Interview with Terry Cobb, Winter 2018 Flash Fiction Runner Up

Today, we are chatting with Terry Cobb, one of the runner’s up in the Winter 2018 Flash Fiction contest. If you haven’t had the chance to yet, be sure to check out her moving story, “Afternoon Tea with Jacqueline Kennedy” then come back and read her interview below.

Terry’s Bio:

Terry Cobb is a former radiology supervisor who resides with her husband on a farm in north central Missouri where she writes short stories, devotionals, and novels. Her flash fiction has been published in The Binnacle and in anthologies published by The Saturday Writers and The Columbia Writers Guild. It has won awards from The Pike’s Peak Branch of American Pen Women, the Green River Writers, Springfield Missouri Writers Guild, and the Dr. Doris Mueller Prose Contest. Her devotionals have been printed in The Upper Room and The Secret Place. She posts photos of flowers and wildlife on her blog and writes about the challenges of gardening, at www.whatsinyourgarden.wordpress.com.

WOW: Thank you so much for chatting with us today! So, I loved your flash fiction story Afternoon Tea with Jacqueline Kennedy. What inspired this story?

Terry: In their later years, my parents had many health issues which naturally took a toll on their spirits. Mom used to tell me how she wished she could run away from all their troubles. The problem was that she didn’t have any place to run and she only wanted to escape for a little while. Although this story was written long after my mother’s death, this is a temporary escape I have created just for her.

WOW: What a touching way to honor your mom! So, what’s next for you? What are you currently working on?

Terry: I’m primarily working on a novel that I began a few years ago. I can’t remember if I’m on its tenth or twentieth draft. Since I believe in the story too much to quit, I’ll keep plugging away on it until I’m satisfied enough to send it off to an agent. I’m also writing another short story and a devotional. As you can tell, I’m easily distracted, but that’s because I find all types of writing fun. When I get an idea, I like to go ahead and get it on paper.

WOW: I’m exactly the same way with writing! I tend to bounce around a lot, but I feel like it makes it more fun that way. That leads me to my next question – what does a typical day of writing look like for you?

Terry: I’m an early bird. My biological clock wakes me up between 4:30 and 5 am. With a cup of coffee in hand, I meditate and journal for a couple of hours. Journaling is where I get my devotional and short story ideas. I often try to steal more time after lunch to write again for an hour or so, although I’m not consistently successful.

WOW: As a night owl, who is not at all an early bird, I’m impressed you wake up so early to write. What a way to start your day! So, do you have any tips you can share about entering contests? What works for you best?

Terry: Entering writing contests have been an excellent way for me to receive feedback on my writing by either signing up for an additional critique or by seeing if I can place in the contest itself. Many contests publish the winning stories which is extremely helpful in seeing what the judges are looking for and how my story stacks up to them. I also triple check the submission guidelines. I don’t want my story thrown out before it’s even read just because I didn’t format it according to the contest guidelines. I always let my work sit for a few days before submitting. That gives me a chance to read it one more time for grammatical errors and missed words.  

WOW: That is great advice! So, I couldn’t help but notice in your profile you said you liked to garden. How does your garden inspire your writing?

Terry: The garden is my world of miracles. I marvel at how the tiny seeds in my hand produce baskets of tomatoes and bouquets of flowers. It’s especially terrific for providing metaphors and story ideas for my devotional writing. Oddly enough, pulling weeds seems to slow the wheels churning in my brain. A story idea will often come to me when I’m “in the zone” and not trying so hard to come up with something.

WOW: I understand that completely! Usually when I’m not focusing so much on writing is when the best ideas come about.

Thank you so much for chatting with us today Terry and sharing your beautiful story!

Be sure to find Terry over at her blog www.whatsinyourgarden.wordpress.com

Interview by Nicole Pyles

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5 comments 2018 Winter Flash Fiction Contest, contest winner, Runner up, Terry Cobb

Meet Tara Lynne Groth, Runner Up in the Winter 2018 Flash Fiction Contest

Tara Lynne Groth is a writer in North Carolina. She writes short fiction and poetry. She was accepted to the fiction workshop at the 2018 Looking Glass Rock Writers Conference. Tara Lynne placed second in the WOW! Women On Writing Summer 2016 Flash Fiction Contest, received honorable mention in the 2015 Carolina WomanWriting Contest, and was a semifinalist for the 2015 and 2016 James Applewhite Poetry Prize. She is an alumnus of the Southampton Writers Conference. In 2017 she published Magazine Queries That Worked, a guide for freelance journalists that features all of her successful query letters and the stories behind each article. She blogs at Write Naked and tweets at @WriteNaked. Visit her website at www.taralynnegroth.com.

