On Short Stories: A few helpful tips and tricks

Why Write Short Stories? Lessons from the Maine Crime Wave

A few weeks ago, my friend and fellow Maine writer Rebecca Turkewitz and I co-facilitated a roundtable discussion on short stories with other crime writers at the Maine Crime Wave. It was a fantastic chance to talk craft. (If you haven’t read Rebecca’s exceptional collection, Here in the Night, please check it out.)

I wanted to share some of the essential tips I’ve picked up along the way.

Why short stories?

Subtext. The short form allows writers to go deep, fast. For example, in my story “For Laura,” I focused on trimming out as much as possible, leaving the characters on the cusp of a tragedy they can do nothing to stop. But so much of suspense is what is left off the page, it’s the quiet between the sentences. The best writing allows for many interpretations, motives, and meanings.

The art of a the twist. Truly exceptional short story writers master the twist. I compare it to a magician’s sleight of hand: the twist should never be entirely unexpected. The great writers line the road with breadcrumbs; readers know something is coming. Twists with no crumbs feel undeserved, and too many crumbs make the plot predictable. In my flash piece, “Lubbock to El Paso” (available October 15th), I sprinkled small omens along the way to earn the ending in under 680 words.

Experimentation. Short stories offer a low-stakes environment for risk-taking that is difficult in a full-length novel. You can try a second-person POV, explore deeper, darker themes, and test ideas without committing to a massive time investment. This frees writers up to be truly innovative.

What resources are out there?

Short Mystery Fiction Society (SMFS): This free, fantastic listserv is where over a thousand of short story writers share calls for submission, market news, craft questions, and encouragement. SMFS also sponsors the Derringer Awards.Reach Out to Authors: Did you read a short story you loved? Email the author! When I started out, I tracked down three of my favorite writers and received outstanding advice and encouragement.Share what you love on social media and with friends: Take a minute to showcase what you’re enjoying. Write the reviews. Show up for book events. This writing stuff is hard. It means a lot when people shout out the good that they are reading.

Where can I find a market?

When you join the SMFS, you get access to a comprehensive market list. Below are my personal favorites. (Full disclosure: my list skews toward dark, ambiguous, and literary crime fiction. Always check the submission requirements and read what the publication is putting out to get a sense of their distinct vibe.)

1.) Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (EQMM): A gift to the genre. They published my first story and invest in new voices. Highly regarded and competitive, they pay professional rates. Response time is typically 3–4 months.

2.) Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine (AHMM): A sibling publication to EQMM and a guaranteed good read. The editor reads every story, so the response time is longer—twelve months plus—but they pay professional rates.

3) Rock and a Hard Place (RHP): Great for noir and dark literary fiction (my go-to for edgy pieces). They take risks and produce interesting collections. Standard pay is $25 per story.

4.) Dark Yonder Focused on Neo-noir; they look for tightly written, deeply subversive, and unsettling stories. Pays $50 per story.

5.) Shotgun Honey Excellent small publisher for flash fiction (1,000 words or less) and unexpected themed anthologies. This is an online publication and offers $15 per story.

6.) Dark Waters Anthology (Annual): A podcasting duo that runs an annual call. Pay is $25. The call for submissions opens in the summer.

7.) Crime Spell Books (Annual): Publishes The Best New England Crime Writing anthologies. Pay is $25, and accepted authors are eligible for the Al Blanchard Award (which comes with a $250 cash prize). Calls for submission open in January

My latest stories:

In Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (September/October issue): My story, “A Hard Night’s Sleep,” explores a mother’s attempt to host a peaceful Thanksgiving, disrupted by her husband’s worsening condition and family resentment. The evening culminates in an act of violence that shatters the fragile world she was trying to protect.

In Snakeberry: The Best New England Crime Writing: My story, “Money Well-Spent,” introduces Sloane, a cynical private investigator whose vacation is derailed by a blizzard and a troubled young woman. Sloane will reappear early next year in “The Best and Sweetest Things” in EQMM.