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Congratulations to Lauren Leatherman, who won second place in WOW!'s Winter 2010 Flash Fiction contest with her story, "Summer Before Junior High."

Lauren is a writer living in Jersey City, NJ. Originally from Syracuse, NY, she received her MFA in fiction from New York University and is the author of the chapbook How To Lose It (Hamilton College, 2005). Most recently, one of her short stories was shortlisted for the Best New American Voices series. In addition to writing, Lauren is an avid runner and yoga enthusiast who regularly publishes articles about running, nutrition, and holistic health and wellness. She currently works in marketing and is at work on a memoir. You can also check her out on the Jersey City Running Examiner.

WOW: Lauren, thank you for joining us on The Muffin today. Let's talk about your winning piece. Where did you get the idea for "Summer Before Junior High?"

Lauren: There are two girls in my family--I'm the oldest. Anyone who is an older sister to a sister knows that an inherent competition exists between even the most loving sisters. In the case of my story, I wanted to convey the idea that sisters--often for unspecified reasons--will compete with one another or be critical of one another. The narrator of "Summer Before Junior High" feels the need to differentiate herself from her younger sister at this crucial point in her life. She's about to enter junior high--a pivotal time for girls, as they're beginning their transformation from child to young adult. The fact the narrator has experienced a kiss with an older boy means, to her, that she's breaking free from the confines of childhood. She's proud of this fact and critical of her sister for still being a kid, still being interested in boondoggle and "childish" trappings. She wants to distinguish herself from her sister as much as possible; yet, she's still inextricably tied to her, not just by blood but the deeper bond that sisters share. It's a complicated relationship, filled with love and misgivings, but most relationships between sisters are complicated.

WOW: You captured all of that so well and in so few words! Great job! You wrote this story in present tense, and it makes the reader feel like she is there with your two characters. Do you often write in present tense? Why or why not?

Lauren: I do write in present tense fairly often. I guess that's just the way my mind works. I really like the immediacy of present tense; like you said, it makes the reader feel as though she's part of the story, experiencing what the characters experience in real-time.

I do, however, thinks there is value to writing in past tense, too. In present tense, you sometimes feel as though you have to explain in minute detail exactly what your character is doing at every single moment in the text. This works well for short stories but can get kind of tedious with longer works.