by James Scott Bell
@jamesscottbell
If I may indulge in a little horn toot today. My latest release has dropped—just don’t drop it on your foot. Because the print version comes in at a honkin’ 612 pages (173k words). It looks nice on a shelf but will also work as an emergency doorstop. It sells for $28.95.
The ebook is considerably lighter, and is a “steal” at the special launch price of just $3.49. You might want to hop on that, as the price goes up to $6.99 in a few days.
Down These Streets is a complete collection of my short stories. From the introduction:
I’ve always considered short stories the hardest kind of fiction to write and—at the same time and in the right (write) hands—the most powerful form of storytelling.
I can still feel the emotional jolt of many Hemingway stories. “Soldier’s Home,” “Hills Like White Elephants,” and “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” come to mind. Even the work that got Hemingway the Nobel Prize, The Old Man and the Sea, is really a novella, coming in at a modest 27,000 words. But you’re knocked out at the end. The old man was dreaming about the lions.
In college I was fortunate to get into a workshop overseen by an acknowledged master of literary short stories, Raymond Carver. From him I learned the value of “the telling detail,” a small item in a story that reveals a universe of a character’s inner life.
The term literary is used primarily to distinguish such stories from other genres, like pulp fiction. Oh, how I love the world of classic pulp (1920-1950), so named because these magazines were printed on cheap, wood-pulp paper so the publishers could sell them for a dime or a quarter on newsstands. Writers like Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Carroll John Daly, and Erle Stanley Gardner ushered in the hardboiled school of pulp writing.
In junior high, I found another kind of short story in Ray Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man. Here were flights of imagination mixed with sparkling prose and a “kicker” ending. Man, I wanted to be able to write like that (a desire not uncommon to nascent writers reading Bradbury). He seemed to be saying to me, “The door is open to my story world. Come in! But keep watch, for you never know what’s waiting for you at the end.”
This collection, then, is my homage to all these styles. There are stories with a twist, stories with a heart (the “literary” type), and stories with a punch (about a 1950s boxer in L.A. named Irish Jimmy Gallagher).
My title is taken from a Raymond Chandler essay on the fictional detective, which every pulp writer knows practically by heart. It begins: “Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid.”
I’ve also included a good chunk of my flash fiction (stories under 1,000 words). These are perfect when you need some quick escapism, or are fighting boredom in a waiting room or the grocery store line.
In fact, there are stories for any occasion—except, perhaps, rock climbing.
The door is open. Come in, enjoy, but keep close watch—because you never know what’s waiting for you at the end…
Order on Amazon.
Outside the U.S. go to your Kindle store and search for: B0FD4RYY9P
The main craft tip I have on short stories is this: every successful short story is about “one shattering moment.” That moment can be quiet or big; subtle or blunt; or a great plot twist that changes everything. And it can happen in five different places:
- Before the story begins (the story itself shows the aftermath of the moment)
- At or near the beginning
- In the middle, changing the entire trajectory
- At the end (best place for that juicy twist)
- After the story (the implied shatter)
I even wrote a book about this, with examples. But I don’t want you to buy that book. Not today, at least! Today the star is my own collection.
Thanks for your kind indulgence.
What’s one of your favorite short stories?
Yay! Just picked up my Kindle copy (my physical shelves can’t take any more. LOL!). Looking forward to reading them as I’m sure they will be a source of inspiration to me because a couple of the many writing projects on my list are 2 different anthologies of historical fiction short stories.
And I do find short fic hard to write (not that a full length novel is a cake-walk). Looking forward to both the entertainment and the education in “Down These Streets”.
Thanks so much, BK. “Historical short fiction” is rare, so go for it.
Just added it to my Kindle. Might be your biggest fan. Thanks.
Dean, that’s kind of you to say. Enjoy!
Congratulations! Adding it to my collection. I love short stories.
I thought I’d be writing to replace my job once I retired, but I keep getting offered good theatre roles so it looks like it’s theatre time for a bit. If anyone’s in Orlando this week or next, I’m playing Queen Elizabeth I in Queens.
You’re in demand! And what a juicy role. Have fun!
Got it and look forward to digging in, Jim. I expect to find some new faves inside.
