42 Stories Anthology Presents: Gania Barlow Interview

 

 

Gania Barlow won the Runner up Award Winner in the Escape chapter for

IN WHICH GOD’S SENSE OF HUMOR IS DISPLAYED

                                                                                                                                                                                                 

 

Biography

Gania Barlow teaches English in Michigan. Her work has been published in venues like AGNI, Fourteen Hills, Smokelong Quarterly, and Saints & Sinners and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, awarded Runner-Up for the Calvino Prize, and adapted for the stage.

 

BAM: Where are you, Gania?

Gania: Ferndale, Michigan.

 

BAM: Hope your summers aren’t too hot. Where is your writing space?

Gania: Couch with a paper notebook for getting started, then desk or couch & computer later.

 

BAM: Good to move around. First some icebreaker questions. What are some movies you like?

Gania: The 1995 BBC Pride and Prejudice FOREVER

BAM: Pride and Prejudice is a classic. What are some places that have impacted your writing?

Gania: Twin Lakes, Mammoth, in California, which is not the lake pictured in my picture.

 

BAM: Noted. I took the liberty of doing a web search of Twin Lakes. Beautiful view. Definitely somewhere I’ll visit if time ever allows. Let’s talk about books. What are some book titles you’ve read recently?

Gania: Severance by Ling Ma, The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin, Memorial by Alice Oswald.

 

BAM: The City We Became was developed from Jemisin’s short story, The City Born Great. I love how she built basically a story outline for a novel from her short story. The benefit of short stories, even forty-two word ones is that you can write them fast between distractions. Speaking of which, what are some of your distractors?

Gania: My son, my job, TV.

 

BAM: So, life. Huh? Tell me then, what inspires you so that you’re able to finally sit and write on your couch?

Gania: I’m inspired by existing stories and myths—my primary writing mode is creative retelling. This probably goes back to the childhood “novels” I wrote (or rather, started), which were mainly thinly veiled rip-offs of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, but now I’ve made a virtue of it (I hope?). I especially like to return to Greek myths and the medieval stories I studied in my PhD, but I also have a story that retells a Bob Dylan song.

 

BAM: Definitely interested in reading that Bob Dylan-inspired story. On the note of your stories, why don’t you tell me about story outline process?

Gania: I don’t typically outline until later drafts. I usually start just basically free writing on a moment or character that is calling to me, and write around things in that way, waiting to see what falls out of my pen that I wasn’t expecting and that can show me where the story needs to go, or what it’s really about. Then once I’ve got a blob of that rough material, I’ll try to find a structure for it through a combo of plot and rhythm.

 

Social Media Links

https://agnionline.bu.edu/fiction/clytemnestra/

https://www.smokelong.com/stories/tanglewood/

42 Stories Anthology Presents: B. Lynn Goodwin Interview

 

B. Lynn Goodwin, Special Guest Judge for the Sports Chapter

 

Biography

Writer and editor B. Lynn Goodwin owns Writer Advice, www.writeradvice.com. She’s written three award-winning books, Talent, Disrupted, and a memoir titled Never Too Late: From Wannabe to Wife at 62. Her flash fiction is published in Flashquake, Nebo, Cabinet of Heed, Murmur of Words, 100-Word Stories, Ariel’s Dream, and Writing in a Woman’s Voice and 50 Give or Take. She's also a book reviewer and teacher at Story Circle Network.

 

 

BAM: Hi, B. Lynn Goodin, or Lynn, as you wrote in emails, where are you located?

Lynn: Danville, California USA

 

BAM: Awesome. The last place I visited in America was California, circa New Year’s 2022. I wanted to take my nieces to Disney. Unfortunately, after the second day there was a fantastic storm. I’ll never forget after the New Year’s countdown those Disney lights fading away, and the darkness and rain to follow. Pardon my segway, Lynn. Where is your writing space?

Lynn: I write at my desk or at a TV tray in the living room or sometimes at Starbucks.

 

BAM: It’s good to have variety. That said, you are very talented at advertising your work and networking. So, I wonder, do you have a writer circle?

Lynn: Tuesday nights, some of us meet for Shush and Write. We check in and check out on Zoom. In the check-in we state goals. In the check-out we talk about what we actually did and what rabbit holes we went down. Since the core group has been together since way before the pandemic, we also ask advice about writing issues and situations in our lives.

