Interview with Deborah Thompson: Fall 2025 Flash Fiction Runner-Up

 

Deborah’s Bio:

Deborah Thompson is a short/flash story writer, Pilates teacher and Graphic designer. Her writing has appeared in Flash Fiction Magazine, Fairfield Scribes, The Remington Review and the To Hull and Back Anthology,and recently won an Off Topic short story competition.

She has an MA in Creative Writing from Kingston University, lives in London UK with husband and two adopted children. and spends far too much playing online Bridge with robots.

If you haven't read her story, "Big Eye," take a moment to do so and then come back here to learn more about her writing process.

WOW: What was the inspiration for “Big Eye”?

Deborah: I sometimes use competitions to kickstart a story. This story was originally inspired by a Globe Soup flash competition, with a list of paranormal subjects to write about. When I saw the word ‘Kraken’, an image floated into my mind of two young things playing together, human and non-human. A Kraken in popular folklore is a giant, octopus-like creature, and when I did some research into octopi, their intelligence, their reproductive cycles, I wondered what the friendship between two such different species would look like as they grew. Would it even be possible? That’s when my imagination fired up!

WOW:  And that imagination comes through loud and clear in this story!  How did “Big Eye” change during the revision process?

Deborah: The story and its themes were pretty much there in the first draft. I enjoyed subverting the idea of the Kraken as a terrible, man-eating male, turning her into a creature who, like any powerful female, is both misunderstood and feared (by men). This particular story seemed to write itself – the non-verbal bond, the simple fun they had as children, their separation through the undeniable fact of growing up, the understanding that females endure, and sometimes sacrifice, for their children—a powerful bond which replaces the simple one of their childhood. In subsequent revisions, I tightened the writing, choosing words that reinforced the themes of connection, loss, and grief, and the final reconciliation of these three things. Final lines are important in short stories, and I tried various words and sentence structures, opting in the end for simplicity to try to suggest joy, endurance and love.

WOW: There are so many details that are left out of flash fiction. How do you decide what to include and what to omit?  

Deborah: As a writer, I need to be clear what the story is really about – what it is I’m trying to say, what the themes are, and then choose words that most effectively illustrate this. Evocation is key – what words will evoke, or infer, rather than explain? Generally, I look at a paragraph I’ve written, and then ask myself how I can say (or infer) exactly the same thing, only with fewer, more evocative words.

WOW:  That's an excellent way to do it, and a great lesson for us all.  You identify yourself as a flash/short story writer.  What do our readers need to understand before attempting to write flash?

Deborah: With flash, you don’t have time for lengthy descriptions, backstories, explanations. It’s very possible for a flash story to roam through time, as "Big Eye" does, but generally it’s best to stay in one moment of time and write about what is happening as vividly, and viscerally, as possible. Replace explanation with inference, and use descriptions and backstories sparingly, trusting the reader to read between the lines, to fill in the blank spaces with their own imagination and experiences. It’s quite an interactive process between writer and reader. I love writing short fiction for that reason. Hemingway’s famous 6-word story—‘For sale: Baby shoes, never worn’—is a perfect example of this interaction.

WOW: Keeping the reader in mind as an interactive partner works so well for you.  How has your MA in Creative Writing helped you compose flash fiction?

Deborah: In the MA, I learned about the 3- (and 4- and 5-) act structure, about the classic story arc which consists of establishing a status quo quickly followed by some sort of conflict that changes the status quo, then the quest by the protagonist to find a way to return to the status quo, and the final resolution and/or epiphany that leads to a different, (better or wiser) status quo. The MA gave me a chance to play around with this, in both flash and with longer short stories, and to have lots of feedback from tutors and fellow students. The poetry module was particularly valuable. I’d never written poetry before, and found the practice of using simile and metaphor very useful when it came to writing flash stories.

The MA was great fun, and I enjoyed every minute of it, but really, it was a springboard. I’ve learned so much more since graduating, through reading other’s stories, writing in as many different genres (and story lengths) as possible, attending online courses, entering competitions as well as sending stories to online magazines, using rejections as a stimulus to rewrite stories (rather than curl up in a ditch, which I sometimes want to do.)

Above all, I can’t recommend enough belonging to a writers’ group. Mine is a small one, made up of people from the MA, and there’s nothing better than having them critique my stories, and me theirs, to help me improve my writing.
 

WOW: Thank you for sharing so much of what you have learned and how it shapes your writing.  And, most of all, good luck with your current projects.

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Interview with Elizabeth Cooke: Fall 2025 Flash Fiction Runner Up

 

Elizabeth’s Bio: 

Elizabeth Cooke is a London-based writer whose short fiction has been shortlisted for the Fish Publishing Prize, longlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, and featured in Litro Magazine. She trained as an actor before taking a practical detour into the corporate world, and now writes fiction in the margins of everyday life. 

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

WOW: What inspired Margaretisms? 

