FLASH FANTASTIC INTERVIEW Earl Staggs, current president of Short Mystery Fiction Society, is interviewed by Patty G. Henderson for FLASH FANTASTIC

Patty G. Henderson: Why short stories as opposed to novels?

Earl Staggs: There are two reasons I prefer to write -- and read -- short stories rather than novels. First, there's the return-on-time-spent factor. In the amount of time it takes to write a novel (let's say one year, which is actually on the low side), I can write a dozen or more short stories and some of them will be published somewhere. Just for illustration, let’s say ten of them are accepted and published. That's ten times I’ll enjoy the thrill of receiving an acceptance letter, ten times I’ll feel I've met the challenge of having written a salable story, and ten times I've received validation from an editor that I'm actually a writer.

If I'd spent that year writing a novel, I'd then have to submit it to an agent or publisher, then probably wait another year (again, probably on the low side) to have it accepted and published. If...that is...it were to be accepted and published. The chances of a new novelist making that step to actual publication are slim these days.

So, that's a minimum of two years out of my life devoted to writing a novel with a minimal chance of seeing it published. With short stories, in that same two years, I could have seen my name in print and felt the elation of achievement twenty times.

Ah, but there's not much money in writing short stories, you say. Yes, that's true. Only a few publications pay for short stories and if they do, it's certainly not enough to live off of, not by a long shot. But the odds of a new novelist getting published and making the Big Bucks are about as good as winning the lottery. Most new writers are unable to crack the major book publishers and are being published by small independent houses that pay no advance and, without the benefit of large press runs and distribution outlets, offer little promise in future royalties. I know several writers who have had one, two, or three books published and are still waiting to realize as much money from their books as I have from my short stories.

My second reason for preferring short stories has to do with variety. I like variety in my reading. With most novels, after a few chapters, I begin to yearn for a different set of characters, a different setting, a new plot, or simply a different style of writing. If I’m reading short stories, I can enjoy a hardboiled PI story, then switch to a cozy or cop yarn, or move from a dark and serious story to a light and humorous one. That same need for variety applies to my writing. I’ve written stories in different sub-genres of mystery and crime from PI to Cozy to Hardboiled to strictly Humorous, and enjoyed them all. I think all writers should experiment with different characters, settings, and styles of writing to find what is most comfortable for them, their "niche," so to speak. Some may eventually find one character or one sub-genre that is perfect for them and stick with it. Others may continue to write a variety. You just never know where your niche may be until you’ve tried your hand in different arenas.

PGH: How long have you been writing and was your first story a mystery?

EARL: Like most writers, I harbored a desire to write as far back as I can remember. I dabbled with it half-seriously at different times over the years but pushed it aside due to the pressures of making a living, raising children and the like. When my wife and I entered the empty nest phase of our lives and the pressure of earning a living eased up, I decided to have a serious go at writing. I thought it would be a good idea to take a writing course and checked the local community college. The only course available happened to be one on "How to Write a Mystery." Hmmmm. I’d never really thought about writing mysteries before, but why not? Writing is writing, right? Happily, writing mystery was an immediate fit.

The teacher’s plan was for each student to write a complete short mystery story by the end of the course. I did that and was so impressed with the brilliance of my writing ability, I submitted the story to a magazine. When the inevitable rejection came, I decided the editor was an idiot and was not deterred from my goal to be a writer. By then I had written another story. That second one and several afterward were accepted and published and I was hooked on writing mystery stories.

About three years later, I pulled out my original story. Wow! Either I had learned a lot in those three years or someone had sneaked into my file drawer and turned my brilliant writing into amateurish crap. I rewrote that first story and it was eventually published not by one magazine but by two at the same time. One was a print magazine and the other was one of my favorite ezines to this day, Mysterical-e. The story, titled "The Missing Sniper," is still there on Mysterical-e, by the way, in their Premier Issue archives.

PGH: What are your current projects?

EARL: I always have two or three short stories in the works and ideas for many more, so there’s never a shortage of something to write. The shortage is in time to get it all done.

Even though I prefer short stories, I’ll admit to having a touch of the ambition held by all writers, that of being a "Published Novelist." I have one book finished and two in the works. Someday, one of them may be published. Even then, if it happens, I’ll continue writing short stories. I enjoy it too much to give them up.

PGH: Some say that the market for short genre fiction is dead or dying. Do you think so and if not, what is your outlook for short mystery markets?

