I first met R.T. Lawton and his wife Kiti in New York City a couple of years ago for an MWA event. He’s not the kind of guy you’re likely to forget, or want to forget, if only for having one of the world’s truly magnificent mustaches. Here’s what the Pike’s Peak Writer’s Conference says […]

For our first ever Agony Aunt column, we welcome Anton Chekhov, perhaps the greatest short story author of all time. ASK ANTON by Anton Chekhov Dear Anton, How do you effectively evoke pity from the reader? Candace J., Bayonne, NJ When you describe the miserable and unfortunate, and want to make the reader feel pity, […]

RULES TO LIVE BY UNLESS YOU IGNORE THEM Jon L. Breen writes review columns for Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and Mystery Scene. He might not tell you, but he was won two Edgars, two Anthonys, a Macavity, an American Mystery Award, and an American Crime Writers League Award. His most recent books are the novel […]

Last week, Eddy explained how he came up with the chilling refrain of “Nevermore!” in “The Raven”. This week, he explains how he came up with the final plot and illustrates directly from the poem itself. THE PHILOSOPHY OF COMPOSITION (part 4 of 4) by Edgar A. Poe Here then the poem may be said […]

Last week, Eddy discussed the proper length, emotional effect, literary tone, and emphasis by enforced repetition he intended to convey in his poem “The Raven”. This week, he explains how these considerations determined the form of the poem, especially its climax. THE PHILOSOPHY OF COMPOSITION (part 3 of 4) by Edgar A. Poe These points […]

Last week, Eddy told us that a letter from Charles Dickens about a novel got him to thinking about how works are created. This week, he discusses the proper length, emotional effect, literary tone, and emphasis by enforced repetition he intended to convey in his poem “The Raven”. He presents these factors as conscious choices […]

Hot on the heels of Charles Ardai’s discussion concerning verse as short story and Rob Lopresti’s account of ballads as crime fiction, Edgar Allan Poe, the inventor of the mystery short story, weighs in on the subject. Being Edgar Allan Poe, he has a lot to say, so I’ve divided his column into four parts. […]