag Archive for: Paula Gail Benson

May is Short Story Month!

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by Paula Gail Benson

Thanks
to my friend, phenomenal author Art Taylor (Agatha, Anthony, Derringer, and
Macavity award winner for short fiction and winner of
the Agatha Award for Best First Novel for On the Road with Del &
Louise: A Novel in Stories—check out his website at: http://www.arttaylorwriter.com/), I learned that
May is Short Story Month. It’s a tradition that started in 2013. You can read
about it at http://shortstorymonth.com/ and participate
with your own contributions at http://storyaday.org/, which encourages
people to complete a story each day during the months of May and September and
provides writing prompts and featured guests (like Neil Gaiman) as inspiration.

Art
has been celebrating this year by featuring a different story each day on his
Facebook page, including one by his very talented wife Tara Laskowski (read
about her terrific short story collection Bystanders
at http://taralaskowski.com/). Tara is the editor
of http://www.smokelong.com/, the online
literary magazine devoted to flash fiction.

I
began thinking about the mystery short story writers who have inspired me. I
credit Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Alan Poe for luring me into the genre, but
a number of current authors keep me reading and teach me the true artistry of
the short story craft. Here’s a list (beginning with Art and Tara and in
alphabetical order below) of a few that you may want to add to your TBR stack,
if you haven’t already discovered them.

John
Floyd (http://www.johnmfloyd.com/), a former Air
Force captain and IBM engineer, has written more than 1,000 stories that have
appeared in the Strand Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Woman’s World, The Saturday Evening Post, Mississippi Noir, and The Best American Mystery Stories 2015. In addition to
receiving three Derringer awards, he has been
nominated for an Edgar and three times nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He blogs
at http://www.sleuthsayers.org/. His books are: Rainbow’s End (2006), Midnight
(2008), Clockwork (2010), Deception (2013), Fifty
Mysteries (2014), and Dreamland (2016).

Kaye George (http://kayegeorge.wixsite.com/kaye-george), while writing
four series of mystery novels, continues to produce quality short fiction.
Recently, she took on the job as editor for Day
of the Dark, an anthology to be
published by Wildside Press on July 21 that contains 24 stories about eclipse,
to commemorate the one that will take place in August. I met Kaye as a
member of the Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime. She served as treasurer, then
President of the online chapter, and throughout her membership has been a
consistent contributor and commenter to the short story critique group. Her
insightful advice has helped many of us to improve our work.

Barb
Goffman (http://barbgoffman.com/) has been
nominated numerous times for the Agatha, Anthony, Derriger, and Macavity
awards. She has won the Agatha and Macavity and her Don’t
Get Mad, Get Even won the Silver Falchion
for best single-author mystery-short-story collection published in 2013. She
blogs at http://www.sleuthsayers.org/ and
is an accomplished editor.

Debra Goldstein (http://www.debrahgoldstein.com/), my
blogging partner here at The Stiletto Gang, is an active member of the Guppy
Chapter short story critique group. Recently, her “The Night They Burned Ms. Dixie’s Place” appeared in the
May/June 2017 edition of Alfred Hitchcock
Mystery Magazine. Check out her mention on the cover at: https://www.themysteryplace.com/ahmm/.

Robert Mangeot (http://robertmangeot.com/)
calls himself a  “Turner of Phrase, Counter of Beans, Crafter of Sandwiches” on
his website.  His fine stories have been
published in the MWA anthology Ice Cold and
the Bouchercon anthology Murder Under the
Oaks. He is a frequent contributor to Alfred
Hitchcock Mystery Magazine.

Edith Maxwell (https://edithmaxwell.com/) has
the distinction of having her short story and novel both featuring her Quaker
midwife protagonist nominated for the best short story and best historical
novel at this year’s Malice Domestic Agatha awards. In addition to writing four
mystery series and blogging with the Wicked Cozy Authors, she continues to
produce quality short fiction.

Terrie Farley Moran (http://terriefarleymoran.com/) won the Agatha
Award Best First Novel winner, Well Read, Then Dead, the debut of
her Read ‘Em and Eat series. Currently, her “Inquiry and Assistance,” a
Depression era story published in Alfred
Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, is a nominee for a Derringer award as best
novelette. A copy of the nominated story may be accessed at: http://terriefarleymoran.com/short-stories/.

