Interview with Anne Penniston Grunsted, Runner Up in the WOW! Q3 2025 Essay Contest

Sunday, August 24, 2025
Anne Penniston Grunsted is a native Missourian who now calls San Diego home. Her writing focuses on parenting a son with a disability and healing from childhood trauma. She lives with her wife and son and various cats and dogs.

You can read her award winning piece of creative nonfiction HERE.

Interview by Jodi M. Webb

WOW: Congratulations on being a runner-up in the Q3 Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest with "The Diagnosis". What made you choose this essay to enter in the contest?

Anne: I read past winning essays and was really impressed by the urgency of the writers’ voices. I selected an essay of my own that I felt had some of the same qualities. Much of my writing tends to go down the winding lane of introspection but this one, I felt, was much more in the moment - letting the action do the job of self-searching.

WOW: I think we all feel inspired by reading the winning entries, hoping to find that winning quality in our own writing. In your bio, you mentioned that much of your writing is about several challenges in your life. I'm curious about how you came to that focus. Were you a writer who developed a focus on your challenges or did you begin writing as a way to help you deal with your challenges?

Anne: I’ve always been a writer first. I just think that the challenging aspects of life are those that are most interesting to share with others. Which isn’t to say, of course, that writing hasn’t been a form of therapy for me, because it definitely has.

WOW: I think most of us can agree that we've used writing as therapy at one time or another. The problem for me is that my struggles often involve other people and I struggle with sharing writing that includes the story of other people's lives. Do you get permission or give a "heads up" to family/friends if they are in your essays?

Anne: I don’t ask my partner anymore. I think we have a good understanding of what can be shared. I do, however, struggle with writing about my son and have over the years reduced what I share about him because he’s got limited communication and can’t give his full permission for me talk about him.

WOW: What is the most difficult part of writing?

Anne: For me the most difficult part of writing is to trust the story I’m telling. It’s easy for me to go down the path of over explanation and not allow the events of the story to take their place in center stage.

WOW: I like that idea "allow the events to take center stage". Tell us a little bit about your life when you aren't writing.

Anne: I recently had a new challenge come my way - a cancer diagnosis. So right now I’m not writing but rather working on my recovery.

WOW: Thank you for taking time out of your recovery to share some thoughts about writing with us. I'm sure I speak for the entire WOW community when I say we wish you strength and success in your recovery.


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What's the Magic Number?

Thursday, August 21, 2025

 


As writers, we spend so much time searching for the magic word needed for a piece of writing. But lately I've been wondering about the magic number -- the marketing number. In my prior life in marketing, I talked to plenty of business owners about the Rule of Seven. The Rule of Seven is a theory that the average customer has to have seven contacts with a message before they take action. For writers, the message might be "Buy my book" or "Hire me for my writing services" or "Take my class". On the surface it sounds simple, but how much contact is too much?


Like most of you my inbox is filled with communications from other writers - Substack, Instagram, blogs, email blasts, newsletters. Recently I signed up for the newsletter of a new writer who seemed interesting. I received a "newsletter" that was basically all her book covers  and a synopsis of her newest release. OK, that's fine. I don't know much about her and this introduced me to the different series she writes. Then I received another "newsletter" that featured a different title...and another...and another. I was being contacted every other day. My inbox was jam-packed and much of it was a result of her marketing plan. Why so many emails? Perhaps she was hedging her bets, thinking I wouldn't open every email so if she sent quite a few I would open at least one or two. Sadly, it didn't work out the way this author hoped. First, I stopped opening the emails. Then I unsubscribed. She didn't win me over. She just annoyed me.


I follow other authors that send me something once a week or once a month. Yes, I hear from them less frequently but I ALWAYS open and read their emails. True, they tout their books but it's a soft sell. They also give me something more: personal stories, what they're reading, photos, recipes. When I see their email in my inbox I'm happy! It's like a little gift I can't wait to open. They've managed to communicate in a way that makes them feel like a friend. I remember their names and when I'm in a bookstore I seek out their books to buy, read, review.


I understand that this type of communication takes a lot more time and effort but, at least in my case, it's paid off for these writers. I bought their books. I told friends about them. I recommended their newsletters. And I'm writing about them now (Julia Kelly, Claire Cook and Katie Clapham).


All writers need to touch base with their audience. Share your thoughts...


How frequently should an author contact you?


What's your favorite thing to see in an author's newsletter?


Have you ever unsubscribed from an author's newsletter because it came too frequently or contained stale content?



Jodi M. Webb writes from her home in the Pennsylvania mountains about everything from DIY projects to tea to butterflies.  She's also a blog tour manager for WOW-Women on Writing. Get to know her in her at blog Words by Webb. If you follow her, she promises not to send you something every other day!



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Interview with Alma Thomas: Winter 2025 Flash Fiction Runner-Up

Tuesday, August 19, 2025
 Alma's Bio: Alma Thomas is a writer, as well as yet another lawyer amongst the legion in Washington, DC. She practices law by day and also by night, unfortunately, but she finds time to write in the interstices. She has a lively interest in ancient languages, history, and myths and legends, including Arthurian legend. She also dabbles in cat fostering and gardening.

If you haven't read Alma's story, "Traces of Iseult," please take the time to do so and then come back to read her interview.

WOW: How did you choose the Legend of Iseult (Isolde) as the starting point for your story? 

Alma: I read that the guest judge had written a book based on Tristan and Isolde and it reminded me of my own fascination with the myth, and some stories I wrote in the past about it. One thing I’ve always loved about the Arthurian myth is the idea that these are characters and tableaus that will be reborn time and time again. The implications of that along with Tristan and Isolde’s eternal, magically-influenced love made me think – what would it mean for these characters to just keep finding each other throughout time, inexorably? 

WOW:  Interesting how a thread found in the story led to your own story. Your story moves from legend to futuristic science fiction. How did you choose the times and places? What settings did you consider that did not make it into the story? 

Alma: I wanted to start with the Arthurian myth and then try to move through a variety of ages, including our current one. The far futures that felt hardest to imagine fascinated me the most. I thought of each setting as correlating to a stage in their relationship. Like ones you might move through in a normal relationship, but stretched out across the ages. Would they hate and resent each other at some point, the eternal bond between them feeling more like a weight than a blessing? Would they come to some understanding of each other? I saw it as somewhat tragic, but also hopeful. Which is why, perhaps, the sci fi settings ended up being so dystopian. I thought of doing a nearer future setting in between the present and the far future, but ultimately that setting just didn’t work as well or evoke the atmosphere I was looking for. 

WOW:  Which leads to our next question. Revision is an important tool in shaping a piece of writing. How did this piece change throughout the revision process? 

Alma: In addition to word-smithing and adding and removing some elements on re-reading, I tried to do what I could in these short scenes to create some visual cues for readers, and to create a unique atmosphere for each. When I revise I think about it almost like sifting flour. I’m looking through the text for what doesn’t work, what is missing, what is needed, and refining. 

WOW: What advice do you have for writers who are curious about flash fiction? 

Alma:  Just dive in. I was intimidated but it’s actually very fun to try to write a compressed story. The limitation of having to get a story across in a small number of words creates a constraint that gets your creative energies flowing. And because it’s so short, you can spend a lot of time on revising and re-writing, which is a great way to hone your writing skills. 

