If you haven't done so already, check out Emily's award-winning story "I Luv You Mommy" and then return here for a chat with the author.
WOW: Congratulations on placing in the Spring 2026 Flash Fiction Contest! What excited you most about writing this story?
Emily: What excited me most was a moment I could see and hear before I knew the rest of the story. I wanted one character to throw something ceramic in the heat of the moment, almost without meaning to, and another to respond with compassion instead of anger. I wanted to hear the plate crack, to hold the broken pieces in my hands, and to have that plate return by the end of the story. That moment naturally led me to a mother-daughter relationship on the fritz, and I had so much fun discovering the rest of their story as I wrote.
WOW: You combine all of those pieces so well in your story! What did you learn about yourself or your writing while crafting this piece?
Emily: Wow, can I get lost in a backstory! My first draft was twice as long as the final piece because I wanted to include every detail I knew about the characters. Cutting it down pushed me to ask which details were actually doing work for the story and to trust the reader to fill in the rest. Being concise is a skill I’m still working on, and pieces like this help me hone it.
WOW: What was your experience like with the PEN America Emerging Voices Workshop?
Emily: It was a lovely experience, especially because of the people I met. I’d participated in similar workshops virtually, but this was my first time sharing work in an in-person critique setting, which felt vulnerable at first. There’s something powerful about being in a room with people who care about writing and want to grow. I learned to listen to feedback without treating every note as a judgment of me or my ability.
Hearing novelists, agents, and editors talk about their work made the publishing world feel a little less mysterious and gave me a better sense of what might come next for my own writing. I still follow what my fellow workshop alumni are doing, and it’s such a joy to cheer them on.
WOW: Writing can be such a solo act, but it’s so powerful to be part of a writing community like the one you described. What are you reading right now, and why did you choose to read it?
Emily: I’m on a bit of a horror binge right now. In the past month, I’ve read classics like Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein and H. P. Lovecraft’s The Dunwich Horror, alongside more recent books that blend horror and historical fiction, including Alma Katsu’s The Hunger and The Fervor and Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s The Bewitching and Mexican Gothic.
I’m working on a longer piece of fiction and keep finding myself drawn to horror. There’s so much variety in its subject matter and style, but I’m especially interested in how horror can get to the heart of what a society fears, hides, or refuses to confront. And to actually answer the question, I’m finally reading Stephen Graham Jones’s The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, which has been on my TBR list since it came out!
WOW: What a great list! It’s so much fun to let yourself explore in the genre that’s calling to you! If you could give your younger self one piece of writing advice, what would it be and why?
Emily: I’d tell my younger self, “Don’t wait until you feel ready.” I spent a lot of time worrying about whether I was good enough or whether other people would take my writing seriously. That doubt doesn’t disappear; you just have to write and share your work alongside it.
I love reading about writers who keep putting their work out there and collect rejections along the way. Those stories matter to me as much as the success stories do. I learn something from every rejection, so each one feels valuable. I’ve even set myself a goal of collecting 100 rejections, and when I get there, I plan to celebrate with friends and family. I want to remember that putting my work into the world is worth celebrating, whatever the response.
WOW: What an awesome idea to have a rejection celebration! Rejections aree inevitable, but meaningful, and each one brings a write closer to a goal. Anything else you’d like to add?
Emily: I’m grateful to the people who read early drafts, offered thoughtful feedback, and encouraged me to keep going. Writing can be solitary, but this experience reminded me how much it can grow through community.
Thank you to WOW! for creating such a welcoming space for writers. I’ve loved reading the other stories and getting to know the voices behind them. If you’d like to follow along with what I’m writing next, you can find me at emilycardinas.com.
WOW: You are very welcome! Thank you for sharing your story and your responses with us, and for being a part of the WOW community! Happy writing!
Interviewed by Anne Greenawalt, founder and editor-in-chief of Sport Stories Press, which publishes sports books by, for, and about sportswomen and amateur athletes. Connect @greenmachine459.
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