I'm excited to interview Kyle Bynum, one of the runners-up in our Spring 2026 Flash Fiction Contest. We're chatting with him about the inspiration for his story, "The Eurasian Collared Dove," why he decided to submit his story to WOW, and more.
Before you read our discussion, be sure to read his story, "The Eurasian Collared Dove," then come on back. First, here's more about Kyle:
"I am a storyteller who is falling in love with the process of writing. Telling stories is my way of communicating with the world, and I hope I can connect with many people. I'm currently a full-time college student but would love to become a published author one day. From the moment of inspiration until the final period of a story is typed, passion and excitement course through me, allowing me the vulnerability to create a roadmap of my feelings. It feels like a superpower to me, but I hope my stories can become a pleasant gift to you."
---- Interview by Nicole Pyles
WOW: Congrats on "The Eurasian Collared Dove" winning runner-up. What inspired this story?
Kyle: After weeks of wanting to write something haunting and eerie, I woke up one morning with a strong pull to write a piece about a noise that created tension which gradually grew until the store couldn't contain it anymore. Initially, it was going to be the sound of battle drums, but as the core idea grew in my mind it became clear that I needed the sound to be annoying rather than scary. Much like this sound, when inspiration strikes with me it tends to become loud and persistent until I take action. Within an hour of waking up I had written the entire piece!
WOW: What a great choice to make it a more annoying noise than scary! I love how this story becomes first about nature, then about its torment of mankind. What made you decide upon that bird in particular?
Kyle: I almost don't want to give any credit to my archnemesis, the Eurasian Collared Dove, but I suppose it's only fair. For years the sound of this bird had been disrupting the peace of my mornings. I could never figure out where this thing was, or why it chose to make noise outside of MY window, or even what type of bird it was. One day, I finally found a video online that not only had the sound the bird makes and its image, but also its name. That prompted me to do some more digging, and after studying my opponent for a bit, I came to understand it more. Its incessant cooing doesn't bother me much now, and writing a story about it likely played a role in that!
WOW: Ha, I've had birds by my apartment like that. It's great you used it for inspiration! I love you describing writing as a superpower! What a wonderful description. How has writing for you changed over the years?
Kyle: Honestly, writing is still incredibly new to me. It was only a few years ago that I committed to working more on my mental health and began journaling, writing, and creating stories. Every piece I write is from the heart. It's like each word and sentence is code for my emotional state at the time of writing. Reading through my stories is basically exploring the maze that is my feelings, completely raw and unfiltered. It's also very empowering writing a story that I can be proud of.
WOW: It really is! Congrats again on winning runner-up with WOW! What led you to submit your writing to WOW?
Kyle: I hope it's not too shallow, but I wanted to get a sense of whether or not my writing was any good. For roughly 35 years of my life, I did not consider myself a writer at all, as I had no stories written. However, once I did start writing, it was hard to come by anyone who would read my work. I always believed people would enjoy my stories if they gave them a chance, so I looked into ways I could get that done. With this particular contest, the option to get a critique was perfect for me because it meant I would be able to see where I could improve and what my strengths were. Seeking out contests like this one was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
WOW: That's so great to hear. What advice can you share about creating publishable writing that you can share with our readers?
Kyle: I'll approach this question with a great deal of humility because I'm so new to this. What works for me is being fearless. I went back and forth between whether or not to use "courageous" or "fearless" here, but I feel fearless is more accurate. I don't know the "dos and don'ts" of writing. I don't know how you're supposed to tell a story. I don't know whether or not it was correct to put dos and don'ts in quotations earlier, or whether I need them now! My belief is that if your message connects with the reader, then none of that stuff truly matters. Write what you want to write about without fear that it won't connect, or that it has poor grammar, or that there are spelling mistakes. If it's from the heart, it will find an audience. Disclaimer: If "publishable writing" is meant to be literal then disregard my advice because you probably do need good grammar and spelling!!
WOW: Great advice! What are you working on that you can tell us about?
Kyle: Well, it might be a piece on the intrusive screeching of the rooster disturbing me on this otherwise fine morning... But honestly, I have a few ideas for flash fiction pieces that are ready to go. I want to write a story about the rain for the Summer contest. Don't worry, it will be very entertaining! I also might revise one of my older stories so it can be submitted to a contest. It's a very personal piece called "That Quiet Sky", and I'm so excited to share it with the world. It's fully written, but right now it reads more as a personal story to myself than one meant for the public, so it will need some modifications first. There's another story about an author struggling to be imaginative until...SOMETHING allows him to see things differently. And while it's still incredibly early in the process, I'm slowly working on a few different ideas for novels. Stay tuned!
WOW: We can't wait! Thank you so much for trusting us with your writing. We look forward to seeing what you come out with next!
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