.jpeg?picon=893)
When in the fourth grade, Norma began her passionate journalism career with a piece about whooping cranes for her class newspaper. She has written poetry for as long as she can remember, and years later, took up nonfiction as a regular contributor to Santa Barbara's Coastal Woman magazine. But through her careers in the U.S. Navy, as an attorney specializing in non-profit law, and most recently as a museum director, she never submitted her fiction or poetry for publication. With the encouragement of receiving WOW! final status in her first contest, she appeals to other writers who hold their personal writing close to their hearts to let go. Share what you create. You never know when someone will read your work and relate to its message.
Norma's story, Bluer, shares some a positive message about taking chances. If you haven't had the opportunity to read it yet, head over to the contest page and peruse the story. You'll be glad you did!
WOW: Norma, welcome to The Muffin. Congratulations on receiving runner up honors in WOW!'s Summer Flash Fiction contest. Your story, Bluer, talks about taking risks and having faith. What led you to use the horse racing term?
Norma: I love learning new words and turns of phrase, especially when they have a story all their own. I heard the term "bluer" somewhere, and at first it conjured up a pretty predictable cast of characters, the stereotypes you'd expect to hang around a race track. But eventually, I broadened my perspective . . . the horse racing term and environment led to the realization that we all continually weigh the risks in life. Holding back because of fear, bad experiences, is true of people as well as horses.
WOW: I agree wholeheartedly! Many people hold back because they are afraid or have had a negative experience. Likewise, many are afraid to take a chance because they are afraid of change. Why did you decide to write a story that explores the possibility of a happy ending?
Norma: I'm not so much of a Pollyanna that all my stories must have a happy ending. Claire and Jim aren't married in the end, but the "happy" ending is that Claire stepped out of the claustrophobic little cell she lived in. She got on the bus without the safety net of a return ticket. Who knows? Maybe Jim had left Vegas with a stripper by the time she got there . . . maybe, Claire got a job in a casino and fell in love with a math genius who was working as a part-time dealer while he planned to scam the casino out of millions. I won't tell.
WOW: (Smiles) So, happy endings can take a few twists and turns of their own. Norma, you've written a fair share of poetry. How does that process compare to flash fiction?
Norma: For me, poetry and flash fiction, after the initial in
0 Comments on Interview with Norma Bishop - Summer 09 Flash Fiction Runner Up as of 1/1/1900
Add a Comment