WOW: Your bio explains that you are a Washington D.C. attorney. Can you explain to our readers how you fit writing into your crowded schedule? 

Alma: I wish I could say I have a strict schedule I stick to, but the truth is that I just find spaces here and there where I can. It helps to submit to contests like this one to keep me focused and writing. I try to be less particular about where I write – if it’s on my phone’s Notes app while I’m sitting in a train station, and that’s what works, then that’s what works.

WOW:  Then that is, indeed, what works!  Thank you so much for sharing your process with our readers and good luck on your current writing projects.

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Have You Seen Him by Kimberly Lee: Blog Tour & Giveaway

Monday, August 18, 2025
Have You Seen Him by Kimberly Lee

I'm excited to announce a blog tour for Have You Seen Him by Kimberly Lee. This book is perfect if you want an edge-of-your-seat thriller that will keep you up at night until you find out what happens next.

We'll be celebrating the launch of the blog tour by interviewing the author and giving you a chance to win a copy for yourself.

But first, here's more about the book:

For David Byrdsong, life is a series of daily obligations. An attorney, he lacks both ambition and the ability to commit to a long-term relationship with his girlfriend, Gayle. Abandoned by his family at an airport when he was eleven, he learned to blunt his feelings, despite his subsequent adoption by a loving couple.

Until one day, when David discovers his own face in a missing child ad. Suddenly driven to uncover the truth about his past, he is forced to tap into his inner strength as he encounters corporate conspiracies, murdered bystanders, and distressing suspicions about the only family he’s ever really trusted. David enlists Gayle's help—and the help of an unlikely stranger with secrets of his own—as he attempts to find his true family, whoever they are.

Thrilling, exploratory, and propulsive, Have You Seen Him is a story of lost identity, dangerous secrets, and a deeply personal pursuit of the truth.

PUBLISHER: Butterfly Effect Press
ASIN: B0F9TJYN8V
ISBN-13  979-8991867207
Print Length: 268 pages

Purchase a copy now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Bookshop.org. You can also add it to your GoodReads reading list.

About the Author, Kimberly Lee

Kimberly Lee, JD is the author of the riveting thriller Have You Seen Him. A versatile writer, editor, and creativity coach, she has a passion for nurturing the imaginative spirit and helping others reveal their own inner wisdom. Kimberly is an Amherst Writers & Artists affiliate and serves on its board. She is a certified facilitator of SoulCollage®, Journal to the Self, and Guided Autobiography, as well as a joyful meditation teacher and Groove Method provider. A teaching artist with Hugo House, Women On Writing, The Writing Salon, and Loft Literary, Kimberly has led events at numerous retreats and conferences. Recent collaborations include Esalen Institute, Omega Institute, Arts & Healing Initiative, the Expressive Therapies Summit, and Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center. Kimberly’s writing has appeared in a variety of publications and anthologies, and she has served on the staffs of Literary Mama, F(r)iction, and Carve Magazines. Kimberly trusts in the magic and mystery of miracles and synchronicity, and believes everyone is creative and has unique gifts to share. Connect with Kimberly on Instagram @klcreatrix or at KimberlyLee.me.

--- Interview by Nicole Pyles

WOW: First off, congratulations on your novel Have You Seen Him. What inspired you to write this novel?

Kimberly: Thank you! It’s a dream come true. Soon after we meet the book’s main character, David, he’s sifting through his mail and sees the missing child ad with his own face. The inspiration for the book is a scenario somewhat similar to that—I was sorting my mail and saw an ad for a child who went missing when he was 10. The computer-progressed image showed him at 40 years old. I thought about how this boy’s family had been searching for over three decades and had never given up trying to find him. The faces haunted me. I tore it out and carried it around in my bag for a while, then sat down to write a story about it.

WOW: I love that such a heartbreaking moment stayed with you and you turned into a novel. You keep such a great pace throughout this novel. How did you manage to do that so well?

Kimberly: An early developmental editor reminded me that thrillers need to move quickly. A comment she repeated throughout her notes: “Move it along!” As I revised the manuscript, I let go of many chapters and characters because they slowed things down and weren’t essential. At one point, I read the story and tried to act like I was new to it, as if I knew nothing about it. If I found myself disengaging or skimming a passage, I cut it. If this boring or uninteresting passage contained information that was crucial to the plot, I integrated it elsewhere in the story. My first draft was twice as long! 

WOW: What a great point! Pace is everything. You published this book under your own imprint. Why did you decide to pursue self-publishing?

Kimberly: I originally envisioned going the traditional route. After my early drafts were workshopped, revised, and workshopped again, and also edited by a developmental editor and a copyeditor, I entered it into Simon & Schuster’s First Novel Contest. My manuscript made it to semi-finalist in that contest and also in another contest given by a hybrid press. I later sent the first 20 pages to 10 agents. One requested the full manuscript and eventually passed on it, saying she really liked it but wasn’t in love with it as she needed to be. That phrasing stuck with me–that I was waiting for someone to be “in love with it as they needed to be.” I decided not to wait for that, and having placed well in the two contests gave me enough validation that the book was ready. I was in love with my book as much as I needed to be, and that was enough to go forward. I decided to independently publish it under my own imprint, Butterfly Effect Press, with the help of the wonderful team at AuthorImprints. As a result, I maintained control over cover design and many aspects of production. They held my hand every step of the way, and their expertise was invaluable. I love the final product and am thrilled that I made this choice!

WOW: That must have been so validating. What does your writing space look like? Any photos you can share?

Kimberly: When we moved into our current home, I claimed a little room near the laundry area as my “writing retreat.” I had it painted a beautiful mauve and took delight in decorating it with furry pillows, a sofa, a lovely desk. Hardly any of Have You Seen Him was written there! I mostly worked on my novel from behind the wheel (while the car was parked, of course!). I’d be waiting for my kids at karate class, flute lessons, parkour, theatre rehearsals. Something about grabbing those casual moments—with a finite amount of time—helped me get into a flow. It took away the pressure that sometimes blocked me when sitting at my desk for “designated writing sessions.”

WOW: Ha! Isn't that just the way of things? Must be a lovely space though! Are you a pantser, a plotter, or a bit of both? And why?

Kimberly: Probably a bit of both. I’ll have a broad idea of where I’d like the story to go, but am open to what arises naturally during the flow of writing. This may sound strange, but if I can truly get in the zone, the characters will kind of start behaving on their own and their dialogue and actions just come through. For Have You Seen Him, I wrote the beginning of the story and I knew how I wanted it to end but wasn’t sure how to get there. After agonizing over it, I decided to go ahead and write those final scenes. Doing that gave me a glimpse of how I’d feel when the book was complete, and it motivated me to get the characters from Point A to Point Z. I think my subconscious was also working on it because I’d wake up with ideas. So instead of outlining every plot point, I like to stay open to the unexpected.

WOW: I think that's a great combination of plotting and pantsing. I loved reading about your Soul Collage Workshops on your website. Why is that sort of creative expression so important to us?

