SMFS Spotlight: John M. Floyd

Elena Smith is back again to shine the spotlight on a member of SMFS. This time out, it's the incredibly prolific John M. Floyd, a Golden Derringer winner who turns out more high-quality stories than any other writer I know of. Getting to rub elbows with and learn from writers of John's caliber is one of the great benefits of membership in SMFS. Take it away, Elena!

John M. Floyd is a prolific writer, the author of more than 1,000 short stories plus 9 books. A list of his work can be found on his website,  http://www.johnmfloyd.com/  It is not a “complete list,” because - as John says - “A complete list would be so long it would either bore readers to death or send them screaming into the streets.” This interview will focus on some questions not covered on his website.

You live in Mississippi. Have you always lived there?

Yes. Except for my four years in the Air Force. 

 

Do you feel there are elements of Southern living that influence your stories in some way?

 

Probably so. For one thing, I grew up with some really wild and interesting characters, and many of them—or at least composites of them—have found their way into my writing. Also, I think life here is a bit more relaxed and slower-paced than in many other places, and to me that’s conducive to dreaming up these stories. It’s also conducive to long naps, though, so I might need to rethink that.

 

If you could live someplace else - anywhere in the world, without any financial constraints - where would it be?

Nowhere. I’ve seen a lot of the rest of the country, and of the rest of the world, and I’m perfectly pleased to live right here.

 

At what point in your life did you know that you wanted to become a full time writer? 

I probably first realized it in early 1994, when I first started writing for publication. I was working at that time—I spent 30 years with IBM—but I knew then that I wanted to eventually write full-time. And now that I’m retired and happily worthless, I do. Well, most of the time, anyway. I did stop and mow the yard yesterday. 

 

How long did you have to try before you sold your first story?

Not long. Four of the first five stories I submitted were—somehow, amazingly—sold and published. That was, of course, a fluke, and the next dozen or so submissions were rejected—but I was incredibly lucky to have those early successes, because it showed me that at least it COULD be done.

What published authors, and/or short story writers, were your first influences, and why were you so attracted to their work?

The big ones, for me, were Robert B. Parker, Larry McMurtry, Elmore Leonard, and Nelson DeMille. Parker because of his dialogue and fast-moving plots, McMurtry because of his characters, Leonard because of his dialogue, and DeMille because of his use of humor in otherwise serious fiction. As for short-story writers, it was Jack Ritchie, mainly because of his fantastic plots and tight writing. Ritchie was a masterful and under-appreciated storyteller. 

 

There are many types of mystery stories - locked room, noir, scams, murders, other felonies, misdemeanors. Have you written about every kind of mystery/ crime scenario you can think of?

Yes, I probably have. Except for pastiches. I don’t much care for pastiches.

 
Do your story notions usually emerge from a character or a plot idea?

A plot idea. I have occasionally started a story because I pictured a character, or a setting, or a title, or a theme—but very rarely. I almost always think first of a plot, and proceed from there.

 

What was the most satisfying experience you’ve had with publication of a story, and why?

That’s a hard question. It would probably be “Molly’s Plan,” a bank-heist story I sold to Strand Magazine that was later selected by Otto Penzler and James Patterson for inclusion in Best American Mystery Stories and was considered for film adaptation. It was a satisfying story for me because of its many plot reversals—I still remember how much fun it was to write. 

 

Did you begin your writing journey by joining a writers’ group? Are you in one now? What are some of the benefits you’ve experienced from this?

No, I didn’t, and no, I’m not currently in a group. I have been, though, in the past, and I did enjoy the fellowship with others who love fiction writing.

 

Is there a writer you would like to recommend that I interview in the future?  

I would suggest Doug Allyn, a good friend and one of the most talented short-story writers I know.

SMFS Spotlight: Kevin R. Tipple

 Short Mystery Fiction Society member Elena Smith has graciously offered to conduct interviews spotlighting members of the Society.  Here is the first, with longtime member and former President Kevin R. Tipple.  Take it away, Elena!

