If you haven't done so already, check out Elinor's award-winning essay "Our Mother Tells Us Boys Like Skinny Girls" and then return here for a chat with the author.
WOW: Congratulations on placing second in the Q4 2024 Creative Nonfiction Contest! How did you begin writing your essay and how did it and your writing processes evolve as you wrote?
Elinor: My essay began last spring in a workshop led by the forever brilliant Kathy Fish, called “The Heart of the Matter: Creating Emotional Urgency in Flash.” The group was small, intimate, and felt emotionally safe, so with the encouragement of Kathy and the others, I found myself really letting go. I’d been bottling this story up for a very long time without knowing it. I just needed a path in, and Kathy provided the perfect prompt, suggesting we begin with the word “After.” From there, the story just flowed, like it had been waiting forever for this moment. So much unleashed with that single word! The emotional depth of what came forward surprised me. Some stories are a lot of work and take months and many drafts to develop, and some (very few) come easily, magically, which was the case for this essay. I did send it to a few trusted critique partners and made some small shifts, but by and large it didn’t change drastically.
WOW: I’m glad you found a safe, supportive teacher and group that helped you to release this story! What did you learn about yourself or your writing by creating this essay?
Elinor: I think that writing this essay, ultimately, was a reminder of how far I’ve come. I held on to the messages surrounding weight and body image for so many years—for a time it consumed me. Now, looking back, with age, life experience and daughters of my own, I realize my mother was a victim as well. She was teaching me what she’d been taught by her own mother. It’s what society dictated is required, if a woman is to be desired. To fit into the mold of “the perfect woman.” My mother thought she was doing me a favor, that my chances of landing a successful man would be much better if I were thin. So, in writing the essay, I was able to reflect upon that with more compassion than maybe I had in the past. At the same time, it reinforced my determination to continue to send a different message to my daughters, and hopefully, eventually, granddaughters. With each generation the message for women is shifting, which gives me a lot of hope.
WOW: Yes, and that hope in future generations is strong in your story. You wrote in your bio that you have a few other loves, in addition to writing. In what ways do travel, hiking, and photography inspire your writing?
Elinor: When I hike, my mind often wanders to story. It almost feels like a Zen state, at times, when I’m seemingly thinking about nothing but the weather, the landscape and the rhythm of my feet, when suddenly the opening of a story will pop up, or a rhythmic pattern of words, or the reasons behind a character’s motivation. It’s a great time to problem-solve without trying too hard. I prefer to hike alone for exactly that reason! In photography, you learn that to capture the perfect shot you need to take a photo from several different angles and perspectives, and to pay attention to the light and framing. Crafting a story can be the same—a writer has the choice of several POVs, and likewise, many different “containers” can be used to tell a story. So, as a writer, you ask yourself, which structure serves the story best? Who is telling this story, and why? Crafting a story is like taking a great photo—there are many choices, but which will make it shine? And travel is good for creativity, period. Getting outside your comfort zone, meeting new people, experiencing different cultures and landscapes. It all lends itself to a larger world view, to different perspectives, which is amazing fuel for artistic pursuits.
WOW: Those are very thoughtful and inspiring connections. Which creative nonfiction essays or writers have inspired you most, and in what ways did they inspire you?
Elinor: There are many essayists I admire, but there’s a single essay I come back to again and again because it absolutely blew me away the first time I read it. “The Ice Cave” was published at Tahoma Literary Review a couple of years ago and was written by Gabriela Denise Frank. The first time I read it, I was bawling by the end, and I sent it to both of my daughters, saying “Read this, especially that very last message about embracing life.” It’s brilliantly written, the form is unexpected, and the message is deep and universal. I won’t spoil it by telling more, but do yourself a favor and go read it, you won’t be sorry!
WOW: That sounds like a must-read – thanks for the recommendation! If you could tell your younger self anything about writing, what would it be?
Elinor: I didn’t start writing until four years ago, in 2020. I was inspired by a friend and neighbor who’s a writer; she encouraged me to write my first personal essay during Covid lockdown. She became my mentor and without her I would never have written my first piece. I truly didn’t think I had a creative bone in my body! So, I guess I’d tell my younger self, “Guess what? You’ll find your true passion later in life and it will fulfill you more than you could possibly imagine. You’re going to be a writer! And by the way, you are creative. Surprise!”
WOW: What and excellent surprise! Anything else you’d like to add?
Elinor: Just that I’d like to say thank you to all of the amazing women at WOW! who dedicate themselves to promoting, uplifting, and cheering on writers like me. They are incredibly appreciated!
WOW: Thank you for your thoughtful responses, and for trusting us with your essay. Happy writing!
Interviewed by Anne Greenawalt, founder and editor-in-chief of Sport Stories Press, which publishes sports books by, for, and about sportswomen and amateur athletes. Engage on Twitter or Instagram @GreenMachine459.
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