The “Art” of the Short Story

Dec 10

Posted by

Triple Derringer winner, Art Taylor, teaches writing and literature at George Mason University.  He’s such a fan of noir, that he’s named his son, Dash.  Please join me as we sit down and discuss  how he writes his winning short stories, his students, and what makes great short fiction.

Enjoy!

Great News!

Art is giving away a copy of the latest, Chesapeake Crimes anthology:  This Job Is Murder,  with his Derringer-winning  story, When Duty Calls.  It has a host of great shorts from other award winning authors, too — like Barb Goffman, Donna Andrews, and a forward by Elaine Viets.  So leave a comment here and/or at my other website to enter.

This job is murder

Now, for another dazzling short — well not a short story, but novella, by our very own Carey Baldwin, tell us who your favorite short story or mystery author is.  For an extra chance to win, guess why Art’s son is named Dash.  Or be really sneaky and go to DianaBelchase.com and leave a comment there (under this same post) for another chance.  Tune in on Thursday to see who won.

Here is our second amazing prize!

HUSH

Reformed bad boy Charlie “Drex” Drexler returns to his hometown of Tangleheart, Texas hush-by-carey-baldwin-ebooklg-e1373254420916hoping to make peace with his dark past and make amends to those he’s wronged. He’s also looking to reconnect with an old flame. But Anna won’t cooperate, new questions tear open old wounds and his best friend’s wife and baby disappear. Can Drex and Anna mend their broken hearts while fighting for their lives and racing to bring mother and baby home safely?

Read an excerpt here.

About Diana Belchase

I am an author, who won the Golden Heart for my suspense novel "The Spy in the Mirror" and was a Golden Heart finalist, once again, for my second novel, "The Spy in the Harem." I am also a triple Daphne Du Maurier finalist for three other books. Please follow me at my website: TopSecretWashington.com, or friend/follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter or on my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/DianaBelchase See you there!

Posted on December 10, 2013, in Author Interview, Diana Belchase and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 18 Comments.

  1. Sharon Wray | December 10, 2013 at 8:54 am

    Wonderful interview Art and Diana! I just ordered the book for my son for Christmas because he’s also a huge fan of noirs and mysteries. Especially Dashiell Hammett. Art’s son wouldn’t be related to him in any way, would he? 🙂

    Reply
  2. Gwen Hernandez | December 10, 2013 at 9:14 am

    Great interview, Diana and Art. Very interesting. I love the idea of using popular fiction to understand what we can learn about the time period in which it’s written.

    BTW, I’m pretty sure I can guess why Art named his son Dash. I knew a lady whose parents had named her Dash for the same reason. 😉

    Reply
  3. Art Taylor | December 10, 2013 at 9:34 am

    Thanks for including me, Diana, and thanks for the comments here, Sharon and Gwen. And Gwen, this is the first time I’ve heard of a woman named Dash—terrific!

    My students have really enjoyed looking at crime novels and stories as a window into social and cultural concerns of their respective eras. Fun for me too!
    Art

    Reply
  4. Deborah D | December 10, 2013 at 10:04 am

    Catherine Coulter and Lisa Gardner. I know that is two but I can’t choose. They are both excellent authors!

    Reply
  5. Paula Gail Benson | December 10, 2013 at 10:47 am

    Dianna, I really enjoyed this interview with Art Taylor. Thanks to you both for such interesting questions and answers!

    Reply
  6. bn100 | December 10, 2013 at 3:19 pm

    Don’t have a fav

    Reply
  7. Krista Hall | December 10, 2013 at 6:09 pm

    I loved this interview! Diana, thank you for bringing Art to K&T today! And Art, I want to sign up for your crime fiction class!
    You’ve inspired me to make a point of reading more short stories. A few years ago, I read Andrea Barrett’s Servants of the Map which I thought was a beautifully written gem.

    Reply
    • Art Taylor | December 10, 2013 at 7:44 pm

      Thanks so much, Krista! Glad you enjoyed. And yes, our classes are usually a blast. I’m always pleased by how energized some students get by talking about crime fiction—bringing a lot of the tools they’ve learned in other English classes to reading that actually seems fun!

      I haven’t read Barrett’s stories, but I know that many people love them. Glad you’re going to pick up some more short stories. I’m actually going in the other direction right now—reading Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch. A whopper! (But much as I enjoy it, it reminds me how much I appreciate the short story generally….)

      Reply

  1. Pingback: Interview: Chatting about Short Stories with Diana Belchase | Art & Literature

Thrill us with your wit...