Elizabeth: The first line of Margaretisms - “The clouds are near and very moist” - came from a prompt exercise with a writing group. It struck me as such an odd, unsettling sentence. It brought to mind something close, damp, and a little claustrophobic, and so the drizzly British seaside setting was. It draws quite heavily on the kinds of places I visited as a child. 

In terms of the characters, the three generations (the protagonist, her mother, and her daughter who lives abroad) was loosely inspired by Alice Munro’s The Moons of Jupiter. I love the way she captures "the sandwich generation" - that sense of being caught between caring for children and aging parents. It made me reflect on my own family, and on what that responsibility might look like in my own life one day - something I've been thinking about even more lately, as my father's been unwell. What amazes me most about Munro is how she conveys entire family dynamics - all the love and resentment and grief and hope - with such precision and restraint. She's a master of showing rather than telling, and if I could summon a drop of what she does then I'd be incredibly proud indeed. 

WOW: I bet a lot of our readers will be requesting their own copies of The Moon's of Jupiter after that recommendation. Flash is such a concise form of writing. How did you decide what details to include and what details to leave out? I noticed the only name we get is Margaret’s. 

Elizabeth: That’s a great observation! And honestly, something I hadn't consciously considered while writing. 

I recently came across a description of fiction as a kind of secret garden. In a novel, the writer builds the entire garden for the reader. But in short fiction - particularly flash - the writer creates the keyhole. The reader only glimpses part of the world, and the rest is implicit. 

So when it came to Margaretisms, I wasn’t trying to create the protagonist’s whole world. Instead, I was thinking about shaping a very specific viewpoint - a single afternoon, a particular feeling - and every detail served that viewpoint. 

It actually feels fitting that Margaret is the only named character. Even if it was unintentional, it reflects how central she has become to the narrator’s life. The absence of other names kind of mirrors that narrowing of focus - how caregiving can reshape someone's entire sense of self and attention. 

WOW:  That one answer gives us so much to unpack and consider.  How did this story evolve through revision? 

Elizabeth: The opening paragraphs for Margeritisms came out of a writing group exercise, then sat untouched in a notebook for months. I work like this quite often - I'll write something, or the start of something, then leave it alone for ages until I've got some distance from it. When I came back to those lines, I didn’t fully remember what I’d originally intended, which was actually helpful. It allowed me to approach the piece more instinctively and build something new from it. 

I can be quite an impatient (and emotional!) editor, and I sometimes struggle to see my own work clearly when I’m too close to it. So giving it time creates some clarity and revision can feel more like I'm evolving a piece rather than refining it. 

I wouldn’t be surprised if I revisit Margaretisms in the future and it shifts into something else yet again.

WOW:  That's so helpful, to think of revision as evolution. What else are you writing? 

Elizabeth: Lots of short stories and flash fiction! I love the room for experimentation with these forms. I’d love to write something longer someday, but I’m still working up the courage. 

WOW:  Growing into a new form definitely takes courage and often time. What question do you wish I had asked? How would you respond to it? 

Elizabeth: Ooh, that’s a great question. I think it would be: How has your relationship with this piece changed over time? 

When I first wrote Margaretisms, it felt more like a thought exercise - but since then, my father has been ill, and what once felt observational now feels much more immediate and real. I’m younger than my protagonist, and I don’t have children - let alone grownup children - but my understanding of what it means to watch your parents age has deepened, or at least become more complex. And alongside that, I’ve gained a greater appreciation for what my parents’ went through in caring for their own parents. 

It’s made the story feel strangely prescient, in a way. 

I also feel a new kind of responsibility toward the character. There are nuances I can see now - emotional textures I didn’t anticipate during my dad's illness - and part of me wonders if I’ve done her a slight disservice by not capturing those. But I suppose that’s part of writing: you can only write from the understanding you have at that moment. And sometimes, returning to a piece later reveals just how much that understanding has grown.

WOW:  Elizabeth, thank you for taking the time from your busy schedule to help us grow as writers.  You've definitely given us a lot to consider.  Healing thoughts to your father and good luck on your future writing projects.

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Interview with Tara Sobel, Runner-Up in the WOW! Summer 2025 Flash Fiction Competition

 

Tara Sobel lives in Goshen, New York, with her husband and four fabulous felines. As a nurse in the medical device industry, she’s passionate about making a difference in the lives of the patients she serves. Her love of writing began in grade school when she signed her dad up for a parent-child fiction workshop. Tara enjoys bringing real and imagined experiences to life on the page, often drawing inspiration from her love of reading cozy mysteries, sci-fi, and fantasy. Most of her stories have only been shared with friends and family, but this may be the start of something new. 

-----interview by Sue Bradford Edwards -----

WOW: What was the inspiration for “Purple Flames?” 

Tara: As a nurse, I have seen time and again that a patient’s story runs far deeper than what appears in an admission diagnosis. What brings someone in for medical care is often just the tip of the iceberg. I wanted to tell that larger, unseen story and offer readers a glimpse behind the curtain at the humanity that is such an essential part of healthcare work. 

WOW: Such a big part of a writer’s work is revision. How did this story change through the revision process? 

