Tue, Oct 21
|Live on Zoom
CLASS 44: Tips for Writing and Publishing Short Crime Fiction
With Michael Bracken and Stacy Woodson in Conversation
Time & Location
Oct 21, 2025, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM PDT
Live on Zoom
About the event
“A short story must have a single mood and every sentence must build toward it.”
-Edgar Allan Poe.
Short stories require a skill set that’s different from writing a novel. Learn the elements that create a great short story, the different ways to structure them, and how to create a strong narrative drive that leads to a satisfying ending. Instructors will also share how to find markets for short fiction and tips on how to develop working relationships with editors that can lead to a long and rewarding career.
Stacy Woodson is a multi-award-winning crime fiction writer and a U.S. Army veteran. Memories of her time in the military are often a source of inspiration for her stories. She made her crime fiction debut in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine's Department of First Stories and won the 2018 Readers Award. It was the second time in the award's 34-year history that a debut story took first place.Since her debut, Stacy has placed stories in several anthologies and magazines—some adapted for animation. She is a two-time Derringer award winner for excellence in short mystery fiction (three-time nominee), a quarterfinalist for Screencraft's best cinematic short story, as well as a Daphne du Maurier award winner for best unpublished novel. Currently, she is co-editing anthologies for Down and Out Books and Level Best Books. She’s also a member of the Screen Actors Guild. When not writing, she works as background talent for movies and television. Past projects include Showtime's Homeland, Amazon's Jack Ryan, AMC's The Walking Dead: World Beyond, and Wonder Woman 1984.
Michael Bracken is the Edgar Award-nominated, Shamus Award-nominated, Derringer Award-winning author of more than 1,200 short stories, including crime fiction published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, The Best American Mystery Stories, The Best Mystery Stories of the Year, and many other publications. Additionally, Bracken is the editor of Black Cat Mystery Magazine and several anthologies, including the Anthony Award-nominated The Eyes of Texas: Private Eyes from the Panhandle to the Piney Woods. His stories have been translated into several languages, released in audio format, and adapted for animation.
Additionally, Bracken served as vice president of the Private Eye Writers of America, has served on the board of the Mystery Writers of America and is a Consulting Editor for Level Short, an imprint of Level Best Books.