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WOW: Congratulations on your top ten win in our Winter 2018 Flash Fiction competition! What inspired you to enter the contest?

Tara Lynne: Thanks! I've entered WOW contests before. A few years ago another one of my stories placed second. I took a break from submitting to contests and journals, and when I started submitting again I decided to send one of my recent pieces to WOW. I like that WOW partners with literary agents for their final judging process.

WOW: Can you tell us what encouraged the idea behind your story, "Ribbon?"

Tara Lynne: I've been doing family history research the past few years and I'm using the details of my ancestors' lives for plot development in a series of interconnected short stories. "Ribbon" is based on what I've learned about my relatives three generations back.

WOW: What key elements do you think make a great piece of flash fiction?

Tara Lynne: I love having a twist at the end of the story, but it needs to be supported by subtle hints throughout the story.

WOW: You were accepted to the fiction workshop at the 2018 Looking Glass Rock Writers Conference, which sounds exciting. What was that experience like?

Tara Lynne: The organizers of the writers conference run a great event. The mornings are reserved for time with the visiting speakers and the afternoons are free time to explore the quaint town of Brevard or nearby hiking trails in the Pisgah National Forest. The school has a phenomenal on-campus catering service. The organizers really take care of every need so that all the writers can focus on their work and the insight of the speakers. I would definitely go again!

WOW: Thanks so much for chatting with us today, Tara Lynne. Before you go, do you have any tips for our readers who may be thinking about entering writing contests?

Tara Lynne: Find or make a good system for tracking your submissions. It can get confusing when you have several stories under consideration at different contests. I not only like to track the date of submission and the contest deadline, but I also track the date the contest announces winners (if/when that date is provided). That way if the story didn't place I can submit it elsewhere right away.

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For more information about our quarterly Flash Fiction and Creative Nonfiction Essay contests, visit our contest page here.

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2 comments 2018 Winter Flash Fiction Contest, Contestant interview, Runner up, Tara Lynne Groth, writer inspiration

Interview with Pam Maddin Baker, Winter 2018 Flash Fiction Runner Up

Today we are chatting with Pam Maddin Baker, one of the runners up in the Winter 2018 Flash Fiction contest. If you haven’t had the chance to yet, “The Fire,” then come back and read her interview below.

Pam’s Bio:

After recently retiring from three decades of teaching in both elementary and high school, Pam realized she no longer had a captive audience to listen to her stories. So, needing to continue her passion, she decided to start writing them down. Her degrees in Theater Arts and English Literature have proven useful in developing believable characters and composition. She also relies on family and friends who are always willing to provide feedback on her work. Thanks to all that support, she has been published online in the magazines, Story Quilt, and Canadian Stories, as well as in previous WOW! flash fiction contests. She is an avid member and contributor to TheNextBigWriter community and Ottawa Independent Writers group.

Pam has a strong passion for social justice issues and animal rights. These themes weave themselves into much of her writing. She often finds inspiration for stories while riding her bike around her home city of Ottawa, Canada or as a snowbird in the ocean city of Venice, Florida. Luckily, she doesn’t try to write them down until she stops riding.

Visit her website at writingmylifeawayblog.wordpress.com.

WOW: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us today! I was so moved by your story “The Fire.” What was the inspiration behind your story?

Pam: "The Fire” is based on an event that happened in my home city of Ottawa, Canada. Just days after a new park had been completed for the children of a disadvantaged neighbourhood, a young man was tragically shot and killed in a gang murder. The shooting was particularly shocking as it occurred just as the children were arriving home from school. Local residents were horrified by the act, but the next day a group of mothers in the community organized a protest. I was very touched by their bravery. Despite the possible danger of even being out on the street, they decided to speak out and demand changes for the security of their neighbourhood. Many of them had already fled their own countries to escape war and violence. I decided to write the story from the point of view of one of the women who had escaped war in Somalia. I researched what might have happened to her before she came to Canada and tried to imagine how she would have acted and felt.

WOW: That is absolutely incredible you based this on a real event that happened. So, you mentioned in your bio that you have a passion for social justice. How does that passion influence your writing?

Pam: When I write about situations that are unjust, I feel more powerful in dealing with the issues. I hope the story leads other people to empathize with the characters in the story. Having to flee a home country, living in poverty, dealing with gun violence — these are the realities for many people who are just trying to do their best to make a good life for their families. Writing is my way of expressing support for those that need it.

WOW: I love that you use your writing to show support for those in unjust situations. And I couldn’t help but notice your story coincides with a troubling theme of shooting violence that seems to be happening more and more. What do you hope people take away from your story?