Tara:  As someone without formal creative writing training, feedback has been essential to my revision process. I initially submitted this piece to a previous quarterly contest for critique and took that feedback seriously, especially suggestions to remove filtering language and clarify Bridget’s motivation for leaving. 

I also wanted the reader to feel what Bridget was experiencing, so I leaned into shorter, punchier sentences to heighten the visceral impact. That choice reduced the word count more than I anticipated, but it ultimately strengthened the story. 

Stepping away from the piece and returning with fresh eyes, more than once, was also crucial in reaching the final polished version. 

WOW: Flash is such a tight form of writing that details have to be carefully selected. How did you decide which details would have space in the story and which wouldn’t? For example, Bridget is the only named character. 

Tara: I wanted the opening scene to immerse the reader fully in Bridget’s physical trauma, so every detail had to serve that goal. I chose specific sensory details and similes to place the reader inside the car with her, making her strength and determination more impactful as she pushes through both the crash and her abuse. 

Bridget is the only named character because the story is meant to stay tightly focused on her experience. The other characters did not need names, as they function more as representations of roles rather than individuals. Naming the EMTs risked pulling attention away from Bridget in a moment where her perspective mattered most, and naming her abuser would have given him a presence and power in the story that I did not want him to have. 

Names carry a great deal of meaning, especially in flash fiction. Bridget is associated with strength, power, and the Celtic goddess of healing, which made it a perfect fit for this character. 

WOW: There is so much meaning in your choice of that name! Your bio says that generally you only let those close to you read your work. What moved you to enter this piece in the competition? 

Tara: That’s a great question. I received encouraging feedback from a couple of close friends who had read another piece I was working on, and I wanted to know whether they were simply being kind or if the response would be the same from someone with no personal investment. 

I chose this competition specifically because it offered critique and focused on women writers. I’ve really enjoyed reading the work of the other winners, and I found their bios especially inspiring. There were many non-professional writers like me. 

WOW:  We always say that you are a writer if you are someone who writes! What advice do you have for our readers who have never entered one of our flash competitions? 

Tara: Just do it! I would strongly recommend opting for the critique on your first submission(s). The feedback boosted my confidence. When I first submitted this story, the editor noted that I had a lot of raw talent, which encouraged me to revise and resubmit. The critique helped me refine both my content and technique. That process directly contributed to this runner-up win and made me a stronger writer overall.

WOW: I feel like I am speaking for all of our readers when I say that I'm glad you stuck with this story and worked with the feedback you received.  I hope your words encourage someone else to keep working on their writing.  Thank you so much for sharing with us all!

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Interview with Annalisa McMorrow, Runner-Up in the Summer 2025 Flash Fiction Contest

Annalisa McMorrow is a writer and editor living in the wilds of Northern California, even though she prefers streetlights and 24-hour diners.

The daughter of a screenplay and a poem, words have been in her blood since birth. She grew up in the basement art department of a California magazine, and she’s had a favorite typeface since she was six. (It’s not Helvetica.)

A fangirl of flash fiction, she has been published in venues including The New York Times, Women’s Health, and Romantic Times, and once she got paid $1,000 for a paragraph. (It was a good paragraph.) She has written film, book, and restaurant reviews since high school. Her music reviews date back to the halcyon days of vinyl.

She likes to drink coffee black, like her heart.

If you haven't read her story, "Coming Home," take a minute to experience it and then come back to learn about how Annalisa works. 

-----interview with Sue Bradford Edwards-----

WOW: What was the inspiration for “Coming Home”? 

ANNALISA: I used to work at a second-hand store, and the women who would come in were a lot like the “influencers” in my story. They all wanted to look alike. A specific type of jeans cut in a specific way. A boxy, caramel-colored sweater. An ecru boot. There was a drawing I saw once online that replicated this look precisely, and I started to realize that they were almost clones. Generally, long straight blonde hair. An IG page that featured fallen leaves. Twisted candles. Frost. 

One of my friends works at farmer’s markets, and I was struck by the difference between the vendors and the consumers. Which is when Margo showed up. 

For reference, I do not look like these influencers. And one of the funniest interactions I had was when I was dressed head-to-toe in polka dots—my husband used to say I made him dizzy—and a customer asked me to match a beige with another beige. 

WOW: Details are a vital part of flash fiction. Why did you decide to name Margo but not her lover? 

ANNALISA: My writing style tends to be sparse with a few key details tossed in. I once wrote a 1,000 word short piece and reviewers mentioned the lemon-yellow bra held together with a safety pin. I give just enough to paint a scene, but not so much that a reader can’t fill in the blanks. I love to write in small spaces. 50 words. 100 words. Give me a box, and I’ll climb inside. 

Why was Margo a Margo? I hate to sound as if I believe I’m a conduit, but I’m a conduit. The characters tell me their names when they want to. She did. He didn’t. 

WOW: Your bio says that while you live in a rural area, you are more at home among the streetlights. Yet much of your story takes place at a farmer’s market and a rural cabin. How did your setting shape the story? 

