SHANNON MUIR’S THURSDAY THOUGHTS on THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF are observations from the site administrator on her writing life, or the industry at large. Anything Shannon Muir thinks about goes – check the blog on Thursdays!

Short stories are a challenge. In a limited amount of space, you neef to accomplish so many things besides get a plot from beginning to end. You need to build a believable world. Characters need plausible motivations, even if not deeply developed.

For the last couple years, I’ve focused on the short story to hone my mystery writing skills. Because there’s such a confined space to make everything happen, it really challenges me to try and step up my game and make sure everything works like a well-oiled machine. I’m always growing and learning and improving, and I love it. My hope is that my readers have as much fun following my stories as I have writing them.

Until next time!