Kimberly: I love seeing people light up as they discover and explore their creative gifts! And since the nature of writing is solitary, workshops are a chance to be in community with others on the same path. I really enjoy integrating creative and expressive writing with SoulCollage®, an intuitive collage process that’s fun, accessible, and also pretty magical. With gentle guidance, we create powerful collages with images we’re drawn to, then find the meaning or story they contain. It’s visual and tactile, and helps us tap into creative resources and hidden narratives we may not have access to through logical thinking. I offer workshops in-person and on zoom, varying from one-day events to longer courses and retreats. Recent collaborations include working with veterans in West Los Angeles, at The Huntington, a botanical garden in the Pasadena area, and with survivors of the LA fires. I’ve led weeklong events at Esalen Institute and the Omega Institute, and I’m on my way to one at Hollyhock Centre in British Columbia. It’s a treat—and deeply meaningful—to have uninterrupted time to express ourselves creatively, forming connections while immersed in a beautiful natural setting. New stories emerge.

WOW: I think that visualizing activity is so important to creative expression. What are you working on that you can tell us about?

Kimberly: Have You Seen Him is the first in a trilogy, so it’s back to my notebook to work on the second installment! Pen to page. A few people have asked what’s going to happen with the characters, and to be honest, I’m not sure myself, although I have a few ideas. Robert Frost said, “No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader.” We’ll all be surprised with the next developments–please stay tuned!

WOW: I can't wait! Thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today. Hope you enjoy your tour!

Have You Seen Him by Kimberly Lee Blog Tour

--- Blog Tour Calendar

August 18 @ WOW! Women on Writing
Join us as we celebrate the launch of Kimberly Lee's thriller and suspense novel Have You Seen Him. Read an interview with the author and a chance to win a copy of the book yourself.

August 20 @ One Writer's Journey
Visit Sue's blog for a review of Kimberly Lee's thriller Have You Seen Him. 

August 21 @ What Is That Book About
Visit Michelle's blog for a spotlight of Kimberly Lee's thriller Have You Seen Him.

August 23 @ World of My Imagination
Visit Nicole's blog for her review of Kimberly Lee's thriller Have You Seen Him.

August 25 @ Chapter Break
Visit Julie's blog for a guest post by Kimberly Lee on her journey from attorney to writer and how she leans on that experience for her writing.

August 27 @ One Writer's Journey
Visit Sue's blog for her response to our tour-themed prompt on what comforts her and gives her a sense of community and connection.

August 28 @ Knotty Needle
Visit Judy's blog for her review of Kimberly Lee's newest thriller, Have You Seen Him.

August 29 @ Writer Advice
Visit Lynn's blog for a guest post by Kimberly Lee on inspiring words from other authors.

August 31 @ Words from the Heart
Join Linda's blog for a guest post by Kimberly Lee on her research for the novel Have You Seen Him.

August 31 @ Live, Love and Laugh for a Healthy Lifestyle
Visit Nicole's blog for her review of Kimberly Lee's newest thriller, Have You Seen Him.

September 2 @ Live, Love and Laugh for a Healthy Lifestyle
Stop by Nicole's blog again for her response to our tour-themed prompt on what she dreams of doing and small steps she is taking towards it.

September 3 @ Create Write Now
Visit Mari's blog for a blog post by Kimberly Lee on transforming everyday events and interactions into great scenes.

September 4 @ Words by Webb
Visit Jodi's blog for her review of Kimberly Lee's newest thriller, Have You Seen Him.

September 5 @ Words from the Heart
Visit Linda's blog for her review of Kimberly Lee's newest thriller, Have You Seen Him.

September 6 @ A Sip, A Shout, and a Sentence
Join Celyse's Substack for her review of Kimberly Lee's newest thriller, Have You Seen Him.

September 7 @ StoreyBook Reviews
Visit Leslie's blog for her spotlight of Kimberly Lee's newest thriller, Have You Seen Him.

September 9 @ A Wonderful World of Words
Visit Joy's blog for a guest post by Kimberly Lee about writing with images.

September 11 @ Knotty Needle
Visit Judy's blog for her response to our tour-themed writing prompt on following her intuition.

September 12 @ Sarandipity's Blog
Visit Sara's blog for her interview with Kimberly Lee about her newest thriller, Have You Seen Him.

September 13 @ Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
Join Lisa for an interview with Kimberly Lee about her newest thriller, Have You Seen Him.

September 15 @ A Storybook World
Visit Deirdre's blog for her spotlight of Kimberly Lee's newest thriller, Have You Seen Him.

September 16 @ Kaecey McCormick's blog
Visit Kaecey's blog for her review of Kimberly Lee's newest thriller, Have You Seen Him.

September 17 @ Boys' Mom Reads
Visit Karen's blog for her review of Kimberly Lee's newest thriller, Have You Seen Him.

September 18 @ Words by Webb
Stop by Jodi's blog again for an interview with author Kimberly Lee.

September 18 @ The Frugalista Mom
Visit Rochie's blog for her response to our prompt about what she dreams of doing and small steps she can take towards it.

September 20 @ Choices
Visit Madeline's blog for a guest post by Kimberly Lee on her book's journey from idea to publication.

September 21 @ Kaecey McCormick's blog
Don't miss Kaecey's blog stop for an interview with Kimberly Lee.

September 25 @ Caitrin King's blog
Visit Caitrin's blog for her review of Have You Seen Him by Kimberly Lee.

***** BOOK GIVEAWAY *****

Enter to win a copy of Have You Seen Him by Kimberly Lee! Fill out the Rafflecopter form for a chance to win. The giveaway ends August 31st at 11:59 CT. We will choose a winner the next day and announce it in the Rafflecopter widget as well as follow up via email. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Interview with Amy DeFlavis, Third Place Winner in the Q3 2025 Creative Nonfiction Contest

Sunday, August 17, 2025

 


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, Tadpole Press, 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.












If you haven't already, please take a few minutes and read "Red, White, and Blueland", then return here for an interview with the author!

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

WOW: Welcome back Amy, and congratulations! We're excited to learn more about you and your process for writing and creating thought-provoking essays. Writing about our personal experiences can be therapeutic, but sometimes it’s difficult to arrange our thoughts into a cohesive essay form. Do you have any tips for writers just starting out in creative nonfiction? 

Amy: I think most writers, whether conscious of it or not, pull from the well of their own experiences. We’re shaped by the world around us and the events that mark our lives. Personally, I never set out to write full-on creative nonfiction, so I’m not sure about tips. Being a romance writer, I’d always preferred immersing myself in a world where I knew a happy ending was guaranteed. But as we all know, real life holds no such promise. And the more I tried to incorporate my experiences through the lives of my fictional characters, the more I realized it wasn’t resonating with me any longer the way it had before. It felt hollow and two-dimensional. Somehow, not genuine. So, I made the decision to drop the pretense and dive into the deep end of creative nonfiction. I thought it was going to be scary to pull back the curtain all the way, but it turned out to be the thing that opened the floodgates to deeper, more powerful writing for me. I began to keep a notebook, jotting down any experience, brief interaction, or conversation that struck me for whatever reason. Then I dug into the memories of things I’d pushed aside over the years—the fear that comes with getting older, my father's death, friendships I’d lost, people I’d met during my travels, and the broken hearts scattered along the way. I pulled all those feelings together and then incorporated them into a specific event or scenario in my daily life. So, I would say if you’re just starting out, make notes of the things that happen to you during the day. It could be a brief interaction or passing someone on the street. Or maybe a song that takes you back to a certain place and time. Were you happy, sad, angry? Sit with those emotions. Write about them under the cover of a fictional character if you have to. And then dissect that character until it’s stripped down to its raw components. You might be amazed that underneath all of it, it’s you. At least I was. 

