If you haven't done so already, check out Samantha's award-winning story "TEETH" and then return here for a chat with the author.
WOW: Congratulations on placing third in the Summer 2025 Flash Fiction Contest! What excited you most about writing this story?
Samantha: Many aspects of writing this story were exciting to me! I've always liked art that's a bit odd. What started as a mental image of serrated shark's teeth became someone who had grown shark's teeth, followed by the knowledge that the teeth would be passed around to people who needed them for various reasons. It was a little weird and I was eager to write it.
I was very curious to explore the circumstances under which people find themselves in need of new teeth. They're usually difficult situations –
accident, addiction, hardship, violence – which people are eager to put behind them if given the chance. I wanted to give my characters that chance and see what happened. How would it change their lives? How would it affect the people and creatures around them? Some of the ripple effects would be smaller; others would be significant.
WOW: What a cool concept! It’s so amazing to hear how something as common as teeth can evolve into something so much grander and more profound as it did in your writing process. What did you learn about yourself or your writing while crafting this piece?
Samantha: I'd been reading Annie Hartnett and decided to loosen up my prose and experiment with a more playful, conversational voice. It was fun, and I learned I could be a little silly yet still tell a story that had emotional impact. It relaxed my approach to writing.
WOW: Writing can be so serious sometimes, and I love to hear that you’re finding ways to have fun with it. I’ve recently seen more publications and workshops supporting writers with ADHD. How do you think ADHD affects you as a writer? Is there anything you do differently in your writing practice because of it?
Samantha: Everyone's ADHD is a little different, but the common thread is a lack of regulation in attention, behavior, emotion, and impulse control.
In terms of how it affects me as a writer, it's hard to capture all of that in a few sentences. It affects everything from my focus, to my awareness and use of time, to my perception of myself as a writer and my ability to overcome obstacles, to task initiation, to the associative way I think and the distillation of many thoughts into usable material, to the sense of overwhelm that sometimes freezes my brain for days or weeks, to my sleep, and more.
Especially as a parent, life feels unpredictable. As a result, I'm strategic in the use of my limited energy and focus at any given moment. Rather than planning writing sessions or setting word count goals, I find the most success in writing whatever I can whenever I can, keeping my expectations low, and maintaining a very flexible schedule!
WOW: Thank you so much for sharing that insight, and how you adapted as a writer. What are you reading right now, and why did you choose to read it?
Samantha: I usually read several books at a time. Right now, I'm reading A Swim In A Pond In The Rain by George Saunders to better understand story structure since I don't have training in creative writing. I highly recommend this book to all of my fellow fiction writers! It's so thoughtful and inspiring.
I'm also reading Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle because it may be a comp for the novella I'm working on, and it's just a fantastic book. I always have a rom com going as well. Currently, I'm reading The Irresistible Urge To Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley. It's actually a romantasy, which is a genre I don't read as much, but it's so punchy and grounded that it feels like a rom com.
WOW: Nice diverse reading list. If you could give your younger self one piece of writing advice, what would it be and why?
Samantha: I haven't been writing long and wish I'd started sooner, so I'd say: Write now. Write anything. Just write.
WOW: Simple yet effective advice. Anything else you’d like to add?
Samantha: Readers may assume the female student in the story was assaulted by a male, although we know violence can unfortunately occur in any type of relationship. However, because of this, I realized a couple of drafts in just how important it was to include male characters who, in the context of this domestic violence scenario, were driven by a desire to combat it. I'm going to be more intentional about this in the future; I don't think we see enough anti-DV male characters in fiction.
WOW: 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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