B.K.
“Bonnie” Stevens (http://www.bkstevensmysteries.com/) has
become a beloved friend and confidant. I first met her when I contacted her to
tell her how much I loved reading “Thea’s First Husband” (now included in
Wildside Press’ Her Infinite Variety: Tales of Women and Crime). In
addition to her novel, Interpretation of Murder, a traditional whodunit,
and her YA martial arts mystery Fighting Chance, Bonnie has written over
fifty short stories, most published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine.
She won a Derringer and has been nominated for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity
awards. In addition to blogging at http://www.sleuthsayers.org/, her
own blog features authors describing the first two pages of their work, both
novels and short stories. Check it out at:

http://www.bkstevensmysteries.com/category/the-first-two-pages/

Please
indulge and celebrate May as Short Story month by taking time to enjoy these
wonderful authors’ stories. Then, why not write one or two of your own?

Meet the Authors of the 2016 Agatha Best First Novel Nominees!

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Each
year at Malice Domestic, writing excellence is recognized by the Agatha awards.
This year’s nominees for Best First Novel are (in alphabetical order by first
name):
Best First Novel:
Terror in Taffeta by
Marla Cooper (Minotaur)
Murder in G Major by
Alexia Gordon (Henery Press)
The Semester of Our Discontent
by Cynthia Kuhn (Henery Press)
Decanting a Murder
by Nadine Nettmann (Midnight Ink)
Design for Dying by
Renee Patrick (Forge Books)
Today,
the Stiletto Gang welcomes Marla, Alexia, Cynthia, Nadine, and Renee (the pseudonym for married authors Rosemarie and Vince
Keenan). Thanks for stopping by to share your work and thoughts
with us!—Paula
Gail Benson
What writing habits enabled you to
complete a novel?
MARLA:
I’ve
never been one of those writers who gets up two hours early every day so she
can have dedicated writing time. But I did find a handy way to trick myself
into a consistent writing practice. For me, getting started is the hardest
part. So when I’m writing a novel, I make myself sit down and write 50 words
every day. That’s all. Just fifty little words. They don’t even have to be good
words. Most days, I end up getting into my groove and writing a whole lot more
— but just getting myself past the resistance makes all the difference.

ALEXIA:

Having deadlines helps
me. I hate to disappoint (one of my hang-ups) so being accountable to another
person for turning in pages prompts me to get the pages written.

 


CYNTHIA:
One
thing that’s helped me is to allow the entire first draft to be a kind of a
joyful keyboard pounding, in which I don’t evaluate or second-guess anything; I
just write until I have a complete story. Then comes the deep and intensive
revision phase, in which there is not only second-guessing, but also
third-guessing and fourth-guessing and so on…times infinity (or so it feels).
NADINE:
Besides
the fear of regret, which isn’t really a habit but it feels like one, I would
do writing sprints with a friend. We would text to set a start time and then
write for thirty minutes, checking in with each other when we were done. It was
a great way to hold each other accountable and we both would often keep writing
past the thirty minutes. Currently, I’m trying to do Magic Mornings where I
wake up and write first thing without checking the Internet or my phone. It’s
still an effort but I’m hoping it will become such a habit that I never miss a
morning. I might be hoping for a while as it’s very tempting to look online
when I wake up.
RENEE (Rosemarie and Vince):
We
were both raised Catholic, so we each have two powerful motivational tools on
which we can rely: guilt, and the fear of guilt. They power us through every
endeavor, but when combined they are nigh upon unstoppable. To any and all
aspiring writers out there, we say find yourselves a co-author. Knowing that
you will have to answer to a trusted friend or loved one for missed deadlines,
mixed metaphors and botched jokes will keep you typing until your fingers ache.
  



What shoes would you, your protagonist, or
another character from your novel wear to the Agathas banquet?

MARLA:

So,
about the shoes: As a destination wedding planner, my main character Kelsey has
to sacrifice style for practicality since she sometimes is on her feet for up
to 8 hours at a time. But for the Agathas, she’d have the night off from
playing party planner, so she’d probably break out the Laboutins in the back of
her closet. (She inherited from a bride who bought them in three different
colors “just in case,” but couldn’t be bothered to return them.)

ALEXIA:

Gethsemane would wear some bad-ass high-heeled boots. Because I
can’t wear them and Gethsemane was born out of wish-fulfillment. 

CYNTHIA:

Lila
would be planning to wear her favorite black Doc Martens lace-up boots, but her
cousin Calista would talk her into some still-in-the-box Jimmy Choo pumps, a
gift from Lila’s mother that has been languishing in her closet.

NADINE:

As
for shoes, I’ll choose Tessa for this question as she loves clothes and fashion.
In Decanting a Murder, Tessa wears a pair of navy blue Manolo Blahnik heels but
I think for the Agathas banquet, she would go for a bright red pair that were
several inches high. Katie Stillwell would probably wear very small heels,
unless Tessa talked her into some tall ones again.

