I'm so excited to interview Christina Adrian, runner up of WOW's Winter 2023 Flash Fiction Contest. Make sure you read her story, The Melody, then come on back for our interview.
But first, here's a bit about Christina Adrian:
Christina was born and raised in the Midwest, but her hatred of most things ranch related would make you think otherwise. In her late teens, she discovered a love of books that quickly translated to a deep need to create that which she loved. So while working as a psychiatric nurse, Christina began to tiptoe out into the world of writing. Now Christina writes most days and is editing a romantic suspense novel.
In addition to delving into the minds of people both real and fictional, Christina considers herself to be a coffee connoisseur who loves dogs, a good glass of bourbon, and running distances long enough that others often question her sanity.
--- Interview by Nicole Pyles
WOW: First of all, congratulations on your story! I love how you brought music to life in this piece. What was the inspiration behind this story?
Christina: My grandmother’s piano. There were many things and events that created a bond between us, but my grandmother’s piano was the first I can remember. It has sat in my living room for several years now, being played occasionally by my talented yet too shy to show it husband. One morning while it was raining, I sat on the couch in my pajamas and stared at it. That beautifully constructed instrument is the embodiment of all my anticipatory grief for the woman whom I have since lost to advanced dementia. Since I enjoy writing romance, my emotions slowly spun into The Melody.
WOW: How beautiful! This was the type of story that had so many things underneath the surface, including a mysterious romantic longing and enriched past memories. When you first started this story, did you know what direction it would go?
Christina: For this one, I did. That’s not always the case with me. Sometimes I like to be just as surprised as everyone else by how my stories turn out. Most of the time, a story for me starts with the flash of a scene. An image in my mind of a single moment in time that lends itself perfectly to flash fiction. At times I’ll take those scenes and weave them into a short story or even develop it into a full novel. But when I imagined The Melody, I knew the scene was too perfect to mess with, so I wrote it just as imagined and let it be.
WOW: Oh I love that! Working as a psychiatric nurse must give you unique insights into the human mind. How does that influence your writing process?
Christina: Working in psychiatric nursing has been a huge asset to me. Every character of mine has a rich history because I need it to be there. I love everything about the human experience, and that flows over into the people I create. Throughout the years, I’ve had the honor of delving into the minds of people from every walk of life. I have seen what inspires them, what scares them, and been privy to what kind of experiences have helped to form the person they’ve become. It helps me create imperfect, deep, believable characters that have wants, desires, and needs all their own.
WOW: That is incredible. What surrounds you when you write?
Christina: There are two must-haves when I write. Everything else is negotiable. A mug of something warm perched on my mug warmer and my toy poodle, Killian, lying by my side. He rarely leaves me when I’m home. So much so that I’ve given him a chair of his own in my office. Like the prince he is, there’s a pillow atop it for him to curl up on and sleep. He’s my writing buddy, but if I’m being honest, he really doesn’t do that much to help and often falls asleep on the job.
WOW: What a charming writing buddy you have! What do you hope readers take away from reading your story?
Christina: From the moment I started writing, I have wanted to achieve two things: to make people feel something deeply and to give them a place to escape when their world becomes too much. That’s why I read fiction and why I write it. It’s what I hope I’ve achieved not only in The Melody but in everything I write.
WOW: Absolutely! I hope people are taken away by your work, too. Thank you for taking time to chat with us today!
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