ANNALISA: I spent many years in LA, and cities illuminate me. Accidentally, I’ve ended up living for the past nearly 25 years at the end of a road. Somehow the bay leaves and pine needles have crept into my consciousness. But, if I had my druthers, I’d take neon over a mountain sunrise and a fire escape overlooking a gritty city instead of a clear lake or snow-capped mountains. 

WOW: Your story has such a gothic twist at the end. Can you explain to our readers who you set this up? 

ANNALISA: Many of my stories deal with the veils between the here and the now and some other area (back in time or in another realm). One of my best friends died when I was 26 and he was 37, and I think I am always subconsciously trying to reach him. 

I don’t know if my words will help any writers because I am literally obsessed with writing. I start my day writing/end my day writing, pull the car over to jot notes, scribble on my arm with eyeliner, repeat words to memorize the cadence if I don’t have utensils with me. 

Writing is right up there for me with Maslow’s needs for survival. I have no fear of a blank page, and I don’t worry if I can’t finish a story. I move between many projects simultaneously. This is also how I crochet. I am making a blanket right now, but blankets take too long. So I will whip up a scarf or two just to have completion. Currently, looking down my screen at my documents, I see that I have nine stories open in various states and four articles in pieces. 

WOW: This is the second time that you’ve placed in a WOW! Flash Fiction competition (first was Naysayers and Skeptics). What advice do you have for our readers about entering contests and getting their work out into the world? 

ANNALISA: If I had to give advice, I’d say: Write. Edit. Revise. Leave the piece alone. Return. Revise. Read it aloud. Read it to a friend. Then find a place to submit, send it off, and start again. Do not wait for a response before working on something new. If you get rejected, dust off your words and try to home them somewhere else. But always be moving forward.

WOW: This is such powerful final advice - always be moving forwards.  It is so easy to trap ourselves by looking back.  Thank you so much for sharing your writing and your passion for writing!   

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Interview with Annalisa McMorrow: Runner-Up in the Fall 2024 Flash Fiction Contest

Annalisa’s Bio: Annalisa McMorrow is a Bay Area author whose work has appeared in multiple venues including The Point Reyes Light, on KQED radio, and in the New York Times. She once beat out 300 entrants to win a 50-word writing contest to land a spot as a deejay on her college radio station (she penned a murder mystery), and her first ever poem was published in a “Youth Said It” column when she was five. Now, a full-time caregiver for her disabled husband, she dabbles in fiction whenever she can. 

-----Interviewed by Sue Bradford Edwards-----

WOW: What was the inspiration for “Naysayers and Skeptics?” 

Annalisa: There is a beach near where I live that has the most stunning sunsets. The type of magical, sky-changing-colors, hidden alcoves, nobody knows you’re there location that seems made up. If you haven’t seen the beach after the harrowing "13 curves" road, you might not believe me. The location came first, and the characters came second. 

WOW: I'm sure I'm not the only reader who is glad to know you have such an inspirational location nearby. So much of writing is revising. How did this story change through the revision process? 

Annalisa: I edit like a fiend. I have no fear of putting words on paper, and then I revise and revisit, hem and haw, and kill my darlings and resurrect them. I may do 12 drafts for a very short story, and I infamously took over a year once to write 1,000 words. With this piece, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. So the revision was mostly trying to sprinkle as much detail as I possibly could into a very small box. Exchanging three short words for one perfect long word. Listening to the cadence of the sentences to make sure they sang. 

WOW: You set up such a powerful twist. What tips can you give our readers on how to do this? 

Annalisa: My goal was to make every reader certain there was going to be a sad reveal. I did everything I could to set up the cringe moment that most people have experienced—I’ve experienced—where someone you like lets you down gently. Or not so gently. In this particular time (unprecedented times, some folks are saying), I truly wanted to give readers a happily ever after. 

WOW: I for one was sure a sad ending was on the way! Your bio says that you “dabble in fiction.” Tell us more about your fiction writing. Do you always write short? Do your stories always have a twist? Are you a closet romantic? 

Annalisa: This is my real name. Under my pen name(s), I’ve written extensively in racy romance (and beyond) for Harlequin and other publishers. I was once called the "queen of the quickies,” and I’ve probably written several thousand short stories. (I’m 55, and I’ve been writing since I could hold a pencil.) Many of my stories do have a twist. (I love a good twist.) I’m an upfront romantic. I am a heart-on-my-tattooed-sleeve kind of girl. I don’t know that I’ve written any fiction stories that didn’t end happily. My real life (I’m a caregiver for my disabled husband) is pretty sad right now. I cling to the happy with both hands. 

WOW:  And finally, what question do you wish I had asked you? How would you answer it? 

Annalisa: What did entering this contest mean for you? 