RENEE (Rosemarie and Vince):

Lillian
Frost would choose a high-heeled sandal in sparkling silver but Edith Head
would suggest a more practical black kitten-heeled pump. And thank you for the
invitation but Edith couldn’t possibly attend, she’s much too busy.

Celebrating the Short Story: the 2016 Agatha Short Story Nominees

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by Paula Gail Benson

Malice Domestic has become a wonderful homecoming for me each
year. Held in late April or early May near Washington, D.C. (for the last
several years in Bethesda, Maryland), it celebrates the best in the “traditional
mystery,” written in the style of Agatha Christie, where the emphasis is on
resolving the puzzle of the crime rather than delving into the more gruesome
aspects of the deed.

Excellence is recognized at Malice Domestic by the annual Agatha
Awards, given to living authors for works published during the previous
calendar year. Short stories are included in the nominated categories and this
year’s group of nominees features a group of outstanding writers. Not only are
the authors well-respected and prolific, but also the publications demonstrate
how short fiction is experiencing a new golden age for mystery readers’
enjoyment.

Following are the nominees and links where you may read the
short stories:

Best Short Story:
“Double Jinx: A Bellissimo Casino Crime Caper Short
Story” by Gretchen Archer (Henery Press)
“The Best-Laid Plans” by Barb Goffman
in Malice Domestic 11: Murder Most Conventional (Wildside Press)
“The Mayor and the Midwife” by
Edith Maxwell in Blood on the Bayou: Bouchercon Anthology 2016 (Down & Out
Books)
“The Last Blue Glass” by
B.K. Stevens in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine
“Parallel Play” by Art Taylor in
Chesapeake Crimes: Storm Warning (Wildside Press)

Gretchen Archer, who writes the Davis Way Crime Caper series for Henery Press,
uses the setting for her novels, the Bellissimo Resort and Casino in
Biloxi, Mississippi, for her short story about a holiday host investigating the
death of a slot machine tournament player. Henery Press issued the story in
electronic format on Amazon. Gretchen is a Tennessee housewife, who lives on
Lookout Mountain with her husband, son, and a Yorkie named Bently. Her first
Davis Way Crime Caper, Double Whammy, was a finalist
for the Daphne du Maurier Award and appeared on the USA TODAY Bestsellers List.

Barb
Goffman has won the Agatha, Macavity, and Silver Falchion awards for her
mystery short stories. She received the Silver
Falchion was for her collection, Don’t Get Mad, Get Even. She also has
been nominated for the Anthony and Derringer. Her nominated story was
published in  Malice Domestic 11: Murder Most
Conventional. It’s a great joy to see Malice Domestic resume its
practice of issuing short story anthologies, particularly this volume that
concentrates on mysteries at conventions. Barb’s story reveals how the best
laid plans of two honored guests at Malice Domestic can take a bad turn for the
worse.

Edith Maxwell, an Agatha nominated and Amazon bestselling author,
writes two series under her own name (the Quaker Midwife and Local Foods
Mysteries), two under the name Maddie Day, and previously wrote the Lauren
Rousseau mysteries as Tace Baker. Her nominated short story appeared in the
Bouchercon anthology, Blood on the Bayou:
Bouchercon Anthology 2016 edited by Greg Herren (Down
& Out Books), and featured her Quaker midwife protagonist, who must solve
the mystery of a death in a New Orleans’ family that has come to Amesbury in
1888.

B.K.
Stevens has published over fifty short stories, most appearing in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and eleven of which have been collected in Her Infinite
Variety: Tales of Women and Crime, published by Wildside Press. In
addition, she has written a novel featuring a deaf interpreter, Interpretation
of Murder (Black Opal Books), and a young adult martial arts mystery, Fighting
Chance (Poisoned Pen Press). She has won a Derringer and has been nominated
for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. Her nominated story, published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, was
described by editor Linda Landrigan as: “A young wife finds her life’s
disappointments measured in broken glass.”

Art Taylor, associate professor of English at George Mason
University and frequent contributor to the Washington Post, the Washington
Independent Review of Books, and Mystery Scene Magazine, won the
Agatha Award for Best First Novel for On the Road with Del & Louise: A
Novel in Stories. For his short stories, he has won two Agatha Awards, two
Anthony Awards (one for his own short fiction and the other for editing Murder Under the Oaks: Bouchercon Anthology 2015),
a Macavity Award, and three consecutive Derringer Awards. His nominated story,
about a parent’s efforts to protect her child, was published in Chesapeake
Crimes: Storm Warning.

