Café Wednesday: Jon Strother
It is sometimes said that every person has a book in them. But some authors avoid unnecessary prolixity and can squeeze an entire book into a short story.
Finishing off our fantasy-dedicated issue, last week I interviewed Joyce Chng, mystical fantasy author.
This week, since we are focusing on short stories with our ongoing Search Term Challenge, we decided to interview someone highly involved in the short story world, and who better than Jon Strother, who is not only an author, but the coordinator of #FridayFlash on Twitter?
******
AMH: A little about yourself, first: when did you first truly consider yourself a writer?
JS: I always like to use my imagination from my earliest days. When exactly that began to manifest itself in written form I can’t really pin down except to say it was in the early grades of elementary school. Despite the fact that I could not spell my way out of a paper bag (probably undiagnosed Dyslexia) I loved to write. Still, I did not consider myself a writer at that point. I just liked to write. The transition to when I considered myself a “writer” happened sometime between 5th grade detention and the completion my first novel length manuscript when I was a senior in high school. Both were great writing experiences.
AMH: You write in a variety of genres and styles. Do you have any particular preference?
JS: I have a natural affinity for fantasy and science fiction. I like the freedom both these genre offer me in terms of setting, and the realm of possibilities. Recently I have been writing mystery, with two separate detective lines, one a cynical old cop, the other a idealist private eye. I like exploring human motivation and character interaction in these.
AMH: You started #FridayFlash on twitter – can you tell our readers who or what this hashtag is for?
JS: I’ve had a blog for years, and like most blogs, very little traffic. I used to write a lot of posts about writing, which to tell the truth, I am not particularly qualified to write about. I felt like I was simply rehashing hundreds of other posts, most likely better written and qualified than mine, covering the same topics. It wasn’t the type of thing I wanted to write. I want to write fiction. But writing fiction on a blog can be a very lonely experience.
So I got the notion of posting a piece of fiction on a regular basis, and using Twitter to announce its existence. To broaden the scope I encouraged other writers to do the same, in hopes we might actually draw a readership. Dang if it didn’t work!
Twitter uses hashtags (#) to point out tweets of common interest, thus #fridayflash (or #FridayFlash – I have no real preference). It succinctly states the regular schedule and the content one can expect to find – flash fiction. It has been growing steadily ever since and now we have a real writing community going, with regular readership.
AMH: Are there any trends or common themes, genres, and so on that have emerged in #FridayFlash pieces?
JS: There are seasonal trends, of course – lots of stories dealing with the holiday du jour. In general I’d say there really are no common themes or genres. It’s one of the things I really like about #fridayflash. You never know what to expect.
Given authors have trends. A week barely goes buy that Laura Eno hasn’t killed someone. But there is such a diverse group of writers participating you really never know what you will find: everything from sheer whimsy, to heart-rending tragedy.
I think there is a common belief that horror predominates in flash fiction. That is not the case in #fridayflash. There is a fairly even mix of every genre.
AMH: You mention a regular readership. What is the flash fiction audience like, and what is the nicest thing a reader has done for you?
JS: This is a hard question to answer. The only way to judge my readership is by the number of visits and length of stay according to Google Analytics, and through comments. Most, but certainly not all, of the comments come from fellow #fridayflash participants. However, the number of visitors who spend quality time on site is consistently much higher than the number of people commenting.
The nicest thing a reader can do for me, or any writer, is to leave a comment. All the better if that comment contains constructive criticism. Shout outs on blogs and Twitter are also nice. Please, if someone reads a terrific #fridayflash, go tell the world. Our authors will love you.
The nicest thing readers have done for me, personally, is to volunteer to help out with the upcoming Best of 2009 #fridayflash Anthology. I’ve gotten help with artwork, judging and editing. These are very special people indeed.
AMH: What are the merits of writing weekly flash fiction as opposed to other forms, such as a weekly online serial?
JS: I’ve done both. My novella, Max Mann and the Alley of Death was serialized on my old blog (also called Mad Utopia). It was an interesting experiment.
For me, as the author, it generated regular content while affording me the opportunity to polish previously produced work just before posting. However, it took a huge commitment on the part of the readers to stick with it. It’s sort of like asking TV viewers to commit to a long mini-series.
If I had to do it over again, I would post more than one chapter a week, to cut down the number of weeks required to complete the story. Flash, on the other hand, is self contained each and every week. Readers can come and go as they please, and not feel like they’ve missed something. However, it is much more demanding on me, as a writer, to produce something fresh and vital every week – usually on short order.
AMH: Which of your own flash fiction are you most proud of?
JS: I like the ones that are poignant statements about the human condition. Two that I particularly liked were Not Paper Losses, and No One Goes Home. No One Goes Home was picked up by Pow Fast Flash Fiction. It looks kind of nice over there.
AMH: How about other authors’ work? What three #fridayflash pieces would you recommend?
JS: Ah, you ask the impossible of me here. I cannot single out three pieces — there are many great ones. Many of the regulars do consistently good stuff. After a few weeks of browsing you’ll soon have a standard reading list. I also try to make a point of reading the debut authors each week. That is how to find wonderful new talent.
AMH: Great — that’s everything from me. Is there anything you’d like to add?
JS: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to discuss #fridayflash with your readers. I encourage them to pick up the #fridayflash habit by simply searching for the hashtag on Twitter every Friday. Or join in by posting their own stories. All it takes is a blog. I also encourage everyone to leave comments on stories they like, in any venue. Writers like comments even more than chocolate.
******
Curious? Follow Jon on Twitter, and don’t forget to check out #FridayFlash this Friday — you can read the stories even if you don’t have an account by simply searching!