Insomnia and I go way back. So it was the middle of the night, and I was thinking of one of my best friends who is an artist. She enters contests regularly with her paintings. It occurred to me I could see if there were any writing contests that would fit my style. I tripped over W-O-W at the most opportune time. I have been a caregiver round the clock for 63 months, and I write a lot about being a caregiver. My fiction has suffered. The contest was the impetus to fall into fiction again. To daydream and paint a scene and live for a little bit in an alternate universe. I was honored to make the first cut and grateful to be in the top 10. But even if I hadn’t placed, simply the sensation of loving the words again made me feel a little like the me I used to be.

WOW: Thank you, thank you, thank you for rediscovering loving the words!  We are so honored that you chose to spend the energy doing something that brought so much happy to all of us.  And, thank you for sharing how your used writing to pull yourself up and out and rediscover this part of who you are.  This will be the encouragement someone else needs to hear!  

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Interview with William VanderHorst: Summer 2024 Flash Fiction Contest Runner Up

William’s Bio: 

William VanderHorst is a Georgia native who has spent most of his life in the mountains of Rabun County. An avid hiker and lover of the outdoors, he spends much of his free time filming the many waterfalls of the Appalachian Mountains as well as gardening. Making a living in manufacturing, he juggles his time to allow for his creative side to flourish. A lover of and writer in fantasy, science fiction, and horror, he dreams of one day joining the ranks of J. R. R. Tolkien, J. K. Rowling, and Stephen King. 

Having taken to writing since his early years in high school, William has a number of projects under his belt including a dark fantasy, five book series titled The Symphony of Shadows as well as a new horror series titled Feral America. Along with his list of self-published works, he has also been named an honorable mention in the Writers of the Future short story contest on three consecutive entries. 

William currently lives in the beautiful north Georgia mountains with his wife and their two sons. 

----------interview with Sue Bradford Edwards----------

WOW: What was your inspiration for “Monsters Are Not Real?” 

William: My inspiration for most of my stories and novels come from a lifelong love of anything fantasy or science fiction. Everything from tabletop gaming in Dungeons and Dragons, books by the greatest fantasy minds in the business, and movies that brought those books to life. Anything I can roll around in my head for a while could one day work its way onto paper. 

WOW: Revision is such a big part of the writing process. How did your story change from first draft to the version you submitted to the WOW! flash competition? 

William: Honestly, the finished product was the first draft for this story in question. I sat down with an image in my head and tried to describe what I was feeling as I placed myself in the scene. When I was finished, I reread the scene several times. In the end, I was satisfied and I felt like it captured the feelings I would have were it me in the place of the character. 

WOW: I'm not ashamed to say it. Considering that was draft one, I'm a little jealous!  We never learn the name of the narrator. Why did you decide to withhold that piece of information? What do you want readers to discern about him from the story? 

William: My hope was that by leaving the narrator anonymous, the reader would be able to put whoever they wanted in the place of the soldier. Some of my favorite works have been those that allow me to imagine myself as either the hero or the villain when I am reading. 

WOW:  I love a good villain. You’ve created both novel length work and flash.  What advice do you have for writers who are working to write in multiple forms? 

William: For the longest time, I was only interested in writing novels and full length stories. I started to realize that by focusing on only writing longer works, I found myself regularly hitting blocks or stumbling even with chapters I had diligently planned beforehand. Once a friend suggested trying my hand at writing short stories for numerous competitions, I realized that taking small breaks helped to clear my head and keep creative juices flowing. 

WOW:  Excellent advice! You’ve chosen to self-publish your novels. What do you wish someone had told you about self-publishing that you would like to share with our readers? 

William: For me, my initial dream was to be picked up by an excellent agent and shown to every large publisher in the business but as time went by, I began to set more realistic goals for myself. I realized it was more important to me to get my stories out to an audience than it was to chase the allure of fame. With self publishing that dream became a reality. Out of everything, I would say the biggest hurdle with self publishing is that you are also in charge of marketing and distributing your work. This can be challenging but worth the effort in the end.

WOW: I know that our readers will be heading over to Amazon to check out your work, so I'll make it easy for them to just click here.  Thank you for taking time to discuss your process and your enthusiasm for science fiction and fantasy with us! 

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Interview With Kel Schmutz, Runner-Up in the WOW! Spring 2024 Flash Fiction Contest

 

I'm so excited to be interviewing Kel Schmutz, who joins us again as a runner-up in the WOW! Spring 2024 Flash Fiction Contest. Before we get to our interview, make sure you read her story, A Charmed Life, then come on back.

But first, here's more about Kel:

Kel Schmutz is a novelist and short story author of YA fantasy, horror, and romance. Her favorite types of characters are the ones who are unashamedly themselves, and her favorite types of stories are the tough ones that still find hope. When she is not writing, she enjoys reading webtoons, watching K-dramas, playing board games, pontificating on why Frozen 1 had the wrong ending, and making costumes. She lives in Clemson, SC with her family. Find her on Instagram @kel_schmutz.

-- Interview by Nicole Pyles

WOW: First of all, congrats on winning runner up! I love that you write characters who are unashamedly themselves. How do your characters come to you to write them?