WOW: That's solid advice! As writers, I believe first and foremost, we are observers. What happens when we mix those daily observations with our memories and emotions is magical. The last line of “Red, White, and Blueland” is so powerful and poignant. Writing the final sentence in any short story or essay can be intimidating. Did you struggle at all with figuring out how to wrap up this piece in a way that would resonate with the reader? 

Amy: I’ve always been more of a panster than a plotter, so it’s rare for me to know how I will close out a piece. This one was no different. I just know that for everything I write, I want to do my best to make it stay with the reader. I love it when art/movies/books make me think about them for days after the movie credits roll or I turn that last page of the book. I want my readers to feel that. I want them to take whatever they can from my work and come to their own conclusions about what it means to them or how it makes them feel. For this one, when I thought about that day in New York, the one thing that kept coming back to me was how cold my feet were. It was bitter, and the wind made standing outside almost unbearable. I even considered abandoning the tour. When I’d gotten to the end of the piece, I knew I had to circle back to my cold feet because, through everything I heard and saw, in the back of my mind was the constant throbbing. My feet were the main character that day—a nagging, inconvenient reminder of how uncomfortable I was with so many things in the world. 

WOW: You have to love the double meaning there and I applaud you bringing that physical and emotional discomfort through in your piece. Like you mentioned above, this winning essay revolves around an excursion you took to New York City as a form of distraction, and you’ve also discussed other trips in other essays. We’d love to hear about some of your favorite journeys! 

Amy: I love learning about other cultures and meeting new people. London has quickly become one of my favorite places. I visited last month and wish I could have stayed longer. I have a soft spot for Italy and hope to retire there someday. Australia and Spain had the best food. The most wonderful thing to come from my writing journey, aside from the creative outlet it provides, is that I’ve made friends all over the world through my various virtual writing groups. After only knowing these supportive, creative, wonderful souls online, it’s been amazing to actually meet them in person when I travel. The world has become so much smaller through the power of the internet. The days of writing letters to a pen pal from middle school French class seem so long ago. Now, I can get on a plane and meet the people I’ve only known through a screen for years, but who’ve had as much of an impact on my life (if not more so) than people I see every day. And with the recent passing of my nineteen-year-old dog, I feel like I’m on the precipice of some pretty cool adventures. I’ll miss her, but Japan has been calling to me in my dreams for a little while, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the wind blows me next. 

WOW: What amazing journeys you've had! I just read One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle and truly felt like I was transported to Positano. I can't wait to visit there and try the food and wine! To many of us, our writing spaces are sacred and help us to be our most productive. Living in a historic home, we’d love to hear about any special areas you’ve created for your writing. 

Amy: I’ve tried a few different places in my home to write. I’ve tried music, having plants around, and sitting outside on my patio. But at the end of the day, I always seem to end up sitting on my couch with my laptop on my knees. As much as I want to make some kind of zen space for writing, this old couch seems to hide all my creative secrets under its cushions. 

WOW: Ha! I love that. You’ve experienced success in writing competitions and are working on a novel when you’re not at your full-time job. Are there any other dream creative projects on your list to tackle? 

Amy: Right now, I think I need to dust off my manuscript and dive back in. Halfway through the second draft, I lost steam. I turned to writing competitions to keep the creative juices flowing so I wouldn’t become stagnant. But I also found that it served a greater purpose. Pouring my energies into the Flash Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction pieces improved my writing more than I realized. They took me to greater depths with my creativity and helped me understand more fully what kind of writer I want to be moving forward. I have a renewed passion for my novel and am looking at it with fresh eyes and a new perspective. I look forward to completing the edits to produce a more polished and tightly written novel, so I can finally start the query process.

WOW: You've got this, Amy! Looking forward to reading more from you in the future. 
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The Transitions of Motherhood

Thursday, August 14, 2025
The past few weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster for me. My oldest child headed off for her final year of college this past weekend. Her brother moves into an apartment for his second year of school in just a few days. We were fortunate to have both of them home with us for the summer. Around the end of July, it finally dawned on me that this could be it. Our final summer with the four of us all under the same roof. The tears began to flow steadily. 

People told us we would be sad when our son started college last year because we would officially be empty nesters, but I scoffed at that idea. Our son was attending school less than two hours away and we knew we would see him on the occasional weekend. This August, though feels different, and it’s brought out a lot of different feelings. Of course, being a writer, I know I shouldn’t waste the opportunity to generate some new ideas for essays and blog posts, and distract myself at the same time. 

Here are a few I’ve come up with:

Forty-Eights Hours in Asheville, N.C. I’m planning to share our itinerary based on a recent trip to Western North Carolina where my daughter and I stayed at a historic B&B, checked out a few rooftop bars in downtown, and spent a day exploring The Biltmore Estate, Gardens, and Winery. 

Why You Shouldn’t Wait Until Your Children Are Out of the House to Cultivate Hobbies and Special Interests. A few years ago, my husband and I joined a monthly neighborhood dinner club, we both volunteer with the music ministry at our church, we exercise regularly, I write fiction, podcast, freelance write and edit, belong to a book club, and we are planning an anniversary trip to Greece and Turkey next month. I’ve also taken a part-time job at a local independent bookstore. I’m grateful we began participating in these activities and traveling on our own well before our kids were out of the house. I feel we would be struggling a lot more if we hadn’t and our mental and physical health are much better for it. 

A Helpful Mom’s Guide to Surviving the Grocery Store as a College Student. When my daughter first began apartment living, she subscribed to an inexpensive meal delivery service and quickly amassed some favorite recipes. It helped her figure out what ingredients she didn’t like and now she meal plans and shops on her own. My son . . . is not as motivated to cook for himself but knows he doesn’t want to eat out for every meal. I recently took a trip up and down the frozen food aisle of our grocery store to find some healthy options he can stock his freezer with and I’m culling through my favorite cookbooks for a few more ideas for him. If I’m motivated enough, I might even create a handy graphic in Canva to share my ideas! I've come full circle in writing about motherhood because the very first article I ever sold to a magazine was about how you should stock your kitchen with meals before baby arrives!

I’ve written about every stage of motherhood up until this point, and I’m never going to stop being a mom. I hope these new ideas help keep my heart and soul at ease in the coming months. 

How have you written through the various transitions and stages of your life? I’d love to hear from you! 