I know you currently live in Texas. Is this the only state you’ve lived in?

Yes. When I was a kid, we used to go on vacation for weeks at a time here in Texas and in a number of national and state parks in western states, but Texas has always been it for a home.

Does your locale influence your stories? If so, in what way?

Well, the bigger influence is what I have been through, but location matters as I set a lot of stories here in north Texas. So, I take a location, say the nearby Waffle House, and make it part of the story as I did for my story, “First Contact,” in the Santa Rage anthology. The weather here also makes an appearance in that one as I open with the weather which is frowned upon by some. My old apartment complex and some of the things that happened there are fictionalized in my story, “Death in Dallas” (This Ain’t Paradise) British Bump Off anthology coming in early January. Weather makes an appearance in that one as well. The location in those tales and all of my work matters in some way. Sometimes the location is its own character and sometimes it is more of a secondary character.

Kevin reading at Noir at the Bar

When did you have your first story published?

Late 1980s. “Hell, Here and Now” was originally a story written for a Saturday literature class at the University of Texas at Dallas. There were fifty students in the class. The class was on Dante and we were to write a story with him going through a new circle of Hell. We had to create a new level of hell, explain what it was designed for, and send him through it. It was only after we  submitted them that the professor announced he would read parts of the ones he really liked to the class. After reading five of them, he announced that one was so good, he was going to read the entire fifteen-pages plus. He looked at me, smirked as he knew how much I hated the attention, and then started reading mine aloud. Shockingly, not only did the floor not open and swallow me whole, but the class laughed at the jokes in it, and seemed to enjoy it. He pulled me aside after class and said I should be writing, submitting my work. Went home and told my very pregnant wife who vehemently told me she had been right and I should do this “writing thing.” Nobody was ever a bigger cheerleader for me and my writing. I know a lot of folks complain about their spouses on this, but Sandi was always very sure I was going to do great things writing wise.

How has your writing improved since then, and what do you attribute this to?

Assuming it has, and there have been many times I seriously wondered about that, I think writing, submitting, and being edited by others has made it better. Being part of a writing group from the late ’90s to around 2011 definitely made me a better writer as we sat and discussed what worked and what didn’t in our stories. I’d still be in a writing group if we had one in my area as I think it can really help IF one can find the right group. I didn’t fully appreciate what I had at the time. Since the end of those writing group days, I do not have much outside input before I submit and that has worked against me as well as for me. Time has also played a huge factor in all of this. Decades later, I am a far different person now at this age with everything I have been through, and what I am facing, and that, no doubt, has changed me for better and for worse. That also can’t help but affect the writing.

How long have you been a member of SMFS?

I think since sometime in the late ’90s.

 

How did you learn about it?

Earl Staggs. A member, past SMFS president, and a deeply missed good friend.

What do you like most about it?

The exposure to other folks who write mystery and crime fiction. I have read a lot of good stuff by way of finding folks on the list. Reading stuff improves your own writing.

What aspect of SMFS membership has been the most beneficial to you?

At this point, with the way things are now for me and the list, I would say the market news is the most beneficial. I don’t participate in the Zoom deals as my internet in NE Dallas is really bad. I also tend to stay away from some of the conversational threads, the recent crime music one comes to mind, as I just don’t have anything to share. Market info is very important to me as is being able to publicize when somebody is publishing one of my deals.

Is there anyone specific you would like to recommend for my next interview (provided the subject is willing...)?

Barry Ergang or Bruce Robert Coffin.

 

You can read Kevin R. Tipple’s story, "Choked on Love" in the Perp Wore Pumpkin 2 Thanksgiving Anthology (Misti Media) and on his blog: https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/

Publication News: Pam Ebel, Elena Smith, Tom Andes, Joan Leotta

 

 

Issue #88 of YELLOW MAMA WEBZINE's Halloween edition includes stories from several SMFS members including Pam Ebel, Elena Smith, Tom Andes, and Joan Leotta.