by Paula Gail Benson
My writing life
shifted into high gear when I joined the online chapter of Sisters in Crime
called “The Guppies.” Sisters in Crime is a national organization founded by
Sara Paretsky and others to bring attention to female authors of crime fiction.
(It now has many brothers as well as sisters.) “Guppies” stands for “the great unpublished,” but
it’s such a genial fellowship that many remain members after their work sees
print.
Being a Guppy particularly
helped me because:
- I began receiving notices about anthologies accepting short story submissions.
- I had the opportunity to join a short story critique group.
Most people don’t think about writing short stories as a goal,
but there is a thriving community of short story authors. Certainly, noted
Canadian short story author Alice Munro’s winning the 2013 Nobel Prize in
Literature has brought notice to writing short fiction. Interest in this field also
has increased with the growing number of online markets. Short stories in all
genres—literary, inspirational, romance, mystery, fantasy, science fiction—are actively being sought.
The encouraging
aspects of writing short stories are:
- You can write a story in a shorter time frame than a novel.
- You don’t need an agent to submit.
- You hear fairly quickly if your story has been accepted or rejected.
Often, if you
ask nicely, an editor will respond personally and tell you why your story was
rejected, which gives you valuable information and also may help you make a
contact in the publishing business. Frequently, you can make online
submissions, thus avoiding mailing costs.
Published short
stories are eligible for awards, so they can bring you not only writing
credits, but also a higher profile in the writing community. I have a number of
friends who are well known mystery writers and primarily write short stories.
Take a look at the websites for Barb Goffman, B.K. Stevens, and Art Taylor .
Short story writers have their own
societies and list servs full of members who may offer advice and support.
Joining the Short Mystery Fiction Society (SMFS) is free. Details are found at
its website: As with most writing organizations, the
SMFS offers a wonderful forum for writers at all levels.
The down side of
short story writing is this:
- Crafting a short story may be as complex as developing a novel.
- Often the only payment for a short story is publication or a very low per word rate.
- With renewed interest in the market, there is significant competition.
If you are
interested in writing mystery short stories, I wrote a series of 13 messages on
the topic in 2013 providing information about markets, resources, classes,
awards, and craft for the blog Writers Who Kill. The complete list of messages I wrote
for WWK is found with hyperlinks on my personal blog, Little Sources of Joy. Sandra Seaman’s blog, My Little Corner, announces opportunities available for
short story writing and is a great resource. Ralan, at http://www.ralan.com, provides market information for short speculative
and humor fiction.
Have you thought
about writing a short story? You might want to consider it. I hope you will.
A
legislative attorney and former law librarian, Paula Gail Benson’s short
stories have been published in Kings River Life, the BethlehemWriters Roundtable, Mystery
Times Ten 2013 (Buddhapuss Ink), and A
Tall Ship, a Star, and Plunder (Dark Oak Press and Media, released January
20, 2014). She regularly blogs with others at http://writerswhokill.blogspot.com. Her website is http://paulagailbenson.com.