Renee Roberson is an independent podcaster and creator of the show, “Missing in the Carolinas.” Her essay, “Behind the Red Door,” recently received an Honorable Mention in this year’s Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition (Memoirs/Personal Essay Category) and addresses the topic of discovering a neighbor had been arrested for child abuse and neglect.
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Interview With Winter 2025 Flash Fiction Contest Runner Up Jeaninne Escallier Kato

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

I'm excited to interview Jeaninne Escallier Kato, one of our runner-up winners in our Winter 2025 Flash Fiction contest. Before reading our interview, be sure to check out her story, "Canines of the Mountain People." Then, return here to read our conversation.

Here's a bit more about Jeaninne Escallier Kato:

Jeaninne Escallier Kato is a retired public school educator, currently coaching new teachers for the California Teacher Induction Program. Her muse is inspired by the Mexican culture—the people, the art, and the history. Jeaninne’s work with bilingual education, as well as developing her own 501c3 mentoring program for Latino youth, inspired her to write the notable children’s book Manuel’s Murals. Jeaninne just released her memoir, B.J.’s Promise: How My Dying Dog Found My True Love, in January 2025. Her piece, “A Desert Rose,” won the 2017 Fall Flash Fiction Contest for Wow-Women on Writing. Her piece, “Milagro,” came in second place in the 2020 Wow-Women on Writing Fall Flash Fiction Contest. Jeaninne’s work is published in several online literary magazines and in two issues of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Her story “Swimming Lessons” is featured in the anthology book Gifts From Our Grandmothers, replete with a dedication from Eleanor Roosevelt’s granddaughter. Jeaninne also hosts and produces a public access TV show for Auburn Community Television called “Staging the Third Act.” She lives in Lincoln with her husband, Glenn, and rescue dog, Bobby. You can find Jeaninne on the Facebook page: Jeaninne Escallier Kato’s Books. Jeaninne’s advice for other writers: “Allow your passions to paint your words.”

-- Interview by Nicole Pyles

WOW: First off, congratulations on your flash fiction story, "Canines of the Mountain People" I loved your story and the journey it took me into revealing who the main character was. What inspired this story?

Jeaninne: Xquenda, the Zapotec street dog in my story, was inspired by a real street dog in Oaxaca, Mexico, where the story takes place. I watched this beautiful mixed breed bouncing through town without a care in the world, seemingly loved by everyone she encountered. I felt strongly that she had to have her own history. She was the kind of dog who seemed destined to be a character in a story that had roots in an indigenous past. 

WOW: I love that you gave her a history. What is your writing process like? 

Jeaninne: My writing process is organic. I have a thought for a story, and I start writing. I write continuously until I am emotionally spent. I go back to my drafts each day and start editing. The editing process is the most creative part of my writing journey. After I have sketched out my story, day after day, I thoroughly enjoy going back in to add the active, colorful details and extract the withering, dead debris. It feels like sculpting or gardening. I thrive on painting with words. I never have writer's block if I am sitting in front of my computer in the den, surrounded by my family photos and books. My mind flows like an untapped faucet. Where I do falter is if I don't write at least every other day. The more time I put between me and my computer, the harder it is for me to get back to a daily writing schedule.

WOW: I love that you said that. It's a reminder to me to get back into my writing routine! How do you know when a story is done?

Jeaninne: I never know when my stories are completely done unless there is a definite word limit from which to tighten my work to an acceptable ending. However, with my books, I edit and edit, and have others edit, until I feel satisfied with the story I wanted to impart—a story worthy of my telling. It took me two years to perfect my children's book, Manuel's Murals. I wrote my memoir, B.J.'s Promise: How My Dying Dog Found My True Love, during the 2020 pandemic. I didn't release it until January 2025. If I'm serious about a work to release to the public, I have to let it simmer through many drafts.

WOW: I'm the same way! That simmering is definitely part of the process. You have such a rich culture in your story, and I see that you are inspired by the Mexican culture. Can you tell more about that?

Jeaninne: The rich culture in my canine story is definitely a result of my penchant for the Mexican culture. Once I read Frida Kahlo's biography, I became obsessed with her life story. I took three semesters of Spanish at the local community college, spent my summers in Mexico tracing her life path while learning more Spanish, switched teaching jobs from alternative high school to bilingual fourth grade, joined a folkloric dance troupe, set up a 501c3 Latino mentoring program, and wrote Manuel's Murals. I joined Ancestry because I wanted to corroborate the family stories of my own Hispanic/Latino/indigenous past. When I found Mexico, I found the rest of me.

WOW: What a journey! I love that. You are a frequent contributor to WOW's contests! What do you like about WOW's contests?

Jeaninne: I am an ardent fan of WOW contests because the quality of the winning stories is nothing short of literary art. I appreciate the women who run this site because they offer so much more than contests; they offer incredible writing opportunities and quality writing classes. The contest judges are selected from all genres from the best publishing houses. The entry fees are affordable, and the chance to win is 1 in 300. I have been very successful with my submissions to WOW.

WOW: How cool to hear that! I love your words of wisdom, "Allow your passions to paint your words.” How do you encourage writers to embrace this advice?

Jeaninne: My writing didn't blossom to my satisfaction until I found what inspired me, the history of Mexico. When I immersed myself in the country and culture, I found profound parts of me that I didn't know existed. The people's kindness made me feel like I had discovered my history. I wanted to write about everything I experienced, through all of my senses! When we feel alive and our bodies crackle with energy, time is no longer an issue. Passion becomes the moment where everything sparkles with clarity. These are the moments to write about. This is when words become colors and feelings. If you can turn your narratives into experiences, then you have found your passion for writing.

WOW: What a beautiful description! What are you working on now that you can tell us about?

Jeaninne: I am now writing an anthology of all my Mexican stories, two of which were winners for WOW. The tentative title is "White Skin, Brown Soul." The introduction-in-progress explains how I found my soul in the Mexican culture, how my life led to finding the Mexican muse that guides my writing to this day. The rest of the book will be a compilation of all the stories Mexico has inspired, all the stories that express my love for a culture that has given me purpose.

WOW: Thank you so much for your time, and I hope you get in touch when your book comes out. 
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What the River Keeps by Cheryl Grey Bostrom: Blog Tour & Giveaway

Monday, August 11, 2025
What the River Keeps by Cheryl Grey Bostrom

I'm excited to announce the latest book by author Cheryl Grey Bostrom, What the River Keeps. This is a book that will enchant you with its descriptions of the Pacific Northwest while unraveling the complicated emotional lives of the characters. If you're looking for a love story steeped in nature and layered with mystery, suspense, and subtle spiritual themes of forgiveness and healing, this could be your next read. Join us as we celebrate the launch of this book with a giveaway and an interview with the author.

But before we get to that, here's more about her book:

Cheryl Grey Bostrom has a writing voice unlike anyone else. When you see the world through the eyes of her stories, you see a beauty and depth few authors can achieve. What the River Keeps is a deliberate
and thoughtful portrait of a young woman searching for truth and for herself, perfect for fans of authors
such as Erin Bartels and Leif Enger.
--Katie Powner, Christy Award–winning author of When the Road Comes Around

Hildy Nybo is a successful biologist, her study of the Pacific Northwest’s wild fish both a passion and a career. But behind her professional brilliance, Hildy’s reclusive private life reflects a childhood fraught with uncertainty. Haunted by the confusion of her early years, she now records her life in detailed diaries and clings to memory-prompting keepsakes. 