If
you haven’t already discovered these extraordinary authors, I hope you’ll take
this opportunity to read their nominated work. And, if you already love their
writing, as I do, enjoy these wonderful nominated selections!

The New Cinderella

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by Paula Gail Benson


Are
you familiar with the new Cinderella? I mean the Rodgers and Hammerstein
musical that played on Broadway from 2013 to 2015 and now is touring around the
country? If you haven’t had the opportunity and get the chance, please go see
it, particularly if you were enchanted by its television predecessors, the
first with Julie Andrews (1957), then Lesley Anne Warren (1965), and Brandy
(1997). Here’s the website for the touring schedule: http://cinderellaonbroadway.com/tour/
 
Just
be forewarned: this is not your traditional Cinderella story. This is a new empowered
Cinderella, who helps to bring out the leadership capabilities in the man she
comes to love. If you think I’m kidding, take a look at the cover for the
Broadway original cast album, which also is the national touring company’s
poster. It doesn’t feature a beautiful girl in a pumpkin carriage, or with a
glamorous Fairy Godmother, or even with a handsome Prince. Instead, it shows a
large glass slipper and inside the glass slipper is the image of a girl holding
a glass slipper looking up at a crescent moon. One poster also has the log
line: “glass slippers are so back.”
So
what’s the history of this phenomenon? It was actually written as a television
musical with Julie Andrews as Cinderella. According to Wikipedia, the original
production had to fit into a 90-minute time slot with six commercials, so Oscar
Hammerstein wrote it in six short acts, which he said took seven months.
I
remember seeing the Lesley Anne Warren version and being captivated by the
songs: “In My Own Little Corner,” where Cinderella explains how she deals with
a harsh world through her imagination; “Impossible,” in which the Fairy Godmother
sets the magic in motion; “Ten Minutes Ago,” with Cinderella and her Prince
realizing their instant attraction while waltzing; “The Step-Sisters’ Lament,” gleefully
demonstrating the pangs of jealousy (“With very little trouble/I could break
her little arm”); “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful,” has the Prince contemplating
his doubt upon Cinderella’s disappearance; and “A Lovely Night,” shows
Cinderella relishing the upper hand as she describes a ball she couldn’t
possibly have attended (“I do not know these things are so/I only can suppose”).
While
the first two television versions followed the traditional story, the third had
Cinderella running away from home after particularly cruel treatment by her
step-mother. The Broadway and touring company version begins with the Prince
(now called Topher instead of Christopher) battling a dragon and heading home from
school to take over his princely duties. A trusted mentor has been handling the
kingdom’s business pending Topher’s return and hopes to continue to do so by
making Topher a puppet ruler. Meanwhile, a revolutionary character, Jean–Michel, is standing up for the rights of the common people, while ineptly romancing
one of the step-sisters. When the mentor seeks to distract Topher’s attention
by having a ball to find a bride, the more familiar part of the story begins,
with certain distinctions. One difference is that the Fairy Godmother is a
local “crazy” woman, to whom Cinderella has been kind. Another little twist is
that the first act ends with Cinderella losing her slipper on the stairway,
then going back to retrieve it before Topher can get it, making all of us
wonder what the second act may have in store. Never fear. There’s another event
at the palace, where Cinderella introduces Topher to Jean–Michel and the common
people, then leaves behind her slipper before vanishing.
In
each television and stage version, the names of the step-sisters changed:
Portia and Joy (1957), Prunella and Esmerelda (1965), Calliope and Minerva
(1997), and Charlotte and Gabrielle (2013 on Broadway). I may be wrong, but the
mystery writer in me noticed that Douglas Carter Beane, who wrote the new book
for the Broadway version lists a daughter Gabby in the credits, so I’m guessing
that may be the reason for the name Gabrielle as well as a change in character
so that Gabrielle becomes Cinderella’s confidant instead of her adversary.
After
we saw the stage production, John W. Henry, my theater buddy, who remembered
well having produced a local production of the original show, asked me what
story had been incorporated into the new version. I had to think about this
question a while, but I finally decided that it was a reverse of the Beauty and
the Beast plotline, where, instead of having to fight off the angry villagers,
Cinderella gets Topher to champion their cause.

I enjoyed this
version because when teaching short story writing, I have often used the
Cinderella model to show structure. The problem is that if you stick with the
traditional tale, Cinderella has things happen to her and never takes a
proactive role. I encourage my students not to let that happen with a
protagonist. I’m glad that the people behind this new production took my
advice!

