INTERVIEW WITH KRISTA BEUCLER, 2021 Q3 CREATIVE NONFICTION ESSAY CONTEST RUNNER UP

Originally from Colorado, Krista Beucler received a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia. She was the Editor-in-Chief for Issue 7.2 of the Rappahannock Review, the literary journal published by the University of Mary Washington. Krista is a winner of the Julia Peterkin award for flash fiction, and her creative work has been published in From Whispers To Roars, and South 85 Journal, and Under the Sun. She can be found online on her website and on Instagram.

interview by Marcia Peterson

WOW: Congratulations on your top ten win in our Q3 2021 Creative Nonfiction essay competition! What prompted you to enter the contest?

Krista: I get your newsletter which is always so helpful with tips, markets accepting submissions, and your own competitions! I'd been tinkering with this shorter nonfiction piece for a while and thinking about looking for a home for it when I saw the call for the Q3 essay contest. I've read some of the wonderful winning essays and fiction pieces from WOW's other contest and thought my essay might be a good fit.

WOW: Your entry, “Pineapples” is of course about pineapples, but also online dating. What inspired you to write this particular piece?

Krista: I consider myself a fiction writer but lately I've been exploring creative nonfiction. My goal was to write an object lesson and when I thought of pineapples, one of the things that came to mind was this argument about pineapples on pizza that I have had more than once with Tinder matches. So I was wondering how I could explore these two things--pineapples and online dating--simultaneously.

WOW: What are you reading right now, and why did you choose to read it?

Krista: I'm rereading Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. Gaiman is one of my favorite authors and Neverwhere is a book I've read many times, but I like to reread it when I move somewhere new (as I've just moved to San Jose, CA). The first time I reread it, I had just moved to London, but I realized the story isn't just about London, it's about finding belonging and learning the secrets that come with really knowing and loving a place.

WOW: Can you tell us what projects are you currently working on? What can we plan on seeing from you in the future?

Krista: COVID has been a time of both low motivation and low inspiration for me. I am working on several short stories, a novella, a longer essay, and a novel but the writing has been very slow and plodding. Instead of trying to force myself to write, I've been more focused on polishing some pieces I have hidden away in files on my computer and really working on sending them out to literary magazines. My very first publication was only a year ago so I'm still trying to build momentum and get my work out there. You can find out more about my work on my website and Instagram.

WOW: Keep at it and best of luck to you! Thanks so much for chatting with us today, Krista. Before you go, do you have a favorite writing tip or piece of advice you can share?

Krista: I find it helps me to have a second creative pursuit other than writing. When I feel I need to stretch my creative muscles but words just won't come and I can't focus on editing, that's when I collage. Often it can help me get unstuck in my writing even though--or perhaps because--it has nothing to do with writing. I do feel it's important to note that you don't have to be good at drawing or painting or collaging or whatever creative outlet you choose, you just have to enjoy it.

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For more information about our quarterly Flash Fiction and Creative Nonfiction Essay contests, visit our contest page here.