by Paula Gail Benson When I think about writing or film described as “noir,” the words bleak, cynical, dark, and fatalistic come to mind. I’m immediately reminded of black and white movies, usually produced during the 1930s or 1940s and often featuring Humphrey Bogart. In a list of Bogart’s top 31 films, 13 of them […]
by Paula Gail Benson Since 2006, the Bethlehem Writers Group has been showcasing short fiction through its online literary journal, the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable (now a paying publication — $20 for featured stories, $10 for other stories, and $5 for poetry — issued quarterly), and through its terrific anthologies, which include: Each year, the Group holds […]
by Paula Gail Benson I remember hearing about the DAR or Daughters of the American Revolution most of my life. While I had no family who were members, I grew up in South Carolina, the location of 200 Revolutionary War battles. As a child, my parents took me on a trip to Washington, D.C. and […]
by Paula Gail Benson From: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-soft-ice-cream-day-august-19/ Did you know that today, August 19, is National Soft Ice Cream Day? Shari Randall, you should take note of this commemoration! According to the National Day Calendar website, while no one has been clearly identified as organizing the special designation, soft serve ice cream began around Memorial Day in […]
by Paula Gail Benson Two more award lists, with presentations to occur at Bouchercon 2019 in Dallas, have been announced and include some familiar names and titles for short story finalists. The Macavity nominees, presented by the Mystery Readers International (MRI), subscribers to Mystery Readers Journal and members and friends of MRI, are: Gigi Pandian […]
by Paula Gail Benson Logo by Krista Anderson Nancy Pickard (Photo by Anita Baker) For the second year, the Southeastern Chapter of Mystery Writers of America (SEMWA) and the Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime presented a day-long mystery conference offering master classes and panels in Columbia, South Carolina. Called Mystery in the Midlands, it […]
by Paula Gail Benson If you’re a writer of mystery short fiction, you’ve probably followed a blog called “My Little Corner” that was written by Sandra Seamans. Faithfully, Sandra chronicled potential publishers seeking short fiction and linked to information about the submission guidelines. Every time I spoke to groups about writing short stories, I referred […]
by Paula Gail Benson Since 2013, StoryaDay.org has declared May Short Story month and has set up a website (http://shortstorymonth.com/) to recommend short stories and recognize their authors. Indeed, May has been a month where short stories have been celebrated. During the first weekend in May, at Malice Domestic in Bethesda, Maryland, a tie-winner was […]
by Paula Gail Benson At the end of this week, many of us will gather in Bethesda, Maryland, to celebrate the best of the traditional mystery. It will be a homecoming, family reunion, and all round party blast–wonderful in the anticipating and attending, yet over far too soon. Let’s get the party started early with […]
by Paula Gail Benson When your day job requires extensive writing, can the well run dry? Do you come home from work and avoid the computer or laptop, just ready to let the words flow over you from the closest television or other viewing or listening device? Do you wake reserving your word skills for […]