Judging a short story contest

   Be careful what you volunteer for. True, it's a great way to get involved in something. It feels good to contribute, and volunteers are always desperately needed by groups and organizations.

   I am a member of the Private Eye Writers of America (PWA). I didn't publish a PI story in 2025, so I was clear to volunteer to judge short stories for their annual award, the SHAMUS. Stories must have been published in 2025 by a mystery fiction publication, either paper or online, paid or not. We didn't specify the range of words allowed, like 1000-7500 words, just the author's judgment on whether their story is a short story (novels are 75,000 and up, usually 90,000 to 200,000). Maybe next year we'll specify a tighter range. Is it fair to judge a 1000 word story against a 15,000 word story?

   The only basic requirement is that the story must involve a Private Investigator. The story could have a PI as the main character or be about an incident involving a PI that is talked about, but the PI never actually appears in the story.  The three judges have two months to read the stories and to agree on the Top Five.

   OMG!  I must have 75+ stories to read! As short as 1500 words, as long as 15,000. 

 metaphoric image

   Authors submit an easy-to-read printed copy, double-spaced.  Editors send us short story anthologies, paper-bound books, sometimes nominating every story in the volume. How will I read all these pages? There isn't enough time to read every story slowly, carefully, and still lead a normal life. So I speed-read and down-select.

   I have learned to scan down the page with enough depth to catch the character and the plot. I read closely enough to follow the plot and to appreciate the story, and then I make a quick judgment: does this story go on the tall "good try" pile or does it go on the much smaller "read again" pile?

   I reread every story's opening more than once - openings are critical to a page-limited short story. The best openings get into the story immediately, no "elegant writing" to show off your MFA degree, hit the main character, the situation, and the principal obstacle as early as possible. OK, you're allowed to write well and to be interesting because skeletal writing isn't engaging to read, but get into the story Now.  If you can do it with clever word play, just-enough description, meaningful action, and a motivating plot in the first page or two, all the better.

   Endings must be justified by the story. Some are cliché. Many are too quick. Some linger too long. A great ending will satisfy the emotional needs of the story. The guilty are usually punished, but not always. If not, the reason must "work".

   Two weeks in, I'm about 50% read. No story has gripped me, but there are a few on the short pile. Next, I tackle the stories sent in printed books.

   But, Oh No! The editors of Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock just sent a box of almost every issue of their monthly magazines from 2025, each with 2 to 3 nominated stories! The hill just got a little steeper.