Kel: First of all, thank you for saying that! I get sad when I come across characters who’ve been watered down so that readers will like them. Real people are sometimes despicable, and sometimes loveable. I think good characters are the same.

The glimpse we get of Andi tells us she’s privileged, headstrong, and also brave and thirsty for life. Writing her into A Charmed Life was an interesting experience, because it broke all of my rules. Usually, characters come to me first and the plot follows after. With A Charmed Life, I had an idea of what I wanted to happen, and Andi’s personality kind of wrote itself in. Discovery–writing a character has never happened to me before!

WOW: What an interesting revealing! I love that your character revealed herself as you wrote. What was your revision process like for this short story?

Kel: The thing I love about short stories is the word count limit. I am an over-writer, and my stories always end up stronger when forced to pare them down. Most of my revision had to do with making the story’s cadence attractive, and with squeaking inside that word count.

WOW: I am an over-writer too and have noticed my stories vastly improve with me cutting word count! For those who are nervous about sending their fiction out into the world, what would you tell them?

Kel: The beautiful thing about storytelling is that it changes the teller. Writing is an act of courage. So is sharing what you wrote. If all you get out of sending your story into the world is a “you” that’s a little braver, a little stronger, isn’t that still worth doing?

WOW: I whole-heartedly agree! What are you working on now that you can tell us about?

Kel: I’m currently working on a dark YA fantasy about a tenacious girl on a ragtag team of monster hunters, who starts to realize over the course of their hunt that she’s turning into one of the monsters herself. It’s about community and hope and the darkness inside each of us, and you can follow its progress (and mine) on Instagram @kel.schmutz

WOW: I can't wait to read this book when it comes out! What lasting thoughts do you want to leave with our readers about writing?

Kel: The other day, my introspective ten-year-old told me he’d been wondering about the point of life. I told him he was very smart (he is), and that his question was one all people, eventually, have to answer for themselves. (The conversation didn’t end there, in case anyone’s wondering. And by the way, if you’re feeling like this, a very good thing to do is to drink a cup of water outside and then call someone you love).

Why that anecdote? Because if someone’s reading this, I’m guessing they’re probably a writer themselves. Maybe they (like me) sometimes wonder if all the labor poured into their stories even matters. What, after all, is the point?

When I get in my feels like that, I first go touch some grass. Then, I remind myself of this: that storytelling, like life, is the act of pulling meaning out of chaos, of creating something transformative and wondrous out of a million smaller, mundane pieces. How important are our stories? They’re as trivial and as essential as life itself.

WOW: What a beautiful thought! Thank you so much for sharing. I hope the best for you and your writing! 

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Leave a Comment Kel Schmutz, Nicole Pyles, Runner-up, Spring 2024 Flash Fiction Contest

Interview with Dawn Miller: Summer 2023 Flash Fiction Contest Runner-Up

 

Dawn's Bio:

Dawn Miller is a Pushcart Prize nominee who writes fiction and creative nonfiction. Her work appears in The Forge, The Cincinnati Review, SmokeLong Quarterly, Room Magazine, Fractured Lit, and elsewhere. She lives and writes in beautiful Picton, Ontario, Canada, and is working on her debut novel. Find her at www.dawnmillerwriter.com on Twitter @DawnFMiller1 on Instagram @dawnmillerwriter and on Bluesky @dawnwriter.bsky.social.

If you haven't read Dawn's story yet, click through here to read "How to Store Your Little Sister's Wig."  Then read this interview to learn more about her writing process. 

-----interview by Sue Bradford Edwards----- 

WOW: This story is an emotional roller coaster! What was your inspiration to write this piece?

Dawn: Like so many of my stories, there’s a kernel of my own experiences in the narrative. In this case, the story is quite close to my family’s history as my older sister died from a brain tumor when she was nine-years-old, and I was seven. I vividly remember the auburn wig she wore, how my mother placed it on the wig form at night and carefully combed it out. My sister’s wig was such a profound reminder of her illness, that these images are imprinted in my memory. Writing about something so deeply personal is a way for me to deal with the memories, to try to make sense of what happened, and hopefully, by sharing some of the pain, to release some of it. 

WOW:  We're so sorry to hear about your loss.  You clearly fed the emotion into this story. Revision is such a monumental part of the writing process. How did this story change during revision? How did you heighten the tension during the revision process? 

Dawn: After I submitted to the WOW! Contest, I continued to revise the story, and ended up changing it yet again. Perhaps a story is never truly “finished” and there are multiple iterations that could stem from one narrative. In early and later versions, however, I included the numbered structure and the repetition of “scratch #” partly because it was easier for me to write the story within a more rigid structure since it’s such a painful topic. 

Using “scratch #” was my attempt to lean in to how we sometimes alter memories to deal with the reality of them or attempt to make them less painful. In the story, the older sister attempts to erase the painful parts and keeps revising the narrative until her sister lives. Maybe it’s an example of “magical thinking”, something we may all do at times to deal with trauma or profound pain. 

