LONG STORY SHORT by John M. Floyd I’ve often heard writers of nonfiction complain that they’re the Rodney Dangerfields of the literary community. Not that they don’t sell a lot of books and articles (because they do) or that they don’t make money from their writing (because they do). Their complaint is that they sometimes […]

NIGHT VISION by John M. Floyd This week I’m straying a bit off the short-story path, to a place with dim lights and reclining seats and the smell of overpriced popcorn. The subject’s still suspense fiction, though. As I’ve said before in this column, I believe that most readers of mystery/suspense/crime stories also enjoy movies […]

The following piece is a shortened version of an article I sold in 2003 on researching short mystery stories. It’s of course geared to writers, but I’m hoping it might be interesting to readers as well. FACTS IN FICTION by John M. Floyd The most important thing I can say about research is this: you […]

WHO WAS THAT MASKED MAN? by John M. Floyd I doubt it would come as a revelation to anyone reading this that we who write for this site receive our column ideas at unlikely times, and from unlikely sources. The idea for this one came to me at a bookstore signing a few months ago. […]

THE OLD MAN AND THE SAND AND SEA by John M. Floyd Ever since I retired and made good my escape from Corporate America, I have been — when I’m not writing or mowing the lawn — teaching short-story courses in the Continuing Ed program at Millsaps College. It’s a lot of fun, and the […]

WHY WON’T JOHNNY READ? by John M. Floyd A pro-literacy phrase that I remember from my childhood was one I never liked, back then. It popped up a lot, in everything from magazines to newscasts: Why can’t Johnny read? I of course didn’t like the question because everyone called me Johnny as a kid, and […]

AN ELEMENT OF STYLE by John M. Floyd Since this is a site for readers and writers and — presumably — word lovers, I thought I’d cover an unusual topic this time. If my high school English teacher happens to read this, I believe she will (after regaining consciousness) be proud that I even tried […]