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For anyone who has ever thought the grass might just be greener… WOW
! is very happy to share with you Stacey Tarpley’s Fall 2011 Flash Fiction entry
Molting. Let’s just say that for our main character it was “just one of those days.” This one will make you smile!
Writing fiction from the time she learned to spell, Stacey Tarpley is a professional story-teller. Her full-time career as a zoo and aquarium designer takes her around the world, meeting amazing, inspiring people and encountering unbelievable experiences. In her free time, she has completed two fiction manuscripts and continuously challenges herself with flash fiction writing.
Stacey has published several professional papers, speaks at national and international conferences, mentors new designers at her firm, and maintains a one-of-a-kind blog,
http://www.designingzoos.com/. She looks forward to one day being a full-time, fully-paid author living on a farm filled with happy, cuddly critters.
WOW: Hi Stacey, congratulations on placing in WOW
!’s Fall 2011 Flash Fiction Contest! I thoroughly enjoyed
Molting and felt you gave it the perfect, albeit sad, ending.
Stacey: Oh thank you! I think it’s a reflection of how life seems to go. At least for me! Happiness is far too often balanced with a healthy dose of sorrow. But, really, the story was just a poke at irony.
WOW: Yes, the irony is the element that makes this story universally appealing.
I have to admit that while reading your bio and viewing your beautiful blog I felt a pang of, “why didn’t I go that direction?” You have this amazing job that includes travel, a creative outlet via habitat design, and the knowledge that you are doing your part to improve life’s experience for our fellow furry and finned friends. Yet, you look forward to settling down to write. How do you balance these two loves?
Stacey: It’s a challenge. My career is one that is wholly encompassing. When I’m in the middle of a project, it really can take up all my time and energy. And the same is true with writing. I get totally wrapped up in the story. That’s why I’ve embraced the flash fiction genre. I can sit down for an hour and let my mind go, but that’s all I need. I’m not going back to the story to analyze the next moment or delving into character development. I write and it’s done. I can explore a whim and walk away.
WOW: In your work as a zoo and aquarium designer you need to be able to experience a space from the viewpoint and needs of the creature it will house. I see this talent expressed in Molting as we experience the same scene from two different view points, that of the birder and that of the duck. In what other ways does your work compliment your writing?
Stacey: Generally, I think it’s very helpful being enveloped in a creative endeavor all the time. My job is a wonderful mix of right and left brain thought—much of zoo and aquarium design is pure logic. Find the best solution to meet the need
Tearra Rhodes began her interest in creative writing in elementary school, but did not consider it more than a minor hobby until she got her first taste of affirmation after winning a local one act playwriting contest her sophomore year of high school. Having graduated from Canisius College with a minor in English (major Communication Studies), she is working towards making creative writing more than just a hobby. She lives in Buffalo, NY, where she has boxes and boxes of unfinished short stories and plays. Her next project will be pulling out one of those boxes and dusting off a potential masterpiece.
If you have not yet read Tearra’s story, I Began Baking a Cake, please enjoy it now— it’s murder with a sweet little twist!
WOW: Congratulations on placing in the WOW! Fall 2011 Flash Fiction Contest! What prompted you to enter?
Tearra: I entered a flash fiction contest with another website and I had ‘flash fiction fever’ and was on the lookout for another contest for which to write a story.
WOW: LOL. As they say…feed a fever! What was the inspiration behind I Began Baking a Cake?
Tearra: I watch a lot of police procedurals and murder mysteries and the killer is usually someone the detectives or amateur sleuths already interviewed/talked to. My question was why didn’t the killer ever just flee? Regardless, if it was self defense, an accident or premeditated, why didn’t they just run? I started with the line, “You shouldn’t have come, Boyd. I know why you did, but you shouldn’t have.” I really loved my unnamed character saying this to her adversary, knowing that he was there to hurt her and knowing what she was going to do to protect herself.
