I think one of the first things about you that impressed me is how dedicated you are to reading and writing good flash (I think within six weeks of meeting you, you had me borrow Amelia Gray’s Museum of the Weird). Who was the author or story or both that got you so interested in flash fiction?
Well, this is maybe a predictable answer, but the first author that really got me into flash was, in fact, Amelia Gray. With AM/PM. I inhaled that book. It hit me at the exact right time. I was 23, completely ridiculous, and jobless, and here was this book of tiny stories that were just these perfect little glimpses into people’s lives. But they held so much, and they were sad and hilarious and invigorating. I remember reading it at a coffee shop (that I actually haven’t been to since) and having to hide my face because I kept crying as I read it. Something clicked. I bought Museum of the Weird the very next day.
Please send a picture of your dog, Pippi, and write a very short story (100 words or less) about how owning her (or if you prefer, being family with her) has influenced your writing.
Pippi jumps onto the couch while I am writing a story on my laptop. She nudges my hand with her snout, mashes the caps lock key. Look! Now I’ve made an interesting stylistic choice!
Which craft element (dialogue, POV, ending, structure, etc.) makes or breaks a story for you?
Oh! This is tough. I think I’ve been attuned to endings lately. If an ending feels too pretty, if the cadence of the final line feels too settled into itself, or if it ends with the perspective panning or sweeping in a really cinematic way, I start to get suspicious. The writer can become a bit too noticeable at moments like that. Then again, that’s not always a bad thing.
You regularly advocate for others to read women writers. Which female writers should we be reading right now?
All of them.
But also: Tiphanie Yanique, Rainbow Rowell, Selah Saterstrom, Barbara Gowdy, Celeste Ng. Because those are the writers whose books I’m reading next, and I want to talk to people about them!
What advice would you give a writer sending his or her flash to you this week?
If you’re having fun on the page, the reader will probably have fun, too.
In September 2022 SmokeLong launched a workshop environment/community christened SmokeLong Fitness. This acclaimed community workshop is happening right now on our dedicated workshop site. If you choose to join us, you will work in a small group of around 15-20 participants to give and receive feedback on flash narratives.