Then her mother’s health fails, and Hildy accepts a job near her childhood home, joining a team of scientists who will help restore her beloved Elwha River after two century-old dams fall. There Hildy settles into a cabin on her family’s rustic resort—a place she both loves and dreads, for reasons she can’t fully explain. 

When a local artist rents an adjacent cabin for her pottery studio, Hildy resists the intrusion—until intriguing Luke Rimmer arrives to help with the cabin’s renovation. Now a few years beyond a tragedy that brought him to his knees, Luke recognizes a kindred soul in Hildy. As he earns her trust, they uncover her mysterious history, and Hildy dares to wonder if she can banish her shadows—and follow her river’s course to freedom.

Publisher: Tyndale Fiction (August 12, 2025)
ISBN: 1496481585
ISBN: 978-1496481580
AISN: B0DK3ZW85L
Print length:  368 pages

Purchase your copy on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop.org, Kobo and Audible. You'll also want to add it to your GoodReads reading list.

About the Author, Cheryl Grey Bostrom


A keen student of the natural world and the workings of the human heart, Pacific Northwest author, Cheryl Grey Bostrom captures the mystery and wonder of both in her lyrical, riveting fiction. Her novels Sugar Birds (Christy finalist, Amazon bestseller, and Book of the Year) and Leaning on Air have won more than two dozen industry honors, among which are CT’s Fiction Award of Merit and American Fiction, Reader’s Favorite, Carol, Nautilus, Best Book, Foreword Indies, and International Book Awards.

An avid birder and nature photographer, Cheryl lives in rural Washington State with her husband and three irrepressible Gordon setters.


--Interview by Jodi M. Webb

WOW: Congratulations on your latest book, What the River Keeps! This book peeks at the life of Hildy, a biologist working on the rivers of Washington state. How do you know so much about things like dismantling dams, fisheries and the life of a biologist?

Cheryl: Thanks . . . and thanks for asking!

I was practically weaned on those topics. Raised a few miles from Olympic National Park’s Elwha River, I first roamed the pristine Elwha Valley with my grandparents, who taught me to treasure its ecosystem. Too, I rowed on the Lake Aldwell reservoir and fished for the Elwha’s giant, dwindling chinooks in Port Angeles salmon derbies. Our family visited hatcheries, and we smoked, grilled and canned salmon we caught. Because a childhood friend’s dad worked in the Elwha powerhouse, that dam was on my early radar, too. When I married a veterinarian similarly intrigued by rivers and fish, my interest only grew.

Regardless, I’m not an expert, so when I decided to have the river’s re-wilding parallel Hildy’s release from mysterious generational strongholds, I looked to others for accuracy about the Elwha’s restoration. Fortunately, online materials were endless. Since the Elwha project was the largest dam removal to date anywhere, Tribal and government researchers and scientists accumulated reams of data, photos, analyses, and videos.  I also consulted several experts involved in all phases of the restoration—including a 30-year fish biologist with the Lower Elwha Klallams and a USGS research ecologist. Their insights (and manuscript checks) were golden. 

WOW: Since you wrote nonfiction for many years, I suppose you’re researching and interviewing skills came in handy. Can you talk a little about your journey into fiction? 

Cheryl: Ah . . .  I fell in love with writing at age five, when Mrs. Obermeyer gave me my first fat pencil at school. I still have early poems I scrawled in soft graphite on my wide-ruled tablet. I was ten when I told my grandmother I’d write a novel someday, but by my late fifties, I was still chin-deep in non-fiction writing. 

Then my first grandchild Gwyn arrived, and my focus shifted. Wanting to write for her and her someday self, I dove into fiction, learning all I could about the craft. When a workshop sketch about a tree-climbing girl turned into Sugar Birds, I dedicated the book to my Gwynie. 

WOW: In What the River Keeps you lightly touch on the characters’ faith and beliefs. How do you think the inclusion of faith elevates your writing?

Cheryl: Few would deny that we humans are physical, emotional, and spiritual beings—and that whether we acknowledge it or not, we all choose beliefs that direct our worldviews and guide our choices. Whether readers believe in the God of the Bible as I do or in something else entirely, when they engage the spirituality of my characters (whose beliefs vary), they enter depths of human motivation that are rich fodder for discussion and introspection. 

My books grapple with real life in this beautiful, but broken world, where spirituality shapes outcomes mightily. Themes of restoration and redemption thread my plots, but I don’t hard-sell faith, nor do I offer platitudes or easy solutions to life’s trials. Even so, some won’t be interested. I get that. Not every book appeals to me, either. 

WOW: As with your first two novels, Sugar Birds and Leaning on Air, this book captures the beauty of the Pacific Northwest with breathtaking language. Any tips on how writers can effectively capture the essence of a place? Your writing is so vivid it made me wish I was an artist so I could draw the places you described.

Cheryl: The only sketching I do is with words, so I love hearing that! 

I guess I’d suggest that writers draw their settings not as static backdrops to story, but as characters. We could brainstorm for hours about ways to do that, but one thing’s sure: when a story’s humans engage with a dynamic setting, the synergy can be magic. As place mirrors and interacts with character motivations and themes, readers will feel that setting’s pulse.

WOW: Have you ever considered writing a book outside of the Pacific Northwest? 

Cheryl: Not yet . . . I’ve hardly tapped Pacific Northwest settings I know best, and since they’re the places I love to inhabit as I write, I think I’ll stay. My next book’s set in Washington’s San Juan Islands with earthquakes and wildlife and the living, breathing Salish Sea. You couldn’t tear me away.

WOW: Until today I had never heard of the Salish Sea and now I can’t wait for your next book! Thanks for giving us a peek at your writing life.

What the River Keeps by Cheryl Grey Bostrom Blog Tour

--Blog Tour Calendar

August 11th @ The Muffin
Join us as we celebrate the launch of Cheryl Grey Bostrom's nature infused love story What the River Keeps. Read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of her book.

August 12th @ One Writer's Journey
Stop by for a post about the Five Birds that Make Life Better and a review of What the River Keeps by  Cheryl Grey Bostrom.

August 13th @ Writer Advice
Novelist Cheryl Grey Bostrom is visiting with her thoughts on The Deliciousness of Book Clubs.

August 14th @ Knotty Needle
Read a review of What the River Keeps and author Cheryl Grey Bostrom's guest post: Re-wilding Ourselves Through Nature Novels.

August 16th @ Boots, Shoes and Fashion
Enjoy a fun interview with novel writer Cheryl Grey Bostrom.

August 18th @ What Is That Book About 
Luxuriate in nature with a spotlight on the novel What the River Keeps by Cheryl Grey Bostrom.

August 19th @ Word Magic
Author Cheryl Grey Bostrom is stopping by to write about Nature as Guide through Wilderness of Heart.

August 20th @ Nikki's Book Reviews
Nikki's sharing her thoughts on the novel What the River Keeps by Cheryl Grey Bostrom.

August 21st @ Lisa Haselton's Reviews & Interviews
Meet the author behind What the River Keeps and other novels set in the Pacific Northwest.

August 25th @ Beverley A. Baird
Need a good read for the waning days of summer? Beverly's sharing her review of What the River Keeps.