The Stiletto Connection (with Sisters in Crime)

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by Paula Gail Benson

Diane Vallere


What
do stilettos have in common with Sisters in Crime (SinC)? They are both significant
factors in current national SinC President Diane Vallere’s writing life.
For
example, her first manuscript, Just
Kidding, won the RWA Get Your Stiletto in the Door contest, then became Designer Dirty Laundry, the first novel
in her Samantha Kidd series. Her upcoming release in that series will be titled
Cement Stilettos. The hashtag in the
header for her website is #shoescluesclothes. (I’m thinking Diane should feel
completely at home here at The Stiletto
Gang.)
When
she visited by Skype with the SinC Palmetto Chapter (Columbia, S.C.) this past weekend, Diane
said that she attributed her writing success to membership in Sisters in Crime.
She joined SinC after she left a lucrative job in the fashion industry to write
mysteries. Her first publication was a short story in the SinC Guppy Chapter’s anthology,
Fish Tales.
Diane with SinC Seal
This
year, it seems particularly appropriate that a person who credits SinC with
helping her to attain her goals should be SinC’s national President as that
organization celebrates its 30th anniversary. For thirty years, SinC
has been bringing media attention to all crime writers’ efforts, as well as
providing grants to libraries and book stores to encourage mystery collections.
Now, Diane continues that legacy of support and encouragement by emphasizing
that SinC does not differentiate in manner of publication, but celebrates the
different journeys of all authors in the mystery community.
The
fact that she takes her own advice seriously is in clear evidence when you
consider her body of work. She currently writes four series: Samantha Kidd (a
designer shoe buyer who returns to the town where she grew up), Madison Night
(an interior decorator who resembles and dresses like Doris Day), Material
Witness (a business woman who inherits the fabric store where she was born), and
Costume Shop mysteries (a former magician’s assistant who returns home to run
her family’s costume shop–the first novel, A
Disguise to Die For, has been nominated as Best Humorous novel at this year’s
Left Coast Crime Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii).
Diane
began her own press in 2011. Without her knowing, her novel had been given to
an editor at Penguin. She turned down an offer to publish that novel with
Penguin and went the indie route, then wrote a new series Penguin bought.
She
continues to self-publish her Samantha Kidd books, while Penguin issues two
of her series (Material Witness and Costume Shop) and Henery Press releases her
Madison Night mysteries.  
One
of the questions Diane received from the Palmetto Chapter members was about the
following sentences found on her website:
She is also a
firm believer in not just following your dreams, but in creating a roadmap of
goals, tasks, and benchmarks to keep on track. She claims that being a textbook
Capricorn accounts for her drive, though she’s never been a big fan of being
told there’s something she can’t do.
Diane
laughed as soon as she heard the quote, because she had recently spoken to
another group that had asked her about it. She said the most important thing
about being a writer was finding ways to move forward and make writing a
priority, because writing will be as important as you want it to be.
Another
of Diane’s great talents is her ability to pack for a writing conference. Here’s
a photo of her outfits for last September’s Bouchercon in New Orleans.
Diane’s Bouchercon wardrobe
Don’t you think her next project should be a coffee table book on how to pack fashionably?
Thanks, Diane, for writing excellent mysteries that also feature good
fashion. And, thanks for your support of the mystery writing community,
particularly in this special anniversary year for Sisters in Crime.

Bethlehem Writers Roundtable

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by Paula Gail Benson

A
writer never forgets the first place her work is published. The Bethlehem
Writers Group, in existence since 2006, gave me that opportunity through its
online publication the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable (BWR).

At the
end of 2012, I had recently joined the Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime and
decided to commit to serious writing by submitting my work. I read the BWR was
seeking 2000 or less word stories on the theme “Dead Valentine” for its
February issue. I sent in “Nectar of the Gods,” and, miraculously, it was
selected as February’s feature story, which meant I also had to come up with a “top
ten” list. (My topic: the top ten romantic Broadway musicals.)

Subsequently,
I entered the BWR annual short story contest. That year, it was being judged by
Hank Phillippi Ryan, who I unabashedly adore as a fabulous writer and
incredible human being. I wrote a story based on personal experience, drawn
from an incident that happened to my mother during her final days in the
hospital. I will never forget the joy I felt in placing third, behind K.B.
Inglee, another author I very much admire.


For
me, the BWR is the gift that keeps giving. My three stories published there
remain accessible through the online archives. My prize winner also was included in
a print anthology available in paperback or Kindle formats on Amazon.

