LUCY BURDETTE: Today I'm happy to welcome one of our longtime JRW writing pals Leslie Wheeler, to introduce an anthology of crime fiction shorts which many of us have contributed to over the years. Welcome Leslie!
LESLIE WHEELER: Having just released Deadly Nightshade, the 2022 Best New England Crime Stories anthology with co-editors/publishers, Christine Bagley and Susan Oleksiw, I’m struck by the different shapes the short form can take. I’m not talking about subject matter or mood, but rather story structure. Here are two examples, taken from Deadly Nightshade. One is a lengthy, complex, and rule-defying story; the other, a masterpiece of minimalism.
The first story, “Playing God,” by Avram Lavinsky does two things that at least one short story maven lists as “don’ts.” The first don’t involves point of view: “A clear point of view. Whose story is this? Only one POV!!” While some crime stories juggle two points of view—this often occurs in stories where spouses are plotting to kill each other—“Playing God” has as many as five. And I thought I was being daring when I wrote a story with four points of view!
The other don’t has to do with time frame: “A limited time frame (Real time) No long flashback’s please!” “Playing God” toggles back and forth between the present day and eight years earlier. With its multiple points of view and time frames, this story about two police chaplains of different faiths who must comfort the grieving relatives of suicides and murder victims, demands more from the reader. But it also offers more with well-crafted scenes in which the characters and settings are presented with cinematic precision. And by the end when the connections between the various pieces of the puzzle are revealed, I, at least, felt that it was more than worth the effort. “Playing God” is a prime example of a story where “More is More,” in the sense of more satisfying and powerful.
Still, the minimalist approach of “Less is More” can also result in a compelling story, as evidenced by Tilia Klebenov Jacob’s “By the Book.” This story of a kerfuffle in a library where a librarian is arrested by a policeman, whom she has known since he was a teenager, consists of a one-sided conversation between the librarian and the cop. It’s as if we, the readers, are in a room with the librarian while she’s on the phone with the cop, and we can only hear what she’s saying. Yet her dialogue is written in such a way that we can easily fill in the blanks, not only about what caused the current kerfuffle, but about the past events that led up to this moment. The use of a single character’s dialogue to tell a story is both clever and economical, something that works well in a short story, but is hard to imagine doing in a novel, unless it’s a novella, and even then, it can be hard to pull off, requiring as it does a strong and distinctive voice to carry the narrative.
As these examples demonstrate, there are more ways than you might think to pen a successful crime story. Do you have a favorite short story, mystery or not? If so, please share. One of the commenters will receive a copy of Best New England Crime Stories 2022: Deadly Nightshade.
Award-winning author, Leslie Wheeler, writes two mystery series: the Berkshire Hilltown Mysteries and the Miranda Lewis Living History Mysteries. Her latest release is Wolf Bog, the third book in the Berkshire Hilltown series. Her short crime fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies including the Best New England Crime Stories anthologies, published by Level Best Books, where she was a co-editor/publisher for six years, and now by Crime Spell Books, where she holds the same position. She divides her time between Cambridge, Massachusetts and the Berkshires, where she writes in a house overlooking a pond.
About the book: A man commits suicide for no apparent reason; the muscle for a mobster reviews his mentor’s life lessons; a longtime widow takes up a life of crime; a librarian proves formidable if occasionally oblivious; a young man escapes the nightmare of a future; and a killer is trapped—these and other tales of murder, deception, trickery, and rough justice fill the pages of the eagerly awaited annual anthology of Best New England Crime Stories.
I can't wait to dive into all the other stories, Leslie, including the two you mention. I'm thrilled you and the other editors chose my "The Management of Secrets" - a new Quaker midwife tale, this time set in 1900, ten years after the last book in the series - as part of the collection!
ReplyDeleteI still remember Hank's Agatha-winning short story from many years ago, and the twist she pulled off at the end of "On the House."
Yay, Edith, a new Quaker midwife story!
DeleteEdith, congratulations! Your productivity boggles;-)
Deletecongrats Edith!
