Diana Ewing's story, "The Gift of the Mac Guy," delighted us all and warmed our hearts. And since it was the perfect story for the holiday season, we had to ask Diana her inspiration behind it. Here's what she had to say:
WOW: What inspired you to write this story?
Diana: I thought and thought about how to use your pom-pom theme, dismissing every idea I came up with. Finally, because the holidays were approaching, I happened to think about the old O. Henry story, "The Gift of the Magi." And, voila, my story was born!
WOW: That's great Diana! Taking an old story and tailoring it to fit the prompt. I had no idea where it came from, but it was absolutely wonderful. Can you tell our readers what you're working on right now?
Diana: Besides my regular freelance P.R. and copywriting work, I'm working on my nonfiction humor book proposal, refining my first three chapters and writing a synopsis toward the late January writers' conference in San Diego.
WOW: That's great to see you're staying busy writing and attending events. Do you enter many writing contests?
Diana: This is the first fiction writing contest I've ever entered.
WOW: Well, congratulations! And how was the experience of entering the WOW! Fall 2006 Flash Fiction Contest been for you?
Diana: I was attracted to your fun and clever prompt and found the rules and guidelines for entering the contest to be very clear and easy to follow. Plus, the prize package is amazing! I would suggest to all short fiction contests that they provide a prompt because it puts all the stories on a more equal footing.
WOW: Well said. In fact, that's the whole idea behind the prompt! It does level the playing field for all writers. We've seen first hand that it's not the experience of the writer that counts here, it's the way the story is told, and the way it is written. And you can see from the diverse entries that experimental writing is encouraged!
Diana, thanks for answering our questions, and we look forward to your article in our February Issue's Freelancer's Corner.
If you haven't read Diana's entry yet, check it out here: http://wow-womenonwriting.com/5-fallcontestwinners.php
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