Interview with Amy DeFlavis, Runner Up in the WOW! Q4 2024 Creative Nonfiction Contest

 

Amy DeFlavis resides and writes in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Her short stories, flash fiction, and creative nonfiction essays have earned placements in Writers Digest, NYC Midnight, and WOW Women on Writing competitions.Outside her corporate day job, she spends her time editing her debut romantic suspense novel and refining her author website. Her moments of respite are found in renovating her historic home, planning adventures to various corners of the world, and manifesting the life of her dreams. 

----------Interview by Renee Roberson

WOW: I loved reading your essay, "Neglected Gardens and Other Untended Things," about the discovery of a mother fox and her brood living in your backyard. There are so many elements woven throughout, from your relationship with your beloved dog, to the still and quiet of the moment, to the realization that you and the fox could be one and the same. What was the process of writing and revising this piece like for you? 

Amy: From the moment I saw the mother fox standing on top of my shed, I knew I'd write a story about her. My biggest challenge was keeping within the word count because I had so much to say. But I had a connection with her that felt more than coincidental, and she proceeded to tell me her story without much fanfare or frivolity. I have a tendency to be wordy, but she got straight to the point, which helped me keep the revisions to a minimum. I've lived in my home for a little over twenty years and this past spring was the first time the foxes showed up. Their arrival took me by complete surprise, and I looked forward to watching their antics every day. When I started posting videos of them on Facebook, my friends and neighbors were as excited as I was, and they would stop by for watch parties. It became a fun pastime that brought so many people together for a brief and magical moment in time. I knew there was a reason for it and that I needed to write about it. 

WOW: What is your favorite line from this essay and why? 

Amy: I think my favorite line is about my relationship with my dog. "It's like our own Grey Gardens, and we're the human/canine versions of Big and Little Edie--eccentric, annoying, and set in our ways." My dog is almost 19 years old. I got her only a few years after I moved into my home. In a lot of ways, we've grown up together. We've seen and put up with each other at our worst and our best, and like the Edie's, we find it difficult to function without each other. I often tell her it's okay if she wants to "go to the light," and I find myself saying it more and more recently. I think it's time. She doesn't agree. So we continue our dance. 

WOW: Your bio mentions you are working on a romantic suspense novel. What do you enjoy about writing in that genre? 

Amy: I've always loved romance. Like a lot of Gen X girls, I grew up reading Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, Johanna Lindsey, Julie Garwood, and Jude Deveraux. I liked the fantasy of perfect love, but I also had a fascination with horror, mystery, and suspense novels. To me, romantic suspense is the best of both worlds-- combine the love story of two people who are fighting against the odds, the killer, or the outside forces, and I'm hooked. I have no idea if I've pulled it off successfully, but I guess I'll find out once my Beta readers get back to me. 

WOW: Having experienced success in numerous writing contests, what do you think is the key to crafting a competitive essay or short story? 

Amy: I've been genuinely surprised at the success I have been having lately with short stories and essays. I can only speak for myself, but the key for me is to show the emotions of my characters and express them in a way that people feel they can connect with. It seems to be resonating with others because I get a lot of feedback from people who tell me they felt like they were actually in the story as they were reading it. I think that's the highest compliment I could ever get because I want people to feel things when they read my words, and I've worked so hard on showing vs telling. 

WOW: Do you have any fun or interesting stories about renovating your historic home? We’d love to hear them! 

Amy: Oh, gosh, I don't know about fun or interesting. As a single woman trying to do it all on my own, it's been more like nightmares! Ha ha! But I'm so happy I landed where I did all those years ago and took a chance. My father was a contractor, and while he paid for two weddings for my sisters, I told him it might be a better investment of his time and money if he helped me fix up an old house instead. He took me up on it. I must say, it was nice not having to run ideas past anyone. Everything I picked out for this place was all me. I didn't have to take anyone else's opinion into consideration when picking out tile, flooring, or furniture. But then again, I have only myself to blame if I don't like something now!