Sheree Shatsky, LISP 4th Quarter 2020 Official Selection Flash Fiction, by 'Spoonflowers'

LISP 4th Quarter 2020 Official Selection Flash Fiction, Spoonflowers by Sheree Shatsky

Click here to read 'Spoonflowers'

Can you please tell us about your daily life? Mornings I'm at my best creatively. At noon, my dog gives me the "walk" look. My rare afternoon or evening attempts at writing more often than not do not compare to my morning burst of energy. When did you start writing? How often do you write? I've written from childhood on. I write regularly, not daily, allowing time for additional creative pursuits, such as playing ukulele (badly) and the repurpose of fabrics through slow sew hand-stitch projects. I considered myself a nonfiction writer for many years. About the same time an editor indicated I had a knack for the short form, the stories I'd squashed for so long surfaced. With more years behind me than in front, I turned toward short fiction, particularly flash fiction. My selection as a flash fiction mentee for the AWP Writer to Writer Mentorship Program, Spring 2018 boosted my confidence big time. My collective work, honors and mentions are listed at my website: www.shereeshatsky.com How does it feel to have your work recognised? Always a thrill to be noted and to have my work appear alongside fellow writers. What's the best thing and the hardest thing about writing a Flash-Fiction? Flash Fiction has style. Lots of different styles. My flash leans minimal, more concrete, less poetic. I'm often hesitant where my work fits across the flash fiction spectrum. - 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? My grandmother owned a silver service. Termites infested the storage box and the silverware was thrown into the drawer with the everyday utensils. These images birthed "Spoonflowers". I workshopped the story through a University of Iowa International Writing Program MOOC (massive online course) and at the suggestion of a fellow student, researched silver service to make certain the sets contained enough silver to cover the number of years needed in the story. I put the story aside for awhile, but upon returning, "Spoonflowers" took a month to write, revise, steep and revise again before considered complete. Can you please give us a few tips about writing a flash-fiction story? Sometimes the story begins somewhere within the draft. Cut, strike, scissor until it's found. What's the best thing and the hardest thing about writing competitions? Submitting to competitions or any literary venture alongside others with purpose to create art is a huge reminder to me, beauty does exist in this world. I often wonder if some writers submit only to competitions? Only so many winners. How would these writers judge their own writing progress against such odds? Lastly, do you recommend the writers to give it a go on LISP? Absolutely.