Kay Rae Chomic, LISP Short Story Semi-Finalist

-Can you please tell us about you? Where do you live and how is your daily life?  Raised in Michigan I migrated west after college with living stops in Denver, Phoenix, and since 1990, Seattle (my forever home). I’m retired and love the freedom this stage of life offers for writing, traveling, volunteering, and learning Spanish.   - When did you start writing? How often do you write? We want to learn all about your writing life! Growing up, I was an athletic kid and not interested in books or writing. My overactive left brain led me to an MBA degree and a career in business. All well and good, but then in my late thirties the right side of my brain asserted itself through some journaling exercises, and BAM!, I couldn’t get enough of expressing myself through the written word. After I completed certificates in fiction and non-fiction writing at the University of Washington, my first specialty was flash fiction. I loved the concision and power of this form. Later I also published essays, and my debut novel, A Tight Grip, was a finalist in Foreword’s Book of the Year Awards. I try to create and edit on even-numbered days, and market completed stories/essays on odd-numbered days one to two hours a day. This suits my short attention span. At other times, I observe how others live, learn what they’re feeling and thinking. It amazes me how often people share the experiences that shaped them. Story material is everywhere. Other publishing credits: Storgy Magazine, Crack the Spine, Five:2:One’s The Side Show, 50-Word Stories, Writer Advice ,Two Sisters Writing, Hysteria 6, The First Line.

-How did you feel when you learned that you are a Semi-Finalist on The London Independent Story Prize?  Ecstatic and honored.   -What's the best thing and the hardest thing about writing a short story?  For me, the short story form is difficult. Where flash fiction seems natural, only once in a while, as with La Viuda, I go long—over 1,000 words.   -  How did you come up with the idea for your LISP selected story? Is there a story behind your story? And how long have you been working on it? In 2018, I attended a fabulous writing conference in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. I fell in love with the city and returning home, I knew it’d be a perfect setting for a story. I’ve been working on this story since August, 2018, and dealt with a few rejections. Each rejection made me look at the sentences fresh and edit for improvements.   -Lastly, do you recommend the writers to give it a go on short story and LISP? Absolutely! It’s a great opportunity and place to build community.

Click To Read Kay's Story!