Alexis Valle is a Criminal Justice student at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where they balance academic rigor with a deep passion for writing. Their work explores identity, queerness, and the complexities of living in a fractured world, often blending personal narrative with broader social commentary. Currently, Alex is developing a poetry series that reflects on resilience, belonging, and what it means to exist at the crossroads of Latin and queer identity.
----------Interview by Renee Roberson
WOW: Welcome, Alexis, and congratulations! “Masa, Blood, and Other Tender Things" is a great example of using voice to make your story stand out. Marisol’s voice is haunting, matter-of-fact, and when she’s around Isabel, vulnerable. What steps did you take to ensure that Marisol’s tone would be sure to leave an impression on the reader?
Alexis: I approached Marisol’s voice as something controlled first, emotional second. I wanted her to sound calm, almost domestic, someone you’d trust immediately, because that makes the horror land harder. She speaks in simple, matter-of-fact observations, but there’s always a second layer underneath, something withheld.
To build that, I leaned on contrast. In public, her voice is warm, practical, even a little humorous. But when she speaks about Isabel, that restraint cracks. The sentences soften, stretch, and become more vulnerable. I didn’t want to announce that shift, I wanted the reader to feel it happening.
I also focused on rhythm. Marisol’s voice is deliberate. She doesn’t waste words, and she doesn’t rush. That steadiness makes even her most disturbing lines feel natural, which I think is what allows the story to linger.
WOW: Shifting the tone of her voice so subtly paid off by the end! What was the inspiration behind this story?
Alexis: The story came from thinking about how often women—especially in tight-knit communities—are expected to endure quietly. I wanted to take that expectation and twist it.
There’s also a strong influence from Latin folklore and oral storytelling traditions, where food, grief, and the body are often intertwined. Cooking becomes a form of memory, but here it’s also a form of control.
At its core, though, the story is about desire and ownership, what it means to love someone from a distance, and how that love can curdle into something possessive. Marisol doesn’t just want Isabel; she wants to build a world where Isabel remains untouched, preserved. Everything she does feeds into that.
WOW: You did an excellent job of revealing that in only 750 words--sometimes flash fiction can bee even more impactful than longer works of fiction. Your bio mentions a current work of poetry. Besides flash fiction and poetry, what other forms of the craft do you enjoy and why?
Alexis: Beyond flash fiction and poetry, I’m really drawn to longer-form fiction, especially novels with dense worldbuilding. I like having the space to build systems, histories, and layered characters that evolve over time.
That said, I think poetry has shaped everything I write. Even in prose, I’m thinking about rhythm, imagery, and compression. I want sentences to carry weight, even when they’re simple.
I also enjoy blending forms, stories that feel almost lyrical in structure or that rely heavily on voice. That’s where I feel most at home creatively.
WOW: What is your writing process like? As a college student, do you write in small pockets of time, favor early mornings or late nights, or have a special way of exploring an idea when it comes to you?
Alexis: My process is a mix of bursts and control. Most ideas come to me fully formed in tone before anything else—usually a voice or a single striking image. Once I have that, I write quickly, almost instinctively, to capture that energy before it fades.
After that, I slow way down. I revise heavily, especially at the sentence level. I’m cutting, tightening, and sharpening until every line feels intentional.
As a college student, I definitely write in small pockets of time, late nights more than early mornings. But I’ve learned not to wait for perfect conditions. If I have ten minutes, I use them.
WOW: There is no "perfect time to write," that's for sure! How did you first learn about the contests at WOW! Women on Writing?
Alexis: I came across WOW! Women on Writing while actively searching for spaces that support and highlight strong narrative voices, especially in short form. I was drawn to their focus on storytelling that feels both personal and impactful.
Submitting felt like a good fit for the kind of work I’m trying to do, stories that are intimate on the surface but carry something darker underneath.
WOW: Well, we're glad you found us and can't wait to read more of your work. Happy writing!
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