WOW: I enjoyed the opening as well because of all the questions it raised in my mind. But a great opening sentence is only part of the recipe for a satisfying story and flash fiction in particular can be tricky to work with, what was your process?
Tearra: I wrote a complete short story exploring the above mentioned idea and then I pared it down to the bare bones. The familiar term ‘less is more’ came heavily into effect. There was more mystery.
WOW: You say you have “boxes of unfinished stories and plays.” I think all writers have a stash like this—I know I do! What is it, do you think, that has kept you from finishing them?
Tearra: I have so many story and play ideas. When I write one down, I get a completely different idea for something else; hard to focus on just one. Plus, I’m a huge procrastinator.
WOW: I can relate on both accounts!
There are different skills required for writing plays as opposed to short stories—tell us a little about working with both forms.
Tearra: When I start writing a play, I write out all the dialogue, just character’s talking to each other. When I’m finished I add action sequences accordingly. When writing a short story I do the exact opposite. I write out the action first and add dialogue later. I like to play around with the point of view in which the story is told and the tense. I’ve found that first person present tense adds more flavor and urgency to a piece.
WOW: Great points! So, what is your next project?
Tearra: I want to complete a novel in the near future, so I’ve dusted off a story idea that’
Meet Debbi Straight: Although my real passion (obsession) has long been with writing, my professional life led me in a far different direction. I worked in the field of mental health for twenty years. I’ve held positions as the Psychiatric Social Service Director at the Indiana Boys School prior to its closing and as a director at an agency that serves the developmentally disabled. But still, a therapist’s duties entail exploring the inner workings of the mind and then making sense of and recording the most intimate thoughts of others in a meaningful way. I hold a Master’s Degree in Psychology and completed work toward my doctorate. Other joys in my life include my husband, two daughters, two grandsons and competing with my Appaloosa show horses. My two Great Pyrenees dogs are my soulful guardians. Ongoing writing projects include several short pieces (one, of course, for your next contest) and a creative non-fiction, book-length piece set in post-Civil War Indiana.
interview by Marcia Peterson WOW: Congratulations on placing in the Top 10 in our Fall contest! You also received an honorable mention for another story entry, so good job on that too. What inspired you to enter the contest?Debbi: Through the years, I’ve interspersed writing with the other demanding elements of my life: kids, horses, work and I guess I should mention a couple of husbands. My long-term goal is to find representation for a creative nonfiction book in the works that’s the literary love of my life. To gain street cred, I looked toward entering literary contests. There are few that have the on-line respect and feel of WOW.
WOW: Thanks for the kind words about WOW. We're glad to help with your street cred! Can you tell us what encouraged the idea behind your story, The R Wurd?Debbi: Through the years, I’ve worked with a variety of individuals and personalities. I’ve dealt mostly with anti-socials, I guess you could say the criminal-minded. When I took a job at an agency that serves people with developmental disabilities, I wasn’t sure at all if my skill set was right at first. I was immediately amazed by what I observed. Individuals with developmental issues are supposed to have all-encompassing deficits, but they seldom have problems when it comes to attaching to their peers and forming meaningful relationships with their family, friends and the staff. The particular agency I worked for, Putnam County Comprehensive Services, based in Greencastle, Indiana, has the benefit of having chosen a group of incredible staff members who are completely devoted to improving the quality of life for their clients. Anyone who joins that staff and doesn’t exhibit a caring attitude is gone in a hurry.
WOW: Your professional experience really helped create a compelling story. What do you enjoy about flash fiction writing versus the other kinds of writing that you do?Debbi: Entering contests that entail writing short pieces has been extremely helpful. By the way, the responses and e-mails I’ve gotten from WOW have been more supportive than I can describe. I was a therapist for many years and every d
Congratulations to Laura McCarthy, who won second place in the Fall 2011 Flash Fiction Contest for her short story, "The Encounter." Laura, who holds a PhD in mass communication, has been a radio announcer, a college professor, and a weekly newspaper columnist, as well as an editor and publisher. In 2000, she opened a storefront writers’ center in upstate New York; the core group of novelists still meets weekly. More recently, she has been a sometime blogger (http://stardustbed.blogspot.com) and has just completed her first book (http://www.silkpurse.net). She lives in Miami, Florida.