August 26th @ A Wonderful World of Books
Enter to win a copy of What the River Keeps. Have fun with author Cheryl Grey Bostrom translating Bird Language for Our Inner Lives.

August 27th @ Create Write Now
Cheryl Grey Bostrom writes about the power of nature in Created to Heal: How Nature Illustrates the Design of Our Hearts.

August 28th @ Words by Webb
Jodi reviews a novel that is ideal for nature lover and women's fiction: What the River Keeps.

August 29th @ Beverley A. Baird
Author Cheryl Grey Bostrom is visiting with a guest post on What's the Draw to Faith in Women's Fiction?

September 2 @ A Storybook World
Novelist Cheryl Grey Bostrom is writing about Three Ways Nature Novels Speak to Our Hearts and recommending a few of her favorites.

September 4th @ Reading Is My Remedy
Take flight with author Cheryl Grey Bostrom with Bird Lessons - What Winged Creatures Can Teach Us. They'll also be a review of her latest novel What the River Keeps. 

September 5th @ Storeybook Reviews
Check out the spotlight on Cheryl Grey Bostrom and her latest novel What the River Keeps.

September 9th @ Boys' Mom Reads!
Looking for a new book for a new month? Karen's reviewing the novel What the River Keeps by Cheryl Grey Bostrom.

September 10th @ Choices
Cheryl Grey Bostrom shares lessons she's learned after writing three novels.

September 12th @ Chapter Break 
Today's guest is Cheryl Grey Bostrom, author of several novels set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

September 14th @ Jill Sheet's Blog
Today's the last day for the blog tour for What the River Keeps! We're ending on a high note with a post by author Cheryl Grey Bostrom about Improving Your Writing through Photography -- and Other Art. 

***** BOOK GIVEAWAY *****

Enter to win a print copy of What the River Keeps by Cheryl Grey Bostrom! Fill out the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win. The giveaway ends August 24th at 11:59 pm CT. We will randomly draw a winner the next day via Rafflecopter and follow up via email. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Interview with Lauren McGovern: Q3 2025 Essay Contest Second Place Winner

Sunday, August 10, 2025
Lauren’s Bio: Lauren McGovern penned an insipid novel at fourteen, thinking it’d win the first Avon/Flare Young Adult writing competition and she’d become a famous author. She lost, but was able to get an essay out of that rejection decades later for Midstory Magazine. 

She’s always been a team player. “The Game” has taken many forms over the years, but never published until now. As losses piled up, Lauren turned it into something many of us do: toggle between then and now, before and after. She loves cheering others on, encouraging friends and family to reach their goals, and she’s felt supported and surrounded when dealt a defeating blow herself. She writes often about the grief she carries from the loss of her younger son, Owen, to suicide. Creative nonfiction is a flexible container for holding and sharing that bereavement with the world. 

Lauren does not consider herself an athlete, more an active participant in sports like cycling and cross-country skiing. She also likes to hula hoop in her kitchen. She loves experimenting with old stuff, like antique postage stamps, discarded library books, and boulders she photographs on hikes, to create something new in the studio space she’s carved out in her home in the Adirondacks of northern New York. She is mostly a writer, but pushes herself to make whatever art she wants. Her essays, collages, photos, and graphic narratives have appeared in The Sunlight Press, What’s Your Grief, The Razor, Gordon Square Review, MUTHA Magazine, and elsewhere. Visit laurenmcgovern.online. 

If you haven't done so already, check out Lauren's award-winning story "The Game" and then return here for a chat with the author. 

WOW: Congratulations on placing second in the Q3 2025 Essay Contest! How did you begin writing your essay and how did it and your writing processes evolve as you wrote? 

Lauren: While the story of my athletic prowess has been told and retold at countless family gatherings over the years, I started writing this essay in earnest in 2019. Then I put it on the back burner. I looked at it again after taking a few writing workshops and publishing several essays and creative nonfiction pieces. I thought the story would appeal to WOW! readers, so I returned to it. 

Teachers like Christopher Locke, Sage Tyrtle, and Joni Cole have helped me figure out what’s in service to my story. Do people need to know I’m the oldest of four? Nope. Are the sports where my siblings excelled important to the narrative? Nope. 

I researched the sports pages from the local paper about the game. That’s where I discovered Miss Phil had prepared my teammates for a shootout weeks leading up to the championship. Of course, I still have my diary. Lots of “so psyched” and a paragraph of exclamation points!!! 

In February, a library director friend secured a Poets & Writers grant for me to conduct a public reading of some of my published work and works in progress, including a version of “The Game.” Miss Phil was in the audience. It was so much fun to see her delight in my retelling and hear her kind words about my writing. That vote of confidence pushed me to put some finishing touches on the essay and hit “submit.” 

WOW: That’s an exciting evolution of your story! Thanks so much for sharing the details with us. What did you learn about yourself or your writing by creating this essay? 

Lauren: Mostly how lucky and privileged I am to have experienced a positive, healthy childhood and an enjoyable high school career with skilled teachers in a rural area, even though I found soooooo much to lament while growing up. If I owned a time machine, I would go back to those years and reach out and connect with classmates and team members who were probably struggling, feeling invisible, ashamed, unsteady, and anxious. All I can do is recognize the protective factors that have shaped me and how to help build those into young people’s lives now. We cannot have life without loss, but with a team in place, you can keep going. 

WOW: In your bio, you write that you experiment with “old stuff” to create something new. Can you speak to how this process informs your writing practice or vice versa? 

Lauren: My favorite book for erasure poetry is The Woman’s Day Book of House Plants by Jean Hersey with illustrations by Harry Marinsky (copyright 1963). The Household Searchlight Homemaking Guide (copyright 1937) is on my shelf, awaiting some use. Its tabbed sections are calling to me. In Health and Beauty: “Daily Walks - Walk on out-of-the-way streets, or, better still, on country roads where motor horns and traffic do not disturb the smooth flow of your thoughts.” Or Color in the Home: “Psychological effect of color - Colors do not possess physical properties that inflict tangible results, but they do soothe or disturb the mind. Consideration should be given to the exciting effect of red, the warmth of orange, the quieting influence of green, the coolness of blue, the happiness of yellow, and the reserve of violet.” Those books and many others are gifts from my husband to support my writing adventures. 

A couple of summers ago, he and I spent hours talking with artist Ann Breedan at the Spring Woods Gallery in Maine. She gave us a tour of the garden behind the gallery space. It was a beautiful, brambly mess. I spotted a birdhouse that’d blown off its foundation, lying on its side with a hole in its moss-covered roof. I photographed it, knowing I’d use it in some future work. I’ve incorporated the broken birdhouse into the opening panel of a graphic narrative I’m trying to publish now. 

WOW: Innovative ideas! I love hearing about ways art creates art. Which creative nonfiction essays or writers have inspired you most, and in what ways did they inspire you? 