DeleteThanks for your comments, Edith! We were delighted to publish your new Quaker midwife story. It's nice to see your midwife as a married mom with children of her own, but still solving mysteries as only she can! I remember Hank's story, "On the House" as well, and it's fabulous twist.
DeleteAwwwww thank you—you all are so kind! And congratulations!
DeleteEdith, congratulations!!!! Diana
DeleteLESLIE: Congratulations on the new anthology. What is the connection of the stories to the deadly nightshade?
ReplyDeleteI remember reading Tracy Clark's "Lucky 13". It ended with quite a twist. The story was nominated for several awards, including the Edgar.
Nice to hear you also, Grace. There's not really any connection of the stories to deadly nightshade. We simply decided with our previous anthology, Bloodroot, that we'd go with poisonous plants in our titles, and so far, doing so has given us some creepy covers!
DeleteLeslie, thank you for editing the anthology of short stories for Crime Bake. I think I need this one although I confess that short stories are not my first choice for reading these days.
ReplyDeleteRemember when we used to get magazines like Ladies Home Journal or read them in the doctor's office? I read more short stories back then. As a kid, I also read the anthologies of short stories on my mother's bookshelves. Poe. Maugham. And I remember some of them quite well.
A quote in RED by Maugham sticks even now. "The tragedy of love is not death or separation...the tragedy of love is indifference." Perhaps a bit melodramatic, but stuck, nevertheless.
Glad to hear the anthology sounds like one you'd like to read, Judy, even though short stories aren't your first choice right now. I used to read a lot of short stories in magazines also when I was growing up, then a bit later, in the New Yorker. Writing short stories myself has given me more of an appreciation of the short form. Love the quote in RED from Maugham. His novel, Of Human Bondage, was one of my favorites in college. LIked it so much I hated to have it end.
DeleteBig congratulations to you, Leslie, Susan and Christine! I look forward to buying my copy of Deadly Nightshade at Crime Bake this weekend!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Brenda! You gave us a great story for last year's anthology, Bloodroot, and I hope we'll get another one in next year's Best New England Crime Stories anthology.
DeleteChristine Bagley? Is she from San Diego? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteChristine Bagley lives in MA now, but I don't know if she'd from San Diego originally. Will have to ask her.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great collection, Leslie.
ReplyDeleteI've always been partial to "Gift of the Magi," by O. Henry.
Thanks for your comment, Liz. "Gift of the Magi" is one of my favorite stories too!
DeleteSomeone in our neighborhood must really like short crime fiction because every time I put an anthology in the Little Free Library it vanishes. Unfortunately, they don't seem to bring them back so others might enjoy them.
ReplyDeleteLeslie, I've been seeing this book everywhere, and the cover is so beautiful and distinctive that it stands out. Lovely choice, even for a deadly plant!
Thanks for your comment, Karen, good to know that anthologies are a hot item at your Little Free Library. Hope the people that take them pass on to others, though. Glad you like the cover also. Poisonous plants do seem to lend themselves to attractive covers!
DeleteCannot wait to see you all this weekend at Crime Bake! Will you be having a signing?
ReplyDeleteYes! At 11:45 is the group signing for Deadly Nightshade.
DeleteWonderful piece, Leslie! Your take on the short story form was not only interesting but the examples were perfect. Congratulations on bringing short stories to the forefront!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Chris, I'm happy to take part in what I see as a growing revival of interest in short crime fiction, as evidenced from the number of anthologies looking for submissions lately.
DeleteThanks for posting the signing time for DN, Edith. Last year, it was so crazy that this year I've asked my son Nick to help out at the Crime Spell Books table on Saturday, especially since he's a whiz with The Square.
ReplyDeleteLeslie, congratulations on the anthology! I just submitted a short story for a writing contest. Quite difficult to get exactly 2,000 words. My story had too many characters 😂
ReplyDeleteDiana
Thanks, Diana. Yes, having a lot of characters in a 2,000 word-story can be tough! It's easier in a longer story like the one I cited, or the story I wrote myself which has four different POVs. Good luck with your next submission!