WOW:  After reading about how you used "scratch #," I reread the story.  Knowing why you did it that way makes it that much more powerful. The choice of POV character can make or break a story. How did you select your POV character?

Dawn: Often, the eldest child in a family feels they need to be the caretaker of their younger siblings, and so I chose to filter the story through the teenage sister’s perspective. I wanted to explore how that caretaker role would impact a teen in a situation where no one, including the parents or medical professionals, is able to control the outcome. I hoped to show how the illness of a child has a profound and long-lasting impact on the entire family. In the story, there is a significant age gap between the sick sister and the teenager, which makes the older sister feel all the more responsible for her vulnerable sibling. The teen is aware of all the younger sister may lose, and that makes it all the more tragic. 

WOW: Your bio says that you write both creative nonfiction and fiction, including a novel. What advice do you have for writers who are interested in creating a wide variety of work? 

Dawn: I’ve written three novels, all yet to be published. I’m hoping to get literary agent representation soon. I’m drawn to super short micros as well as longer narratives. Some of my stories are purely from my imagination, while others I felt compelled to write about to deal with my own past. For any writer, I think you need to follow what spurs passion inside. 

Some people write only flash, some short stories, some only novels. There’s no “right” way to follow your own creativity. I think the key is to follow what you feel passionate about, what you feel propelled to create, what form you lose yourself in. Sometimes, I write flash, or a short story in between longer works as a sort of palate cleanser since novels require so much stamina and can take years to create and revise! It’s refreshing to work on a shorter piece that can be drafted in a day, and honed and polished within several days. I often have several projects in the works at the same time, and like to toggle between them. 

WOW: What question do you wish I had asked? And how would you answer it? How do you deal with rejection? 

Dawn: I’m honoured and grateful my story was selected as a WOW! finalist, but so often stories are rejected, queries to agents are passed upon, even full manuscript requests from agents are ultimately declined—often for very subjective reasons. I’m always curious how other people maintain their stick-to-itiveness attitude. However, I’ve realized, after talking to so many writers, that we all have moments of imposter syndrome, or wonder if writing is the best path. In the end, I love writing, and time telescopes when I’m in the writing zone. 

I recently traveled to Japan, and there’s a Japanese concept called ikigai, which combines the terms iki, meaning “alive” with gai, meaning “worth”. It’s similar in meaning to the French term “raison d’etre” or “reason for being”. I experience ikigai when I’m writing. Writing fills me with purpose and joy, so if I have to deal with the inevitable rejections along the way, it’s worth it in the end.

WOW: What an inspirational response!  I truly hope that this is something our readers will carry with them throughout 2024.  

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Leave a Comment Dawn Miller, interview, Runner-up, Sue Bradford Edwards, Summer 2023 Flash Fiction Contest

Interview with Kathryn Boyd, Runner Up in the WOW! Winter 2023 Flash Fiction Contest

Kathryn’s Bio: 

Radio station continuity director. Advertising agency copywriter. Freelance copywriter. Kathryn’s career had its ups and downs but was never boring. And all the while she studied the art of writing fiction until bold enough to make it her life’s work. 

As of now, she is in the final stages of rewrite for an upper YA near future eco-fiction novel. The working title is Great Plains Desert. The Darling Axe served as Developmental editor. 

Kathryn’s husband, Mike, is also an avid writer. They live near grown daughter Molly, who astounds them as she continually challenges herself to excel in every facet of her life. 

Home is Olathe, Kansas. This is where the North American Eastern deciduous forest transcends into the Western tallgrass prairie and its rich source of stories waiting to be told. 

*****interview by Sue Bradford Edwards*****

WOW:  First of all, I hope that anyone who hasn't read your story, "Too Many Kids," will take the time to do so.  In the meantime, what was the inspiration for this story? 

Kathy: The actual problem/solution conversation happened between a mom of seven kids and her oldest daughter. I decided it would make a good story if a kid actually accepted the challenge -- Which one should we give away? 

WOW:  That's a doozy!  It is vital to pick the right POV character in a story. With so many characters, how did you know “Too Many Kids” was Jeremy’s story to tell? 

Kathy: With the combined families, life had changed dramatically for every member of the family. Yet I felt adapting to an expanded family was hardest for Jeremy. He’d been displaced as the oldest boy in the family. He had to share a room with his little brother and a teenager. 

Jeremy’s complaint of ‘too many kids’ implied ’not enough Mom’. He worried about being left out now that additional kids and a new baby clamored for attention. 

WOW: I think we've all felt displaced at some time so that's something that clicks with readers. How did your story change during the revision process? 

Kathy: I heightened Jeremy’s confusion and doubts about which kid the family could do without. In so doing, emphasis is added to Jeremy’s difficulty answering what he originally thought would be an easy question. 

WOW: Your bio says that are also working on a YA novel. How does writing a novel inform your flash writing process?

Kathy: Love. Fear. Greed. These are the three emotions uppermost in my mind when crafting a story of any length for any market. Basic emotions motivate humans and make for great stories. 

