I'm a member of the Short Mystery Fiction Society, an informal association of writers, publishers, and fans that has kept mystery & crime short stories in the public eye since 1996. The SMFS's 2020 Derringer Awards voting ends April 29 and winners will be announced in May. In the meantime, I've invited the finalists for interviews.
2018 recipient of the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement John M. Floyd's "On the Road with Mary Jo", from the January-February 2019 issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, is up for Best Short Story.
Describe your story in up to 20 words.
This is a story about two nitwit rednecks who steal a self-driving car and then rob a bank.
What were the most difficult and most enjoyable parts of writing your story?
The hardest part was probably trying to make such dumb characters believable—and that was also the most enjoyable part. Seriously, the fun was in writing the dialogue between them, and between them and the command-driven car.
Do you have a juicy story about how your story came to be published?
It’s not really juicy, but the idea came from some of my own frustrated conversations with Alexa and Siri. As for how the story came to be published, I just sent it to EQMM and crossed my fingers.
How does it feel to be a Derringer finalist?
I was both surprised and honored, and especially grateful to be included alongside writers I admire and respect.
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| John M. Floyd |
Describe your story in up to 20 words.
This is a story about two nitwit rednecks who steal a self-driving car and then rob a bank.
What were the most difficult and most enjoyable parts of writing your story?
The hardest part was probably trying to make such dumb characters believable—and that was also the most enjoyable part. Seriously, the fun was in writing the dialogue between them, and between them and the command-driven car.
Do you have a juicy story about how your story came to be published?
It’s not really juicy, but the idea came from some of my own frustrated conversations with Alexa and Siri. As for how the story came to be published, I just sent it to EQMM and crossed my fingers.
How does it feel to be a Derringer finalist?
I was both surprised and honored, and especially grateful to be included alongside writers I admire and respect.
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