EARL: I don’t think short genre fiction will ever completely die but the demand for it has drastically changed in recent years. There was a time in our society when reading was a favorite respite from the pressures and demands of daily life. Relaxation and entertainment meant getting comfortable in a cozy chair and reading. A wide variety of weekly and monthly magazines were available at newsstands, on store racks, or through subscription to fill the needs of the public to escape into fictional worlds for relaxation, entertainment, adventure or romance. Nowadays, people plop on the sofa, pick up the remote, push a button and watch their favorite shows on TV. Or they plop in a videotape or DVD, then plop themselves on the sofa. The result has been the evolution from a reading society to a plopping one.

This change has also brought about the disappearance of many publications which once flourished. In the mystery field, there only two large circulation magazines (Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazines) remaining, and even they are struggling to survive. There are, however, dozens of electronic magazines ("ezines") and a handful of smaller print magazines still being published and providing outlets for short story writers and readers. More and more writers and loyal fans of short mystery fiction are discovering and turning to these avenues to keep the genre alive. I expect growth in this direction to continue and this growth will guarantee an everlasting life for short mystery fiction.

Unless, of course, medical science discovers that watching TV slowly weakens brain cells and causes hair loss, accelerated aging and significant weight gain. When that happens, the public may stop plopping and return to reading.

PGH: What is your favorite type of mystery story and do you read other genres as well?

EARL: My favorite is the old-fashioned whodunnit. Like most mystery readers, I love a puzzle and enjoy sifting through clues, red herrings, and suspects along with the protagonist of a story. I love it even more when I figure out who dun what to whom before the PI, cop, or amateur sleuth does. A good writer and a well-written story, though, allows me to keep right in step with the protagonist but keeps me guessing right to the end. I also enjoy a story in which the emphasis in less on whodunnit and more on why an evil deed was done. A well-written story of this type is more literary in nature and a good writer will take me inside the minds and hearts of the characters and leave me thinking about their motivations and the consequences of their actions long after the story ends. I read very little in genres other than mystery or crime. I certainly have respect for writers of other genres such as Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror, but I prefer to read about people and places more similar to the world in which I live.

PGH: Explain what the Short Mystery Fiction Society is and your role in it.

EARL: The Short Mystery Fiction Society is an email list group created to provide a gathering place specifically for writers, editors, publishers, and fans of short mystery and crime fiction. There are many web sites for those interested in novels and many SMFS members write books also, but SMFS is unique in that it focuses on the short stuff. Members ask questions about writing problems or techniques and freely exchange advice and guidance in marketing their work. Members also provide encouragement and support in a field which gets much less attention in the writing community than books. Membership has grown to approximately six hundred and continues to grow not only with new members throughout the US, but in other countries as well.

It’s not unusual on any given day to find a discussion on the SMFS list involving members from three continents. At any given time, also, there may be a discussion on how private eyes operate or how cops handle a crime scene in real life. There may also be questions about the best way to poison someone or the safest way to dispose of a dead body. These questions, I assure you, come from authors wanting to write about such matters, not someone contemplating the commission of such acts. At least, we’re fairly certain that’s the case.

In 1997, SMFS created the Derringer Awards to honor excellence in the creative artform of writing short mystery fiction. Each year, writers, editors and publishers submit the best stories published during the previous year and SMFS members vote for the best in each category. Entrants do not have to be members of SMFS, and stories published in any English language magazine or anthology in book form are eligible.

I’ve been a member of SMFS for more than five years and have learned a mountain of writing information. I find the daily postings a valuable means of finding markets for my own stories, a means of keeping up with which members are selling stories to which publications along with the latest calls for submissions for anthologies and contests. I’ve also formed friendships with other writers to whom I can turn for encouragement, support and help when needed.

I served a term as Vice President of SMFS and now have the privilege of being President. Current Vice President Michael Bracken and I share the duties of monitoring members and discussions on the list, which means, for the most part, dousing flame wars and keeping spammers out.

We’re currently updating and revising the SMFS website at: www.shortmystery.net. Complete information about joining SMFS and submitting to the annual Derringer Awards are there.

PGH: What is your favorite color?

EARL: Aha! Getting personal now, are we? Okay, I have two favorite colors, depending on the season. For the cooler days of fall and winter, I prefer the warmth and cozy comfort of brown. In spring and summer when life is more vibrant, active, and colorful, I like green. For those in-between times, when the seasons overlap, I may opt for a combination of brown and green. Sorry for getting complex with this answer, but I’m afraid I’m a complex person cursed with an active imagination and given to constant revision. After all, I’m a writer.