Pam: My story takes place in Canada where the laws for purchasing and carrying firearms are more restrictive than those in the United States. Yet, gun violence is currently on the rise in our cities. Communities are trying to stand up to the violence and demand better supports. Acknowledging the problem is an important step towards solving it. Children have the right to live and play in a safe community. We need to do whatever is possible to protect that security.

WOW: I absolutely agree. 100%. So, what are your writing goals? What are you working on at the moment?

Pam: Currently, I’m exploring different styles of writing. I am really enjoying focusing on short stories and flash fiction. I also have a couple of larger projects I 'm working on. One is a novel about a young Maya woman in Mexico struggling to support her family. Another is a memoir recounting times growing up with one of my best friends. She passed away from cancer and I find the writing a good way for me to express my feelings and preserve my memories of her.

WOW: What a way to honor your friend! I love how you use your writing for a greater purpose, whether it’s to honor someone or help people find justice. What advice do you have for writers interested in writing flash fiction?

Pam: Flash fiction can be a lot of fun! Telling a full story within such a tight word limit is difficult, but it pushes the author to keep the writing concise. Finding the right words and images is part of the challenge of creating an emotional impact. I find it invaluable to have someone listen to my story and give feedback on what works and what could use revision. I am lucky to have some dependable friends who listen tirelessly to my many edits. (My thanks to Gary, Joann and Victoria!)

Having supportive people who will read and give you feedback means so much! Thank you again for taking the time to chat with us today and congratulations on your story.

Be sure to find Pam over at her blog writingmylifeawayblog.wordpress.com

--  Interview by Nicole Pyles

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1 comment 2018 Winter Flash Fiction Contest, contest winner, Pam Maddin-Baker, Runner up

Interview with Rachelle Allen, Winter 2018 Flash Fiction Runner Up

Rachelle’s Bio:

Rachelle Allen teaches private voice, flute, and piano lessons weekly to seventy beloved students in their homes. She lives in East Rochester, New York, with her husband, Bobby, and likes writing stories that offer unexpected endings.

In 2012, she placed 50th in the Annual Writer’s Digest Competition for non-fiction, and her story, “A Second Chance For Randall,” was published in The Storyteller Magazine.

She loves that her life is comprised of all the best commodities on the planet: children, music, reading, and writing.

You are going to want to take the time to read Rachelle’s story, "Leopard," before moving on to her interview.

WOW: What was your inspiration for Leopard?

Rachelle: So, my inspiration for Leopard came one day when I was separating my laundry...into - yes, it's true- lights, darks, and leopard.

WOW: You and I both find that inspiration can come at any time.  How do you handle it when inspiration strikes in the middle of a chore or some other activity?

Rachelle: I keep a pen and small notebook nearby at all times so I don't forget ideas that pop into my head. I did that the morning of my laundry epiphany, and then let various scenarios steep in my mind throughout the day. I've loved (and worn) leopard apparel for decades now, and I've grown accustomed to the comments I receive. So my McGuffin became: What if someone who was never used to hearing positive comments about her outfits suddenly began to receive them? And that's how my story came to life.

WOW: Obviously it was a heady experience. What was the most difficult thing about writing this story?

Rachelle: The most difficult thing was making the protagonist understandable and likable despite her extreme behavior. There's a thin line between "Relatably Unbalanced" and "Just Plain Crazy," and for this story to work, our girl needed to be enjoyable on both sides of it. The minute we read that it's taken her forty-one years to get noticed by anyone in her life, we begin to melt for this poor woman. Who can't relate to feeling invisible on some scale?

Then, when the unraveling escalates, our knee-jerk reaction is to cringe and turn away, and break our connection with her. But because we feel for her, what we do, despite ourselves, is witness the hilarious horror that unfolds and listen to the tiny voice whisper in our head, "You know, this is not altogether impossible."

Because, after all, who among us doesn't have a breaking point?

WOW: We are often told that art imitates life. How do elements of your life, such as your teaching, music or students, make their way into your stories?

Rachelle: I've written an entire book about it that I've been shopping to agents for awhile now. It's entitled "Lessons in the Key of Life" and is comprised of vignettes from all my years in the creative and performing arts. Before teaching voice, flute, and piano, I choreographed shows and taught dance for twelve years.

"Lessons in the Key of Life" features actual experiences I've had as a teacher- some funny, some poignant, some inspiring and deep - and at the end of each vignette, in bold type, the universal truth, i.e. "lesson," I learned from it.

In fiction pieces I've written, I've used character traits, some admirable, some not, of mentors and students who have touched my life.