When
I first submitted to the BWR, it was issued monthly and offered no payment. In 2017, it became a
quarterly publication that pays for accepted stories ($20 for featured authors
and $10 for &More selections). Submissions should be no more than 2000
words.

This
year, the short story contest is being judged by Carrie Vaughn, the New York
Times bestselling novelist of the Kitty series, featuring a werewolf who hosts
a radio talk show. Paranormal stories are being solicited and must be received
by March 31, 2017. There is an entry fee of $10 per story for the contest. (Regular
submissions require no fee.) In addition to publication, the top three prize
winners receive cash awards. Personally, I think the contest fee is very
reasonable and consider it a means of supporting an excellent organization.

If you’re a short
story writer, please consider submitting to the BWR. I have found its editors
to be wonderful, caring individuals, and I am very proud to be among their authors
(including my Stiletto Gang partner, Debra Goldstein). Check it out at: http://bwgwritersroundtable.com

Writing Rehearsal

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by Paula Gail Benson

How
do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice!

How
do you get happily published? Submit carefully crafted writing.
And,
how do you ensure that your submissions are carefully crafted? Write
extensively.
Do
you have to write every day? Some authors manage without, but I remember what
happened when I tried to improve my piano playing and left off practicing until
the day before the lesson. The result was passable, but not as polished as it
could have been if I had built on a daily habit.
While
music and writing may be inspiring to their listeners, they don’t emerge from
the muse by someone simply placing their fingers on a keyboard. Music and
writing have to be worked out in advance before you can sell tickets to the
audience.
Acting
is another creative activity that requires prep time. The first reading of a
line may “feel” perfect, but once you’ve rehearsed it, you realize more subtle
nuances, ways to play off fellow actors, or timed reactions that are funnier or
more poignant than the original interpretation.
Pianists
and writers are solo performers. Only by repeated practice do they learn the
methods that will best charm and involve an audience. One of the greatest joys
of a performer can be the private discovery of how a musical or written piece
should be presented.
That
joy is compounded when they hear the audience’s reaction. The true moment when
the muse touches you is when you realize the perfect order and symmetry for
your work. An actor or pianist may receive a more instant gratification in
hearing applause, but what writer doesn’t relish listening to a reader tell him how his words and
stories have changed a life?
Practice
is necessary for performances because to act or play piano is an extension of
self. The way we turn writing into that extension is to: (1) sit down to write
with purpose, and (2) embrace the discoveries made.
By
developing a writing habit, you can let the daily discoveries soak in until
they become a part of your writer self. You learn to recognize those “tricks”
that attract your audience’s attention. Then, you refine them in order to make
them appear natural, so they become craft and your audience doesn’t perceive them
at all, but is completely involved in the story and hates to see it end. This is
the objective of every artist: to tell the story well and leave the listeners
satisfied.

Walter
Moseley said that when writing becomes a daily practice, the writer completes
projects and his subconscious begins to assist him even when he’s not writing
because the constancy of the task has become so strong. (Why does his concept
make me think I hear, “May the force be with you,” echoing in my head?)

Linda
Rodriguez has written some inspiring recent messages about becoming motivated to write
and making the decision to be a writer. Both feature excerpts from her recent
book, Plotting the Character Driven Novel,
which is terrific.

If you’re still contemplating New Year’s resolutions, here are a few books
that have recommendations to help you develop a daily writing schedule: 

The
Divine Guide to Creating a Daily Writing Practice by Pernille
Norregaard. This inspirational text includes many quotations from established
authors (like Walter Moseley’s theory above) and emphasizes how to effectively build a habit.

Lifelong Writing Habit: The Secret to
Writing Every Day
by Chris Fox. By illustrating how he changed his entire life through developing
consistent practices, Fox shows the path to more effective writing and offers
exercises to achieve that goal.

The Eight-Minute Writing Habit: Create a
Consistent Writing Habit That Works With Your Busy Lifestyle by Monica Leonelle.
This guide offers a modified Pomodoro Method of timed writing. By limiting the
writing period to eight minutes, Leonelle contends it creates a habit that is
easy to incorporate into any lifestyle and capable of ensuring at least 250 per
day, which could lead to 90,000 words in a year.