Lauren: This is such a hard question. I spend a lot of time in the lit mag world, reading a variety of prose. Anyone published in Split Lip, Hippocampus, and River Teeth Journal is a mentor for me. I’ve also read stunning CNF in Lunch Ticket, like Liz Breen’s “Regarding the Highchair You’re Selling on Facebook” and Eileen Vorbach Collins’s essay winner “Love in the Archives.” I’ve also been inspired by Kelsey Francis’s flash piece “Teacher who is a Mother who is a Teacher” in Longleaf Review, but anything Kelsey writes is something I want to read. Lucy Zhang is a writer who codes and collaborates; she makes fascinating stuff. Bethany Jarmul and Myna Chang, writers who’ve won WOW! contests have also inspired me. 

I look at the essay structure, especially if it’s an experimental form; I examine ways they balance humor with heartbreak, the use of symbolism, word choice, how much an author reveals and what they leave up to us readers. 

I also read a lot of fiction. I’d read Lily King’s grocery list if she let me. Ditto for Kevin Wilson. 

WOW: Ha! Their grocery list! I love it. And that’s a wonderful list of lit mags and essays, too. If you could tell your younger self anything about writing, what would it be? 

Lauren: You are going to pick up the book SomeBody to Love by Leslea Newman in the Strand Bookstore on your first date in NYC with the man you’ll marry. Your relationship with your body, food, and exercise will be transformed because of the author’s words and that partnership. You will build a home and a life that grows out of that first date. Reading and writing will accompany you along the way. Oh, and the internet is coming. Writing opportunities will explode. It’s going to be wild. Buckle up. 

WOW: Wouldn’t it be wonderful to give our younger selves that kind of preview? Anything else you’d like to add? 

Lauren: I have a mantra that’s a variation on the ubiquitous messaging in airports and train stations: “If you see something, say something.” I reach out to writers when their work has moved me, telling them specific lines I loved, why the opening or closing of an essay worked, and congratulating them on the publication. It builds community and I think everyone should adopt this routine. I love to hear from readers; I treasure the positive feedback people have taken the time to communicate with me over the years. When I'm licking my rejection wounds, I return to those messages for an emotional boost. 

WOW: That is a fabulous idea, and a truly an uplifting way to build community. Thank you for sharing your writing with us and for your thoughtful responses. 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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Sometimes You Just Need to Start

Thursday, August 07, 2025
 

I get a little too caught up in figuring out my processes sometimes. For example, with my podcast booking service, I got overly obsessed with finding the right task app, time tracking app, to-do list app, project management app, you name it. Anything to make me feel more organized, that less was on my plate, and I wasn't so stressed. 

It didn't work.

And what I've come to realize is that all of this hunting for the one app that will make my life easier is just wasting time. 

Truth is, what ended up working out is a simple Google sheet where each tab represented a client, and I would fill it with the podcaster I pitched. I also included a Google Doc of what I'm pitching at the top. That simple. That easy. Oh, and occasionally, I'd add notes. 

I didn't need a fancy app. I didn't need bells and whistles. 

And the same problem can happen with my own writing. 

On a cloudy, colder-than-usual August morning, I opened up my laptop, took a sip of coffee, and hunted for a story on my Google Drive.

I knew it was somewhere. I had worked on it...oh, I'm sure not that long ago (or so I thought).

Ah, there it is, I told myself when I found it. 

Sadly, the last time I worked on --- peaking at my document changes -- was this May.

Let me tell you, this summer has been a doozy. It's not just the heat. It's not even one thing in particular. 

All the while, my creative writing turned into a guilt-inducing project I'm ignoring.

Surely, there's just something wrong with my processes. 

I thought of downloading a writing app. Tried a mind map one. Briefly considered a fancier writing software. 

Deep down, though, I knew my little old short story didn't need those things. It just needed my attention.

So, I got started with one more final round of edits. And by around noon, a polished, ready-to-submit version of my short story was done.

I learned that sometimes you just need to start. Guilt from neglect can lead us to look away from our stories in shame. 

Don't let that happen. Just get started. Write despite any begrudging thoughts that scream, "Why bother?" 

Why?

Because your efforts add up. Before you know it, you'll have a completed...something. A poem. A novel. A short story. An essay. A stream of thoughts.

No matter what you do, keep going back to your writing. You never know when you'll catch a wave of creativity. Ride with it when you do. Sure, the dry spells happen. 

Just don't give up.

Nicole Pyles is a writer living in Portland, Oregon. Her writing has appeared in Sky Island Journal, Arlington Literary Journal, The Voices Project, The Ocotillo Review, and Gold Man Review. A poem of hers was also featured in the anthology DEAR LEADERS TALES. Her short story, “The Mannequin of Lot 18,” was nominated for Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy for 2024. Since she’s not active on social media very much, stay in touch by following her writing blog at World of My Imagination.
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Interview with Nicole Greylily: Winter 2025 Flash Fiction Contest Runner Up

Tuesday, August 05, 2025
Nicole’s Bio: Nicole is a writer and aspiring novelist currently working in the Cybersecurity realm. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, attending her little sister’s school and sporting events, and snuggling with her two cats, Athena and Nyx. Nicole credits the strong women in her life, primarily her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, for supporting her dreams and aspirations. “Greylily” is an homage to Nicole’s late great-grandmother who would proudly point out a small statue of a girl reading in her house and call it her “little Nicole.” Connect with Nicole on Bluesky @nicolegreylily. 

If you haven't done so already, check out Nicole's award-winning story "Boxed Fate" and then return here for a chat with the author. 

WOW: Congratulations on placing in the Winer 2025 Flash Fiction Contest! What excited you most about writing this story? 

Nicole: This piece came from a weekly challenge I like to do to keep my creative juices flowing. I use a random number generator and write a story based on whatever prompt correlates with the number. This piece came from the prompt of "music box." Ballet immediately popped into my mind, along with an old music box I had as a child. 

WOW: Ooh, I’d like to use that process for creating a weekly challenge. What a great idea! What did you learn about yourself or your writing while crafting this piece? 

Nicole: This piece helped to boost my confidence both in my writing and sharing it with others. Writing is something I've always enjoyed, but up until now, it wasn't something I'd shared with others outside of coursework. 

WOW: We’re so delighted that you chose to share it with us! Your bio states that you’re an aspiring novelist. Are you working on a novel now and can you tell us about it? What draws you to novel writing? 

Nicole: Yes, I am currently working on a novel! It is a fantasy novel that explores themes of family expectations, propaganda, and discrimination. With the madness of our world, I'd love to create and share stories that can offer other readers a moment of reprieve as my favorite authors do for me. 

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

Nicole: One of the books I'm currently reading Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. I chose to read this because it has been long overdue, and I believe it's something similar to the novel I'm in the process of writing. I also live close to UNC-Chapel Hill, which is a fun perk. 

WOW: If you could give your younger self one piece of writing advice, what would it be and why? 

Nicole: My advice would be to just write. Don't worry about whether it's going to be an award winner. Continue to hone your craft, have fun, and the rest will come. 

WOW: I love the advice to “have fun” with your writing. That’s an important aspect of having a sustainable writing practice. Anything else you’d like to add? 

Nicole: On a similar note to the above point, I'd like to share one of my favorite quotes by Maya Angelou: “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” 

WOW: Excellent quote! Thank you so much for sharing your story and your thoughtful responses with us. 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. Connect on social media @greenmachine459.
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