-
“The Fourth Man” won a prize!
My short story, “The Fourth Man,” won second prize in the Arizona Mystery Writers annual short story contest! The Jim Martin Memorial Short Story Contest recognizes short mystery, suspense, and thriller fiction up to 2500 words. “The Fourth Man” was inspired in part by my desire to see more older women in crime stories that aren’t cozy mysteries (not that there’s anything wrong with cozy mysteries). I fiddled with the idea of an elderly main character, and Victoria Patrick–former darling of B-movie Westerns who describes herself as “Annie Oakley with double-Ds”–marched onto the page, struck a pose, and proceeded to embarrass the hell out of her daughter. Here’s the opening:…
-
Writing Your Own Destiny (interview on the Mysterious Goings-On podcast)
Want to learn how to start writing fiction and use short stories to further your writing career? In a recent interview I did for the Mysterious Goings-On podcast, I talk with host Alex Greenwood about: Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts: You can also hear me utter one of the more bizarre sentences to ever come out of my mouth (and that’s saying something): How can you not like a serial killer who hides disembowled bodies in saguaro cactuses? Mysterious Goings-On is a podcast “about creativity, writing, and mystery” and features “interviews with bestselling authors, indies, and creative people from all walks of life.” Also, host J. Alexander…
-
An interview with author C. Lee McKenzie
I’m excited to feature my first-ever author interview on this blog! Read on for an interview with C. Lee McKenzie, a multi-published author of young adult, middle grade, and adult fiction and a fellow member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. And speaking of the IWSG: The first Wednesday of every month is Insecure Writers Support Group day, on which we insecure writers share our doubts, fears, struggles, and triumphs. Our awesome co-hosts this month are C. Lee McKenzie, JQ Rose, Jennifer Lane, and Jacqui Murray. Stop by their blogs and leave them some comment love! Each month, the IWSG provides an optional question for us to answer in our posts. This month’s optional question:…
-
The Mysterious Goings-On podcast, Seattle, and Sabino Canyon: the November recap
November went by fast! I spent 5 days in Seattle for work, hiked in Sabino Canyon, and my interview on the Mysterious Goings-On podcast went live. Plus Thanksgiving and the usual work stuff. And I rounded out the month by getting COVID. Yay. But before I get to all that: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share hosted by Natalie the Explorer and What’s Been on Your Calendar, hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb. Have a seat, grab a treat, and let’s recap November. Writing Your Own Destiny – my interview on the Mysterious Goings-On podcast In my October recap post, I announced that I’d been interviewed for Alex Greenwood’s Mysterious Goings On…
-
A post-Thanksgiving hike in Sabino Canyon
Instead of participating in the Hunger Games Black Friday shopping, Long-Suffering Husband and I hiked in Sabino Canyon, a gorgeous natural area at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson. And you know what happens whenever I hike in the desert: Cactus pics! Also trail pics and rock pics and blue Arizona sky and… But before we get to all the Sonoran Desert wonderfulness: Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer! Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get to it. A fall hike in Sabino Canyon We’d planned to take the tram into Sabino Canyon, but apparently the rest of Tucson…
-
Let’s talk books!
Before I started this post, I browsed a few other entries in the What’s on Your Bookshelf link party. Everyone is talking about cozy holiday reads with titles like Christmas by Candlelight and The Christmas Spirit and covers featuring festively-lit buildings nestled into blankets of snow. And what am I reading? Obsession, a book by former FBI profiler John Douglas on the psyches of killers, rapists, and stalkers. Oh, and the memoir of a former New York medical examiner. Ho, ho, homicide, baby. My reading list for the last month also suffers from a distinct absence of holiday cheer. But before we get to that: Welcome to the Weekend Coffee…
-
An award-winning poem and a visit to Seattle
A more-exciting-than-usual week here at Camp WTF. Long-Suffering Husband and I just got back from Seattle. I was there for a work conference; he was there for the coffee. Then as soon as we got back, I got the news that one of my poems won an award in the Arizona Authors Association Annual Literary Contest. Yay! But before we get to all that: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get to it. “Mourning Doves” won Best in Category My poem “Mourning Doves” won Best in Category in the Arizona Authors Association annual literary…
-
Threads and BlueSky: New Social Media Options for Writers
Writers are told we need to “build platform”–have websites, grow our email lists, and build community on social media. Many of us have invested many hours over several years to grow a following on the Site Formerly Known as Twitter, only to watch one egomaniacal billionaire destroy that site piece by poorly-redesigned piece. I’m still on there (for now; follow me @ja_alcorn), but I’m engaging less and less as the most interesting people leave the platform and the bigots and haters take over. Instead, I’m trying out Threads and BlueSky, two new social media options for writers. I’ll share my experiences with both platforms in a minute, but first: The…
-
Books to Help You Write Better: A Writer’s Reading List
Want to learn to write fiction? Want to learn to write better fiction? You’re in the right place. The Writer’s Reading List: Books to Help You Write Better will point you to the very best books about the craft of writing (well, the best in my not-so-humble opinion). The books on this list focus on practical skills so you can make the most of your limited learning time. And speaking of learning: Writing is a talent, yes, but also a craft, and crafts can be learned (I wrote a whole blog post about that once). You wouldn’t expect to build a perfect cabinet the first time you picked up a…
-
Interviewed for the Mysterious Goings On podcast + trip to Las Vegas – the October recap
I had two big events in October: I was interviewed for the Mysterious Goings On podcast about using short stories to launch a writing career, and Long-Suffering Husband and I drove to Vegas to meet up with a friend (*waves at Laurel*). But before I get to all that: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share hosted by Natalie the Explorer and What’s Been on Your Calendar hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb. Talking writing and short stories on the Mysterious Goings On podcast I’m excited to announce that I was interviewed for Alex Greenwood’s Mysterious Goings On podcast! In the episode, which will post on November 29, I talk about launching a writing career later in…
Janet Alcorn
Suspense | Horror | Romance