WOW: Now I'm going to look for those motivators in the book that I'm reading. What do you know now that you wish you had known when you started writing fiction? 

Kathy: The value of a constant reminder to Show Don’t Tell by having it tattooed on the back of my left hand.

WOW:  That's definitely something I need to remember as well.  I hope our readers will soon have the opportunity to read your young adult novel.  Thank you so much for taking the time to share your ideas about writing.

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Leave a Comment flash fiction, interview, Kathryn Boyd, Runner-up

INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA BALICK, RUNNER UP IN THE SUMMER 2022 FLASH FICTION CONTEST

 

Melissa’s Bio:

Melissa Balick is a deeply unconventional nanny who lives in Oakland, CA with her partner Jon and her haunted, world-weary dog Willow. She spends much of her time hiking through California redwoods or scaling rocks on the Pacific coast, peeking into tide pools and imagining life as a hermit crab. Her work has appeared in Flash Fiction Magazine, 101 Words, and will soon appear in Hungry Shadow Press. 

You can find her on practically every platform, from Medium to TikTok, @melissabalick.

If you haven't read "Restaurant" yet, take a moment to explore this story and then come back to learn about Melissa and her writing.

-----interview by Sue Bradford Edwards-----

WOW: What was the inspiration for Restaurant?

Melissa: I’ve had acute climate anxiety all my life and I'm also a professional babysitter/nanny, so I think a lot about how much we hide these problems from children, who are too busy trying to figure out how to even be a person to get saddled with the weight of the problems of the world. 

I remember in particular that I babysat a little boy the day after the 2016 election when I lived in Los Angeles. Everyone I walked past that morning looked downright zombified, and I was also suffering from feelings of profound dread and panic. The boy's parents and I exchanged broken, devastated looks with each other, and then their 2.5 year old son came to the door and I transformed instantly into a person who would not, could not allow the terrible news for our world harm even one morning of this child's life. I smiled, I played, I got downright cheery. He deserved to have his fun and play and enjoy childhood. I'm sensitive to how easily children pick up on our cues and reflect them back. So "Restaurant" came from that idea, the way that parents will pretend to eat the balloon, act like there's nothing to worry about, to rescue their children from the harsh realities of what is happening on our planet. 

WOW: How did "Restaurant" change during the revision process? 

Melissa: This one didn't change very much from when I first wrote it. 

WOW: It is such a tight story. How do you tell which details deserve space in the brief word count and which have to go? 

Melissa: First of all, thank you for saying it's tight. To be honest, looking back, I would add another sentence or two. I regret not including any sensory detail of the deflated balloon, because I find them to have a particular physical presence that would have evoked childhood in a visceral way. 

In general, I tend to only like stories where, at the end, I feel like I understood the story and what it was trying to say. Most short stories that are well-received do nothing for me except make me throw the book against the wall because I did not understand the point of that story or often, even, what happened in it. But they get published and win awards so I suppose that's what other people want. Not me, though. I like a tight story. I don't want readers getting bored or confused at any point in my stories. So I write the kinds of stories I like, and hope for the best. 

The whole process of writing is pretty much a mystery to me. You never know what other people will love or hate. All I can do is write what feels right to me, what captures the spirit of what I'm trying to say. Occasionally it resonates with other people and I can't control that. I can only write what resonates with me. 

WOW: That's so true.  You can't control the reader so write what you love. What does a typical writing session look like for you? 

Melissa: I'm an erratic writer at best. If I'm inspired, I might sit down and bang out a story in a day, then revise it about 16,000 times. I find it literally impossible to make myself do anything I don't want to do and the consequences of not doing something will have to outweigh the benefit of getting it done by a lot before I'll actually do it. Even this interview request -- you can't tell me I wasn't the last one to respond and answer. 

So, when it comes to writing, if I sit down and actually do it, I just do it. I don't know where it comes from or what it looks like. I can tell you that I don't do what everyone says to do, which is to vomit it all out on the first draft and fix it later. I suffer over every sentence the first time I write it, then suffer over it another dozen times, then put it away for a couple months, pull it back out, and suffer over it at least another five times. I can't recommend this method to others, but I'm being honest, this is what I do. 

WOW: I'm glad you've found what works for you, but I have to admit, I slap the whole thing down before I fine tune it.  What can you tell our readers about your current project? 

Melissa: I don't exactly have a current project. I have a couple novels I wrote and haven't finished editing. I have a lot of ideas. I can't see myself pursuing literary writing with any seriousness. I read almost exclusively literary fiction but I hate rejection and part of me would rather crank out genre fiction for self-publishing than try to compete in literary writing and keep losing all the time. The whole question of whether or not I'll keep writing with any seriousness is very much undetermined at this time.

WOW: I'm sure I'm not alone in hoping that you do continue to write as the mood strikes you!  Because I for one will be looking for more of your stories since tight stories that don't leave me guessing appeal to me as well!

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Leave a Comment interview, Melissa Balick, Runner-up, Summer 2022 Flash Fiction Contest, WOW! Summer 2022 Flash Fiction Contest