Writers’ Lessons from Paranormal or Supernatural Holiday Stories

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Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life

by Paula Gail Benson
I
watched It’s a Wonderful Life when
NBC broadcast it earlier this year. Letting myself get caught up in George
Bailey’s story and Clarence Oddbody’s struggle to get his wings, I began to
think about how some of our most memorable holiday stories involve a
supernatural or paranormal element. Consider Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Where would Scrooge
have been without those ghosts? Even Miracle
on 34th Street showcases Santa’s, or Kris Kringle’s, magical
capabilities.
What
is it about Christmas that brings makes us ponder the world beyond that we do
not know and only through religious texts, unique circumstances, and fiction catch
a glimpse? Does this preoccupation stem from the fact that during this cold time of
year, memories of the past draw close? Or, does the nativity story give us the
courage to ponder how humans may connect with God, angels, and dearly departed
who may be looking out for us?
A Christmas Carol (1938 film)
In
all three of the Christmas stories I mentioned, the supernatural or paranormal
creatures have the power to show humans what they may have been unable to see.
For George, how the world might have been if he weren’t born. For Scrooge, how
his actions had and could influence others. And, for Susie and her mother, how
believing, even if you’re not certain, can help you lead a happier, more
fulfilled life.
Often,
when writers think about creating paranormal creatures, we consider allowing
them to swoop in and rescue humans, like super heroes. But, in these Christmas
stories, that doesn’t occur. A reader might wonder why Clarence doesn’t ask
Gabriel if he can tell George that Mr. Potter has the missing money. In 1986, Saturday Night Live featured a sketch
introduced by William Shatner, who said the lost ending for It’s a Wonderful Life had been
discovered. Phil Hartman, playing Uncle Billy, remembers where he left the
$8,000 and learns from Clarence at the bank that Potter made a deposit in that
amount. George (Dana Carvey) and the crowd gathered at his house become an
angry mob, hunting down Potter (Jon Lovitz) and beating him to a pulp. It’s
just wasn’t the same as Clarence taking his lead from George’s suggestion and
by example showing him no man who has friends can be a failure.
I
decided to do some background research on the story, “The Greatest Gift” by
Phillip Van Doren Stern, that became the basis for It’s a Wonderful Life. According to Wikipedia, Stern was an editor and
author of books about the Civil War that have been described as authoritative
and respected by scholars. In 1938, he woke from a dream that inspired his
4,000 word short story, which he completed in 1943. When he could not find a
publisher, he sent it around in 200 Christmas cards. Eventually, it was
published and came to the attention of RKO Pictures, which optioned it due to
Cary Grant’s interest in playing George Bailey. Later, Frank Capra acquired
the rights and the role went to James Stewart. I found a copy of “The Greatest
Gift” available through Amazon. One of the reviewers pointed out that the names
of the characters in that story weren’t the same as those “in the original”
movie. I guess writers whose work has been adapted for the screen have been
facing that criticism a long time.
Speaking
of Cary Grant, he later played, not the struggling human, but the divine
intervenor in The Bishop’s Wife (a
role reprised by Denzel Washington in The
Preacher’s Wife). In that story, Grant’s angel, named Dudley, created more
havoc for the humans, but in the end, found he had to allow them to make their
own decisions, even though he had fallen in love with Julia (Loretta Young),
the Bishop’s (David Niven) wife.
So,
in remembering these holiday stories with paranormal elements and considering how
they were constructed and created, what have I learned as a writer? Here are my
thoughts:
Miracle on 34th Street

(1) Successful movie adaptations often receive more credit than the original source.
(2)
A ghost, an angel, or even Santa can never “fix’ a human’s problem, only help
the human find his or her way.

(3)
Even if a lesson is hard learned, humans are invariably better off by allowing
some of the mystical qualities of the season to transform them.

Here’s wishing each
of you a wonderful holiday and a new year of happy writing!

Thank Heavens for Booksellers!

/in /by

Fran and Don Bush
by Paula Gail Benson

An
author can have no greater friend than a supportive bookseller. I am fortunate
to have several in my life. I especially appreciate Fran and Don Bush, who
have just retired from running their brick-and-mortar Booklover’s Bookstore in
Aiken, South Carolina, but are still very active in their community and in promoting writers
they love.