WOW: What advice do you have for our readers about balancing work and writing?

Rachelle: I've found that writing is like any other discipline: it requires DAILY practice. If I have limited time - and, with traveling to seventy students' homes each week, this is the case a lot - then I at least make time for an entry in my Fly on the Wall Journal, where I write about something I noticed or experienced that day that kept it from being ordinary.

Today, for example, I was at the check-out counter at the Dollar Store, facing a wall with lettering the size of North America that read: EVERYTHING'S A DOLLAR!!! The cashier proceeded to hold up my first item and shout to her manager, "BOB!!! HOW MUCH IS THIS?" I'm serious! I leaned in and whisper to her, "Um, I think it's a dollar," which caused her to glower at me and hiss, "Well some things are TWO for a dollar." "Ooooookay!" I responded, cowed. Bob shouted back, "IT'S A DOLLAR!"

See what I mean? There is always something to write about, so don't let yourself miss the opportunities that present themselves.

WOW: You are definitely a pro at finding slices of life worth writing down. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to encourage us all to look for stories everywhere we go. And congratulations yet again on placing in the contest.

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4 comments 2018 Winter Flash Fiction Contest, Intervew, Leopard, Rachelle Allen, Sue Bradford Edwards

Interview with Elizabeth Eidlitz: 2018 Flash Fiction Contest Third Place Winner

Elizabeth’s Bio:

Elizabeth Eidlitz is a retired independent school English teacher, a writing workshop facilitator, and newspaper columnist who recently became intrigued by the demands of flash fiction. She has coedited a textbook, published a few short stories and many feature articles. She is amazed at what writers have created with only 26 alphabet letters. In her own work she tries to define both factual and emotional truths. She loves E.B. White, animals, laughter, French onion soup with lots of melted cheese, and unvarnished people. She lives in Concord, Massachusetts.

If you haven’t done so already, check out Elizabeth’s award-winning story “Our Day” and then return here for a chat with the author.

WOW: Congratulations on placing 3rd in the Winter Flash Fiction Contest! What excited you most about writing this story?

Elizabeth: Confronting ghosts. Wondering if I really told my mother’s classmate that I was adopted—or simply wanted to—has always haunted me. Though never discussed, the unresolved moment, like much flash fiction, illuminates a landscape of conflicts.

WOW: I like that connection between unresolved moments and flash fiction. I’d never thought about it like that before. Did you learn anything about yourself or your writing while crafting this piece?

Elizabeth: It sharpened my understanding of a critical moment by exploring what led up to it and what followed.

WOW: In your bio it says that in your writing you try “to define both factual and emotional truths.” Can you say more about this? How do you accomplish that feat?

Elizabeth: Truth is a slippery fish. A friend’s adult daughter in therapy asked, “Mother, how old was I when you locked me out of the house in the snow?” The feeling of maternal rejection and coldness is her emotional, imagined truth. The factual truth is that since she grew up in southern California, it could not have happened. Another friend remembers her terror at age six when she was held over her aunt’s open casket at the funeral. The imagined emotional truth is factually false. Her aunt died when she was 23.

We misremember events, particularly those of our childhood, and act on our conviction of powerful emotional truths. We forget the words people use, but we remember the effect the words had us.

WOW: Great examples. They sound similar to what you previously said about wondering about the actual versus imagined exchange between you and your mother’s classmate. What are you reading right now, and why did you choose to read it?

Elizabeth: I was interested in the NYTimes review of Our Souls at Night, written by Ken Haruf under a death sentence. The premise is original and convincing and the back story is suspenseful as it develops.

Actually, I frequently reread Charlotte’s Web and essays by E. B. White, an inspiration, for his unique point of view, vivid descriptions, humor, and absolutely perfect last lines.

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

Elizabeth: Real writing is REWRITING. Does anyone get it right the first time? There’s a huge difference between deboning a chicken and being a skilled thoracic surgeon or running down the street and winning the Boston marathon.

Like swimmers, writers have times when they can only splash in frustration and times, when stuck, they need to tread water until they find a new direction. And then there are nourishing times when they feel they’re swimming with the current. Because “Our Day” was one of these, it partially wrote itself.

WOW: Such vivid metaphors! Thank you for sharing that advice and for your other thoughtful responses! Congratulations again, and happy writing!

Interviewed by Anne Greenawalt, who keeps a blog of journal entries, memoir snippets, interviews, training logs, and profiles of writers and competitive female athletes.