 

BAM: Oh, it’s on Zoom? Feel free to send me an invite, and I’d be happy to join sometime. However, my writing lately has been dissertation focused. Are you part of any other circles?

Lynn: I also run a Writing Extravaganza for Story Circle Network, https://www.storycircle.org. We meet the second Thursday of each month, free-write after brainstorming on a specific topic, and share up to 3 minutes of our writing. We meet on Zoom, and we’ve become quite close. I often work one-on-one with writers through https://writeradvice.com/manuscript-consultation/.

 

BAM: You sound busy. Writers should take note of that link, too. It comes from someone who knows their stuff. Okay, next question. While writing, do you play music, or watch shows/movies?

Lynn: This doesn’t work for me. I need to concentrate on one thing at a time. It’s how my brain is wired.

 

BAM: There’s been scientific studies recently that indicated humans cannot multi-task. Rather, allocate less focus on tasks to do other tasks, including listening to music while driving, which was why I don’t do it often. In addition, writing stories and listening to music simultaneously takes the writer’s focus in two directions, including classical music. So, you’re probably onto something. I think it’s important to be focused on writing, especially when editing. On editing, do you edit alone, have a friend read your work, or do you hire a professional editor?

Lynn: I’ve done all three. Lately, I’ve been asking my husband to read short pieces to me. I listen for anything that trips him up—including missing words and awkward phrasing. This morning, I had him read a 500-word piece to me and he said, “It’s good. Your writing makes me almost cry.”

 

BAM: Quite a compliment on your talents. Let’s move to another important topic for writers. Do you ever get writer's block, how do you overcome it?

Lynn: Sometimes I take a walk and think my way through it, or head for the refrigerator and let the words come to me as I open the door. In other words, I relax and move.

 

BAM: Great idea. Many of the most talented minds of history would take a walk to think. Tell me more about overcoming the challenges of writer’s block? How do you get back into the groove?

Lynn: Some days, I’ll journal either as myself or one of my characters. Other times I’ll take a random sentence start, finish it, keep going, and see where I wind up. Explore https://writeradvice.com/category/writing-advice/, to find lots of prompts.

 

BAM: Do you do anything else?

Lynn: Sometimes I switch projects or go to a mindless task, so my brain relaxes. Ideas usually come when I do so, and I hurry to write them down before they vanish.

 

BAM: Oh. It happens to the best of us.

Lynn: I’ve done a lot of journaling, listing, and “what-if-ing” to work through issues. Everything I do is an attempt to get off the hamster wheel and on to the sidewalk, jogging trail, or even a moving sidewalk like they have in the airport.

 

BAM: Could you tell me about how you organize writing in your life?

Lynn: I use a calendar and lists to keep on top of daily tasks and longer projects. I’ve tried to outline stories but the best I can do is to start with “What if?” and write some cause-and-effect lists. I try to journal regularly but if I go into e-mail first, I often don’t get to it. I read every day as well as writing. I try to look at my outside obligations as variety in my routine instead of disruptions.

 

BAM: Sounds very focused. Thank you for your time. Last question. Is there anything you’d like to say to the writers of the Sports Chapter in particular?

Lynn: Thank you, writers, for giving me new perspectives on sports.

 

Social Media

www.writeradvice.com 

 

Disrupted: https://www.amazon.com/Disrupted-B-Lynn-Goodwin/dp/1804393487/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2E476LGTUDXUP&keywords=Disrupted+Goodwin&qid=1704748401&sprefix=disrupted+goodwin%2Caps%2C138&sr=8-1

 

Talent: https://www.amazon.com/Talent-B-Lynn-Goodwin-ebook/dp/B08F6J5N38/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3JPAJRTEZ0NI4&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.NO1vtTktkTFrRYSNu0uWrlwhaA3lce0WCCg_GiT9hkwTjMngEoRgRnjaY4pWLqAC4oGjFr_UT9qgGDs6amCAvMStrrR3H5pr98zPAJuUhGuHZ4wiH8WFnspcqaWI1z2yR_xNWcIcoK_7SUBIcgRABnDutSp2r34FFESMqdplAtJK8n4ySG2rLwwJRWIHrToZU-SH_C9b7VsTNAeop8C1V8qQt-l0jZLKWKJAstfhvxE.h5nJSnn6ulWdJ05-PmIco8PAlQmDoOpaz2so-u0dch4&dib_tag=se&keywords=Talent+Goodwin&qid=1720543324&sprefix=talent+goodwin%2Caps%2C192&sr=8-1

