Michelle has covered local news events for Patch but particularly enjoyed writing human interest stories and portraying them in a way they could feel proud.
Michelle is a lifelong Cubs fan and lives in the Chicago area with her family.
interview by Marcia Peterson
WOW: Congratulations on placing in the top ten in our Winter 2014 Flash Fiction competition! What inspired you to enter the contest?
Michelle: Pure curiosity, really. As I'm a (very) novice fiction writer I thought "Why not?"
WOW: Well, you did very well for being new to fiction writing! Can you tell us what encouraged the idea behind your story, Invisible Message?
Michelle: I've read and heard inspirational stories about women who escape unhealthy and unstable relationships. When it's mentioned that there are children involved, I can't help but wonder what they think and feel, so that's what I explored in my story.
WOW: We’d also love to know more about your writing routines. Could you tell us when and where you usually write? Do you have favorite tools or habits that get you going?
Michelle: Mornings are best for me. I usually write at my desk located in a small room of my house. There are no windows which is perfect for me otherwise I would stare out and daydream, and the day would waste away.
WOW: It's good to remove any distractions when possible. What writing projects are you working on now?
Michelle: I'm writing some short, inspirational stories and am toying with the idea of a compilation.
WOW: Best of luck to you with those stories and thanks so much for chatting with us today, Michelle. Before you go, can you share your favorite writing tip or advice with our readers?
Michelle: I have days when I am disciplined, and days when I'm not. I try not to beat myself up if I get too involved with other projects and don't write. Similar to my goals to eat healthy and exercise, when I fall off the horse, I jump back on!
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Our Summer 2014 Flash Fiction Contest is OPEN
For information, visit the contest page.
2 comments:
Marcia--Thanks for doing this interview.
Michelle--What a powerful story. My favorite part (I think) was when he dreamed of the semi swallowing the jalopy. What a spot-on detail--it rang so true. I really enjoyed the story.
I imagine you don't want to work on a compilation on this particular subject, but a collection of stories about abuse--through the eyes of children--would be soooo helpful, and since you do it so well, would really strike a chord in kids. So many young people today witness such horrible things between their parents/their parents and others, and who is speaking up for them? Who is telling their story when (now) they're too young and too hurt to tell their story?
Just a suggestion, Michelle... ;)
Thanks, Sioux, for reading and I'm really glad you liked the part about the jalopy. I wanted to give the little boy a coping mechanism. I imagine as a teacher that you hear a fair share of sad stories. I agree that a work comprised only of these situations would be very sad to write, however I never say never!
Thanks so much for your comment!
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