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2 comments 2018 Winter Flash Fiction Contest, Anne Greenawalt, Elizabeth Eidlitz, Third Place Winner

Meet First Place Flash Fiction Contest Winner, Courtney McDermott

Courtney McDermott is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and the MFA program at the University of Notre Dame. Her debut collection of short stories, How They Spend Their Sundays (Whitepoint Press 2013) was nominated for both the PEN/Hemingway Award and The Story Prize. Her short fiction has been twice nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Originally from Iowa, she currently lives in the greater Boston area. She works in the Film and Media Studies Program at Tufts University and teaches part-time in the online Master’s in English program at Southern New Hampshire University. Follow her on Twitter @courtmcdermott or find her on her website: www.courtneymcdermott.com.

interview by Marcia Peterson

WOW: Congratulations on your first place win in our Winter 2018 Flash Fiction competition! What inspired you to enter the contest?

Courtney: Thank you! I am thrilled about this win, because I admire WOW's mission. I follow WOW on social media, so I am very familiar with your contests. What inspired me to enter the contest this time around was that I needed a break from writing my novel. When I get frustrated with my longer works, I resurrect my shorter works and submit them. Sometimes it’s worth resuscitating the pieces that we’ve laid to rest in our notebooks or on our hard drives, because there are new readers and new venues that might value them. This contest seemed like the perfect home for "Letting Go of Virginia Woolf." I had never given up on this story, but I did set it aside for a number of years. During one of these breaks from my novel, I saw the posting for WOW's contest and thought, I have a story that could work. I had been meaning to rewrite "Letting Go of Virginia Woolf," and this contest was the impetus to do so.

WOW: Can you tell us what encouraged the idea behind your story?

Courtney: The story began in a creative writing workshop with a prompt that was taken from a Virginia Woolf piece (hence the title). I wanted to tell a story about love and loss and all of the quirks that make you fall in love with someone. It was a rough sketch for a couple of years, and then I read “In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried” by Amy Hempel. I adore that story, and all of Hempel’s works. She packed so much vibrancy and complexity about a relationship into a few pages. Like my story, Hempel's story deals with the loss of a partner/friend, and she inspired me to look at the little details that make a relationship unique. The story was lingering around the 1000 word mark, and then I saw this contest and thought, “I can tell this story in 750 words.” It’s a better story because I pruned back the unnecessary bits, though it took me almost 13 years to get here!

WOW: What key elements do you think make a great piece of flash fiction?

Courtney: You can't include everything, so you need to recognize what is absolutely essential and then trim away the rest. The ability to be both beautiful yet economical with language is key, so rely on strong verbs versus adverbs and adjectives. Flash fiction should plunge us straight into the middle of the story; there isn't space for background information and lengthy histories. Keep the focus tight--fewer characters, limited settings, one central conflict. Flash fiction pieces should not rely on trick endings (e.g. it was only a dream, everyone dies), which often are easy ways of ending short pieces. These stories may not be able to explore an entire character's lifetime or fully resolve a conflict, but they can and should evoke an emotion.

WOW: Great tips! Are you working on any writing projects currently? What can we plan on seeing from you in the future?

Courtney: I am shopping around a novella about an unsuccessful mathematician suffering from PTSD that is written in 365 vignettes. It's a more experimental piece, so it hasn't found the right home yet. I am also finishing a novel about a small town in Iowa, where I am originally from. The story tackles Trump's America through the viewpoint of two sisters who are deeply affected by a tragedy of someone close to them. I am excited about the story, but now I just need to sit down and finish it!

WOW: Thanks so much for chatting with us today, Courtney. Before you go, do you have any tips for our readers who may be thinking about entering writing contests?

Courtney: Thank you for the opportunity to share a bit about my story! What I like about contests is the constraints that they provide. I like a deadline, and forced word count or theme. Sometimes, working within these constraints can push us to get creative and write better. If it wasn't for WOW's constraint of 750 words, I may never have edited "Letting Go of Virginia Woolf" from 1000 words to 750 words, the size that it really needs to be. Use contests as inspiration, but don't be discouraged if you don't win. Definitely edit your work before submitting and submit stories that you are confident in. Read submissions from past winners of the contest to get a sense for the type of stories that judges may be looking for. Though contests can be a great way of getting your work noticed by a larger audience, and the prizes that accompany them are always nice, don't limit your work to contests only. Submit to journals and magazines, too. Writers want to be published, and though contests are an excellent forum for attracting readers and attention, they aren't the only route.

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For more information about our quarterly Flash Fiction and Creative Nonfiction Essay contests, visit our contest page here.

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2 comments 2018 Winter Flash Fiction Contest, Contestant interview, Courtney McDermott, first place winner, flash fiction, Marcia Peterson, writer inspiration, writing tips