 

Never Too Late: From Wannabe to Wife at 62: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Too-Late-Wannabe-Wife/dp/1633936082/ref=sr_1_1?crid=6JTOSW10R65&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rSR6NIGg8JOU7-XWIzSiNmB4fyKgrnlMsgYlf1CVXE_M8QzKaof7795KSSNUeIFtmtJ8Z1oilQox-ThBG-lTfBjC9e8dk39APMtspgotZnQ.YVMB-24rpSveRGyD22AD7bZTtppZlv5msrqI1N9afko&dib_tag=se&keywords=Never+Too+Late+Goodwin&qid=1720543372&sprefix=never+too+late+goodwin%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-1

42 Stories Anthology Presents: Leslie Soule Interview

 

Leslie Soule, Judge for the Fantasy Chapter

Biography

Leslie Soule is a fantasy writer who has won the Fiction Award from the Sacramento State Writing Club, for her novel Fallenwood. In addition, she has recently released a book of poetry titled My Mentor, Death, currently available from Terror House Press.  

 

BAM: Hi Leslie. Thank you for your time for this interview. Where are you now?

Leslie: I am currently in Helena, Montana.

 

BAM: The capital city. So, where is your writing space?

Leslie: Sometimes I write at home, but most commonly, I find a cozy coffee shop to do most of my writing in.

 

 

BAM: Let’s get into some icebreaker questions. Tell me about some foods you enjoy.

Leslie:

I love sushi!!! Big chunks of sashimi. Oooh… 

BAM: Really? I've been in Japan for 10 years now. Interestingly, the first day I moved here, I had sushi from 7-Eleven's convenience store. It was better than anything in America I'd had. Anyway, what do you drink with your food usually? Coffee or tea?

Leslie:

I like both. I worked in a little British tea room for a while, making fish & chips and pouring the tea, and it was a lot of fun. I really liked that job. And I drink coffee every day, to help me get motivated in the mornings.

 

BAM: Cool sounding job. Now I'm imagining you doing a British accent. Same here, by the way. Coffee in moderation is good, but more than the mornings seems like an addiction. And tea is healthy for you. So, Leslie, let’s move onto writing. When did you realize you liked it?

Leslie:

I have always liked writing. When I was a child, I used to create stories on the word processor that we had. It helped keep my imagination active.

 

BAM: So, what inspires you as a writer?

Leslie:        I really love 80s fantasy films and classic high-fantasy novels. I’m currently reading through the books of the Mallorean series by David Eddings. I like how his novels embody a sense of friendship/teamwork/overcoming obstacles with the help of friends and such. I feel like a lot of more modern novels are missing that.

 

BAM: Do you play music any music while you write?

Leslie: No, I usually write in silence. I find that music sometimes gets in the way of my ability to concentrate.

 

BAM: What writer do you want to meet?

Leslie:

George R.R. Martin. I had a dream once that he had me over for a garden party and started making me a mint julep. Ha ha!

 

BAM: I had a dream once of reading the Winds of Winter. It's still just a dream. He's quite an accomplished writer. On that note, Leslie, again, thank you for your time. Why don't you leave readers with the greatest writing accomplishment you hope to receive?

Leslie:

I think there’s one that Baen gives out, made of hand-blown glass, that looks really neat. That one would be cool to win.

Social Media:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4349288.Leslie_Soule

NOTE: Image credit goes to https://deepdreamgenerator.com/

42 Stories Anthology Presents: Emily Vieweg Interview

 Emily Vieweg was the Guest Judge for the Macabre & Morbid Chapter

Biography

Emily Vieweg is a poet/writer living in Fargo, ND, USA. MFA Poetry 2015. Her first poetry collection is alive thru Finishing Line Press. When she grows up, Emily wants to be the crazy-cat-witch-lady in the house at the end of the road. 

BAM: Emily, where are you located?

