Masterpiece is a very lyrical piece of prose, making even the simplest sentences profound and poetic, with lines such as “Albert’s passion was geometry, which he considered a living thing”. What is your process for writing short stories?
What I write and why I write spring from the same source: a set of questions and concerns about the human condition, i.e., the way we think, feel, and respond to the nature and circumstances of life . While people are different in many ways, we are all built on a common foundation of though and feeling, common experiences, and shared fates: we are born and we will die; we all know sorrow, fear, hate; as well as joy, peace, love. We are driven to question the meaning of life and live it as best we can.
To me writing is about taking that exploration of life and communicating it to others in a form that engages them both mentally and emotionally. This is the purpose of any art, including writing. I mean to affect the reader with my consideration of various aspects of life through the memorable use of story; seize and hold their interest; engage their imaginations; provide both a stimulating and entertaining experience; and to make a personal connection.
As I have a set of questions and concerns to write about, I never lack for a subject and a variety of ways to treat them, as many ways as their are stories and modes of telling them. After I choose a theme, I think about what style narrative will work best; what length; what kind of characters will best illustrate my theme; and what language will hold the story together in a pleasing and effective way. Much of this is the craft of writing, the tools writers need to develop to practice their art.
I tend to write slowly, reread from the beginning each day, and revise as I go along. How one works is something writers figure out over time. That’s part of the joy and satisfaction of writing.
Your story highlights how beauty exists beyond traditional conventions; why did you decide to speak on this matter, and what measures did you take to ensure that your depiction of Hazel’s condition was as accurate as possible?
One of my perennial considerations of the human condition is about how we deal with the other, i.e., those who do not fit our general expectations as acceptable members of the human family. The alienating factor may be physical, like Hazel’s disfigurement, or psychological, like Albert’s odd perceptions. We shy away from Hazel, not from cruelty but an involuntary revulsion; so too a man who loves how she looks has a sensibility so different from the norm, he too is considered strange, incomprehensible. People like these are cast into a painful alienation and must deal with lives as pariahs, forever separate and alone: unless they chance upon the unique individual who can appreciate and accept them for what they are. We must congratulate Hazel and Albert on their good luck. I am happy for them.
What upcoming projects or publications are we able to look forward to from you?
I am currently working on a collection of weird and horror flash fictions, very short stories exploring the themes I’ve mentioned above. I have already written more than 50 such pieces and should have the volume completed within two months. In addition I’m finishing work on a collection of standard length literary stories and have that ready to pitch to publishers by the end of this year.
Interviewed by Munira Tabassum Ahmed
Hyades Magazine 