WOW: Welcome, Laura, where did you get the idea for "The Encounter"?
Laura: I recently returned to Miami after fifteen years in other parts of the country. I was looking forward to seeing old friends and lovers, but a lot can change in fifteen years. It’s often painful confronting our fantasies.
WOW: I think that's something many readers can identify with. Why did you chose the first line that you did? Was the beginning difficult to write?
Laura: Actually, the beginning was there as soon as I thought of the story. Driving across country gives your imagination a lot of time for writing scenarios. And I must confess I had read an excellent memoir written in the second person a month or two earlier. I’m sure that planted a seed.
WOW: Why do you write flash fiction?
Laura: This was my second flash fiction story. The format is a natural for me because I’m much better at editing than at writing. I find the honing and polishing process extremely gratifying. I’m planning to go through my extensive collection of unfinished short stories, to see which of them might be candidates for flash-izing.
1 Comments on Laura McCarthy, 2nd Place, Fall 2011 Flash Fiction Contest Winner, last added: 3/6/2012
Suki Michelle is the co-author of the young adult urban fantasy,
The Apocalypse Gene (Parker Publishing, Inc. 2011), on which she collaborated with her husband, Carlyle Clark. Their current co-project is a collection of speculative fiction stories set in the town of Redemption, Arkansas in the 1930s. Suki has two novels in progress and is a published poet. She owns a medical transcription company and works as a ghost-blogger for a Chicago celebrity. Suki is most proud of her beautiful daughter, Bree, who will soon complete her nursing training. Her passions include people-watching and chocolate.
Learn more about Suki’s co-written debut novel at:
http://www.TheApocalypseGene.comThe Apocalypse Gene Fan Page:
http://www.Facebook.com/TheApocalypseGeneVisit Suki’s blog:
http://storymavens.wordpress.com/Follow Suki on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/Suki_Michelleinterview by Marcia PetersonWOW: Congratulations on winning first place in our Fall 2011 writing contest! What inspired you to enter the contest?Suki: Thank you so much for the congratulations. The win was quite a thrill!
I wrote this piece as an exercise to see if I could express the feelings of a highly creative but lonely child. While the facts of the story mostly fictional, the atmosphere and emotional elements are real. Also, I had previously earned an Honorable Mention in an earlier WOW! Flash Fiction Contest, and I wanted to try again after another year of learning the craft. I was happy with the piece after at least a zillion edits (mostly deletes).
WOW: We're so glad that you decided to try again! Can you tell us what encouraged the idea behind your story, "No One Told Me Stories? "
Suki: I was trying to pinpoint the driving force behind my desire to be a writer. It began with a love of stories. My father was indeed a surgeon with an eidetic memory, though he behaved much better than the father in the story. My mother was very engaging, unlike the fictional mother. I was always encouraged to read and had many books. My grandmother often told me stories about her life in Russia during the pogroms and her experiences as an immigrant landing on Ellis Island as a young girl. Those stories were probably the first to both terrify inspire me.
WOW: What do you enjoy about flash fiction writing versus the other kinds of writing that you do? Suki: Flash fiction poses a specific challenge. Every word must earn the right to live on the page. If you write some scintillating prose, the best ever, but it doesn’t contribute powerfully to the piece, DELETE! If it’s fluff, DELETE! If it’s repetitive or dull, DELETE! What remains must have voice, a message, subtext, imagery, texture, rhythm--all the elements of solid writing, but economical and concentrated. Flash fiction is closest to poetry in that regard--the fewest words for the most i
Congratulations and best of luck with "Corn Cob Castle."
Great write (flash fiction story) Stacey. Loved it.