Emily: Fargo, ND, USA

BAM: Oh, Fargo, huh? Y'all get some heavy winters. So, where is your writing space? 

Emily: Wherever I am inspired – sometimes, while I’m driving, I see or hear something and grab my phone (after pulling over, of course), and hit “record”. . . I revisit the recordings later to get the ideas down. 

BAM: Okay. Now for some icebreaker questions. What are some of your favorite foods?

Emily: Chicken Parmesan with mozzarella. Imo's Pizza (St Louis, MO)

BAM: That used to be my favorite, too. Now, I'm all about healthy foods, but I might make some for my next reward meal. Thanks for reminding me of the nostalgic taste. How about movies? 

Emily: ET the Extra Terrestrial, Up, and Inside Out 1 & 2.

BAM: From classic to modern. What about a favorite mountain? 

Emily: The only mountain I've been on is Mt. Wachusett in Massachusetts, USA. My sister and I called it "Snuffy Mountain" because it reminded us of Mr. Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street. 

BAM: Mr. Snuffleupagus was my favorite as a kid. It was a shock when my brother told me they'd removed him because he creeped children out. Snuffy was not creepy. Okay, let's get into book talk. Name some books you read recently.

Emily: I read "One Second After" for a class this summer, while also listening to the audiobook. It was fascinating reading as a student, then reading as a writer. 

BAM: Will have to add that to my reading list. So, what got you into writing?

Emily: My first favorite author was Dr. Seuss. He played with words, created characters, created words! "The Sneetches and Other Stories" was one of my favorite books as a child.

BAM: Yeah, Dr. Seuss is way underrated these days. And the oddest part is few people even say "Seuss" correctly. On Writing. Do you play music in the background when you write?

Emily: I do listen to music, but it has to be music that has never been in a film, otherwise I will "see" the movie instead of seeing the poem.

BAM: Makes sense. It might be impossible to listen to something such as "Going the Distance" by Bill Conti without thinking of Rocky's 14th round fight. Speaking of fights. Writing can often feel that way. But our achievements make them worth the hassle. That said, what’s the greatest writing award you hope to win?

Emily: I really want to get a Guggenheim Fellowship. I made it through two rounds one time, but had to take a step back from writing for a while to focus on my day jobs. 

BAM: Hopefully you get it. You can close. Work can create writers block in a way. How do you overcome it?

Emily: I just don't write for a while. Some people say that you need to write every day - it's not practical for all of us . . . I write when I am inspired - sometimes if I haven't written anything in a long while, I'll do a freewriting exercise in the middle of a park to get things going; or I'll take a writing workshop to get more ideas started. 

BAM: Interesting. Sometimes, going to our roots can help us overcome writer's block, too. What was the first story you ever wrote about?

Emily: I wrote my first short story at age 9. "The Truth About Santa Claus" I wrote it in a spiral notebook back in the early 1980s ... it's somewhere in my parents' basement. 

BAM: I'm sure they're proud to have it. Emily, thank you for your time. Would you like to include a personal message to the authors of the chapter that

you read? 

Emily: I am fascinated with morbid and sci-fi storytelling - creating new and strange worlds - fascinating that it can happen in 42 words.

Social Media

https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/but-the-flames-by-emily-vieweg/

NOTE: Images were generated using Adobe's free Ai generator. https://www.adobe.com/products/firefly.html

42 Stories Anthology Presents: Sherry Shahan Interview

Sherry Shahan, Judge for the Escape chapter

Biography

Sherry Shahan’s short stories, personal essays, and poetry have appeared in national and international magazines, newspapers, literary journals, and anthologies. She holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and taught a creative writing course for UCLA Extension for 10 years. She’s been nominated for The Pushcart Prize in Poetry and Best of the Net.

BAM: Where are you located?

Sherry: A laid-back beach town in California.

BAM: Where’s your writing space 

Sherry: Most often my home office. But also wherever I happen to have a pen and paper. 

BAM: Coffee or tea or something else? 

Sherry: A crisp chardonnay. 

BAM: Good taste. I had some chardonnay to bring NYE 2024 in fact. Okay. How about music. Could you tell me some of your favorite bands or musicians, or something in between? 

Sherry: I’m obsessed with Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball concert; Sia’s song “Chandelier,” and anything by Leonard Cohen and Sixto Rodriguez.