We
first met through the South Carolina Book Festival, when I brought one of the
featured authors to the Aiken library for a special program Fran had arranged.
Since that time, we have become fast friends, closer than family. Fran and Don
have have been Aiken tour guides, helping me and another author gather
information for our work; and they have introduced me to their close friends, best-selling
mother-and-son writing team Caroline and Charles Todd. Take a look in the
acknowledgements in the Bess Crawford mystery, A Duty to the Dead, and you’ll see Fran Bush mentioned as “bookseller
extraordinaire.”
Recently,
Fran worked with the Aiken Chapter of the American Association of University
Women to organize a Mystery Madness Luncheon event, the proceeds from which benefited
AAUW’s scholarship fund. I’m proud to say that over $900 was collected.
Richard Laudenslager, Fran Rizer, Sasscer Hill, me, and Fran Bush
Because
Fran and Don are honorary members of the Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime, Fran
urged AAUW to showcase local authors she admired. She planned a terrific
panel including Sasscer Hill (formerly of Maryland and now an Aiken resident
whose multiple award nominated Nikki Latrelle series has been compared to the
work of Dick Francis, and whose new series will feature Fia McKee, an agent for
the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau); Richard Laudenslager (a project engineer
and paranormal investigator currently writing a thriller, Wounded, and
collaborator, with Fran Rizer, on an anthology); Fran Rizer (who in addition to
her cozyesque Callie Parrish mysteries, about a funeral home cosmetologist, has
written Kudzu River, a serial killer thriller, Southern Swamps and
Ruins, an anthology of haunting tales written in collaboration with Richard
D. Laudenslager, and a tenth novel, The Horror of Julie Bates), and
myself (writer of mystery and other short stories).

AAUW Lunch

We
had a wonderful lunch, with each author sitting at a different table and
getting to know the members and guests of the AAUW chapter. The chicken salad
was divine and the desserts delectable. Then, the authors gathered at a table before
the audience to field questions from our moderator, Fran. While we had notice
of most that she intended to ask, she threw us a few curves–a particularly
good one that was suggested by her friend Caroline Todd and still has me
thinking: “Tell the audience in 90 seconds why they should read your work.”

Every
avid reader loves having a librarian or bookseller to consult with about the
most recent releases, but to have true advocates like Fran and Don Bush in your
corner is an incredible gift for an author. Thank you, Fran and Don. As our
friendship grows, I discover more qualities for which I admire you. I will
never forget your warm embraces, overflowing kindness, and complete confidence
in me and my writing. I am forever grateful.
Audience at AAUW Mystery Madness Luncheon

A Weekend in Atlanta Talking Short Stories

/in /by

by Paula Gail Benson

Robert Mangeot, Fran Stewart, and PGB (Photo by Charlie Burton)


My
membership in Sisters in Crime has afforded me many benefits, including
information, encouragement, and camaraderie. I’m particularly grateful to have had
the opportunity to participate in a recent short story workshop sponsored by
the Atlanta Chapter and organized by its President Lisa Malice and Debra
Goldstein. The event took place at the Decatur Public Library, a marvelous
facility with well-equipped auditorium and a patio where those attending could
have lunch and talk with the presenters. It was a true privilege for me to be
on the program with three short story writers I greatly admire, Debra, Kaye
George, and Robert Mangeot.

We
set an ambitious goal to provide a comprehensive overview of the short story craft
and submission process. While we concentrated on mysteries, we were delighted
to have writers of literary fiction and other genres participating.

Debra Goldstein (Photo by Robert Mangeot)

Debra
got us started with a description of the short story and an extremely effective
analysis of how to develop conflict through phrasing and action. Robert brilliantly
covered setting, character, and dialogue in a single segment that incorporated the
use of Gone with the Wind to
illustrate his points. Kaye and I took on the challenge of jointly teaching plotting
strategies and discovered that our approaches and preferred structural models offered
some interesting alternatives for putting together a story.

After
lunch, Kaye explained how revision and editing were essential in developing a
marketable manuscript. I followed up with some exercises to get the creative
juices flowing. I’m pleased to report that the group left with almost everyone
having written a six-word story a la
Ernest Hemingway’s “For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.” Robert finished up the
day with a wonderful method for pursuing publication and left us all with the
inspirational question: “What is your dream?” By telling us about his own
writing journey and encouraging us to consider what we truly wished to achieve,
he sent us forth excited about the possibilities.
PGB and Kaye George (Photo by Robert Mangeot)

Our
participants were so enthusiastic, it became infectious. We exchanged a lot of very
helpful information.

I am
particularly grateful to Lisa Malice and her husband Lou for their generous
hospitality. Kaye and I were fortunate enough to stay with them for the
weekend. Not only did we get to enjoy Lisa and Lou’s lovely home, fabulous
food, and great conversations, but also we had a terrific time practicing our
presentation and catching up.

Thank you to the
Atlanta Chapter for taking the time to focus on the short story. I appreciate
my fellow presenters so very much. I always learn from each of you and I value
our friendships. Finally, many thanks to all those who attended. May you find
the success in writing that you are seeking!