An old fave: O. Henry’s Gift of the Magi brings a lump to my throat every time. Always liked his twists and ironic sense of humor.
Indeed, Debbie. O. Henry was the master of the twist. “The Last Leaf” is another classic.
Congratulations, Jim! I’ve bought the ebook version and look forward to diving in. I love author short story collections and I’m sure I’ll find new favorite stories here.
Poe’s “Murders in the Rue Morgue” is one of my favorite short stories. Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains” is another.
Poe, the father of all mystery writers. And Ray B. deserves his own wing in the writing hall of fame.
“They” say a good country song is a three-minute novel, but I tend to find the best ones are really short-stories, especially those by Guy Clark, Verlon Thompson, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffett, and John Prine… with a couple of current songwriters – B.J. Barnum of American Aquarium, Evan Felker of Turnpike Troubadours, Sturgill Simpson, and Jamie Johnson coming immediately to mind – writing structured turning-point stories in “rhythm and rhyme,” with the “shattering point” placed similarly…
Thanks for the “reminder”… and congrats on the new tome…
You’re so right, George. Thanks for that list…I’ve got some listening to do.
I agree with that. A good country song is a short story. AKA a song like “Teddy Bear”.
Congrats, Jim! My Kindle is definitely heavier now…
I’m trying to read one story a day from Down These Streets.
I’ve read (and written) lots of short stories, but this is my favorite. Not sure it qualifies as a short story, but here goes:
For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.
An entire heart-wrenching story in six words.
Happy Sunday!
Ah yes. That particular 6-word story is often misattributed to Hemingway.
6-word micro-fiction is a “thing.” http://www.sixwordstories.net/
It’s also a good exercise for the writer’s brain.
Just purchased the Kindle version. I love short stories and collections most of all. I’m sure I will enjoy this one.
My favorite short story–hard choices must be made here as there are so many excellent examples to choose from. There are plenty of classics which stick with me still, 45 years after reading them in high school. Louis L’Amour wrote so many good ones. Elmore Leonard wrote a mess of good ones including “3:10 to Yuma” and “Trail of the Apache,” but I recently laid hands on an advance copy of short westerns by Bill Pronzini. While all 18 were well done, his tales, “Decision” and “Fear” stuck with me long after reading. I guess I would say “Fear” is currently my favorite–but stick around, because I’ll read another one later that’ll become my favorite.
Good authors and good titles, Douglas. Thanks.
Good luck with your story collection.
The Harry Potter series got longer with each book. I joked that the final book would squash toddlers.
Two classic writers I’ve always enjoyed are O’Henry and Saki. Lovely character creations with an evil or heartwarming twist. And mystery fans can never go wrong with the original Sherlock Holmes stories.
Right on, Marilynn. I have a homage to Holmes and Watson in my collection.
Just grabbed the Kindle edition and looking forward to reading all the stories!
A couple of my favorites are “The Gift of the Magi” by O Henry and “Sorrow Acre” by Isak Dinesen.
Thank you, Kay!
I’ve been enjoying a couple of stories from Down These Streets every night the past week. I started out writing short stories–they are a great tool for learning how to write lean.
And short stories can be written in a short period of time, rather than months. There’s something satisfying about that.
Got my e-version. My TBR is ridiculously out of control. I like writing short stories because I’m such a word hog (as my comments on this blog attest) and the form forces me to be succinct. At least it tries . . . .
Yes, every word has to count. Thanks for the support.
Bought it the moment I got the notice from your Substack. Meant to just read a couple of the stories, so I could ration them out for those moments you mention.
Sigh. I’m on page 340. So much for rationing!!
Side note: I had the great honor of sitting on a panel at the UCLA writer’s conference with none other than Mr. Bradbury himself. He was both gracious and generous, and I was utterly awestruck.
Thanks for sharing this.
Cool, Justine. I had the privilege of speaking with Mr. Bradbury a couple of times. He was very generous to writers.
Congratulations, Jim! Sounds like another winner.
Sorry for my lateness. New England is getting hit with record-breaking heat and humidity, and I can barely get out of my own way.
Ack! The worst. Stay cool!