DeleteI'm a great admirer of the short story form, which, sadly, I am almost completely unable to write myself. The best short stories can experiment with structure, language, and style in a way that longer works can't get away with, and the truly great ones can land with a punch that stays with you for decades.
ReplyDeleteOn a more plebeian plane, there were about 2 years when I was the mother of two under two, when the only fiction I could read was short stories - either in the bathroom, or for 15 minutes before I fell asleep at night. :-)
Not in my Deadly Nightshade story, but in others I love to go darker, narrate from the point of view of the criminal, experiment with topics I wouldn't want to live with for a whole book.
DeleteShort stories are also great when attention span is suffering, like when one is sick or in pain.
Nice to hear from you, Julia! But don't beat yourself up about not being able to write shorts. Writing the wonderful novels that you do is enough of an achievement. Not surprised that the only fiction you could read was shorts with 2 under 2 year-olds. It was the same for me,l and I only had one under 2-year-old, but he was a handful!
DeleteCongratulations on your anthology. Short stories are always appealing and special. I read The Lost Heifetz by Michael Tabor and was enthralled with this story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, traveler! I'm not familiar with the story you mention, but will look it up.
DeleteLeslie, Congratulations on the anthology! reading short stories has brought me great enjoyment. After I finish reading I am in awe. They have affected me greatly. Ray Bradbury short stories are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments, petite. Agree with you that Ray Bradbury shorts are great!
DeleteCongratulations! Sounds like a delightful book of shorts.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words, Kait! Are you coming to the Crime Bake, but any chance? Hope so, because I'd love to meet in person.
DeleteInteresting analysis of both stories' effectiveness, despite differences. What you're saying is that style serves story. Rules can be bent, words can be pruned--anything can work, so long as it enhances the tale being told. One of my favorite stories is Michael Connelly's "Mulholland Dive."
ReplyDeleteYes, that's exactly the point I was trying to make, Saralyn! Thanks for your pithy summary, also for the recommenation of Mulholland Drive.
ReplyDeleteLeslie, I loved your analysis of the stories in Deadly Nightshade. You've inspired me to read more short stories. Maybe if I read more shorts I'd be better at writing them! My natural tendency is to put in too many characters and before I know it, it's a novel plot...
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words about my post, Deborah. Glad it inspired you to read more shorts as a way of writing better ones yourself. My advice is to start small with a few characters, then when you've got the hang of it you can branch out and have more characters. For me, one of the reasons that "Playing God" works so well is that in the end he reveals the connections among them. Have fun!
DeleteCongratulations on the anthology! Have you written any short stories based in Rattlesnake Hill? Most of the short stories I read have their origins in series. To read one of these stories is pure lagniappe! I get to learn more about a character in a setting that isn't part of a novel. I still remember short stories we read in high school from O.Henry and Saki in particular.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments, Pat D. No, I haven't actually written any stories that take place in New Nottingham, the fictional Berkshires town, where Rattlesnake Hill is located. But I have written stories that take place in other fictional and non-fictional places in the Berkshires. My story, "Watchers," which appears in last year's Best New England Crime Stories anthology, Bloodroot, was inspired by a real-life event in my Berkshires town, as was my story, "The Gentleman Burglar," which appears in Deadly Nightshade. It takes place in Stockbridge in the early 1900s.
DeleteIt sounds like a fascinating anthology, Leslie. Thanks for your insights.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome, Priscilla, and thanks for chiming in.
DeleteI don't have a favorite short story but enjoyed the collections of Agatha Christie and Isaac Asimov. A lot of authors write novellas now but I guess they are longer than short stories. It is nice to have novellas or short stories that flesh out characters from series as Edith did. Congratulations on your book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, PA Sally. Yes, it's indeed nice to have novellas as a form that's longer than stories and shorter than novels, and more writers seem to be writing them when they have more to say than they can in a short story, but maybe don't have the time and energy for a novel.
DeleteOne of my favorite Mysteries is "Rebecca".
ReplyDeleteI read it when I was in high school. Time to reread it.