BAM: From modern to classic. Hallelujah, Everybody knows Leonard Cohen. Pardon the puns. What about movies? 

Sherry: “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “They Came Running,” “Butterfield Eight,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” and anything Quentin Tarantino.

BAM: Great writers behind those stories. Tarantino, huh? Hopefully we’ll get a Kill Bill 3. Who knows. Actually, The Bride is partly who inspired me to learn to walk again. After my last three of eight back operations, I couldn’t move my legs. My left leg was numb for about five years. While on the recovery bed, unable to stand up, I was thinking of Uma Thurman telling her toe to move. I tried it, tried, and tried, and eventually walked again. Anyway, enough about me. How about an icebreaker question before we get into depth about your writing. What are some islands and mountains that inspire you?

Sherry: As for islands, New Zealand, Cuba, and Iceland. All have unique histories, stunning landscapes, interesting food, and big-hearted people. And for mountains, I once hiked Mt. Whitney (tallest peak in contiguous U.S.) in a single day and was caught in a deadly electrical storm on an exposed ridge. Three women in my party were struck by lightning.  

BAM: Okay, let’s have some writer talk. Do you have a writer circle? 

Sherry: I’ve been in two writers’ critique groups for over twenty-five years. I frequently attend writers’ workshops and tune in to webinars as a member of the Society of America Travel Writers, Society of Children’s Book Writers, Authors Guild, and other organizations.

BAM: It’s great to keep your network wide like that, so to get your name out there more. It’s really tactical. I’ve noticed tactical and strategic work into your writing as well when I checked out your website. Something I wondered, though. With your diverse craft, who do you write to when you picture your reader. Meaning, who’s your target audience?

Sherry: I don’t picture a specific reader. I just try to tell an interesting story with compelling, relatable characters.

BAM: Sometimes autonomy can bring out great stories. Okay. What’s the best way to write? 

Sherry: “One true sentence, and then another,” Ernest Hemingway.

BAM: Agreed. Hemingway was quite an accomplished writer. As are you. What's your greatest achievement in writing so far? 

Sherry: My middle-grade Alaskan-based adventure novel FROZEN STIFF (Random House/Yearling) has sold over 100,000 copies. It’s been translated into several languages and has appeared on America’s Battle of the Books list (gr. 4-6) for decades. 

BAM: Frozen stiff isn't just about survival, but the bonds of family between Cody and Derek. Some of my closet family members are cousins, so the book really gelled with me. I should give a copy of your book to all of my cousins, in fact. Writing relatable characters, which can sell books, isn't easy. That brings me to the next question. As an experienced writer, you’ve probably come across some trials and tribulations. How do you handle story rejection?

Sherry: When I first started writing, one wall in our family room was corkboard. Each time I received a rejection—back then, they arrived in the mailbox—I tacked it to the wall. In the beginning they were little form notes. Slowly, editors began to add, 'Try again.' The notes on the board multiplied. I remember thinking, I won’t let them get me down! I’ve always been stubborn. The best way to learn is ‘to do.’ I haven’t stopped ‘doing’ since I wrote my first story. 

BAM: Another great tactic. You only fail if you don’t get up. Sherry, what was the first story you ever wrote about, and was it published?

Sherry: In the late 70s, began writing short stories for assorted men’s magazines. They sold right away, probably because the first-person, female p.o.v. was unique. Writing short fiction taught me to structure a story with a compelling hook, a forward driving middle, and a logical, yet unpredictable ending. When my daughters read middle-grade novels by the brilliant Judy Blume, I thought, This looks like fun! So, I switched to writing for children. I’ve been a travel journalist and photographer for 4 decades. My survival novels for young readers, Alaskan-based FROZEN STIFF, ICE ISLAND and DEATH MOUNTAIN, were inspired by my adventures.

BAM: Thank you for sharing your words, and now I want to go to Alaska. Where can viewers find you on social media?

Sherry: https://www.SherryShahan.com and I’d love to hear from you: kidbooks@thegrid.net

BAM: Any last words?

Sherry: I admire the dedication and enthusiasm of writers just beginning their journeys. Find a like-minded writing tribe, experiment with style and voice. Be flexible. Give yourself the gift of time to write. Follow your heart.