Puppydog Summer 2018 Awards [FINISHED]

Interview with xkalopsia

xkalopsia

First Place Short Story, Author of A Weak In Rome

What inspired you to write this book?

My inspiration for this story comes from two things: my love for traveling, and my heart of a hopeless romantic. I wanted to write something fleeting and something that focused in on how two strangers can impact each other's lives in a matter of a week. Max's character is one I was very excited about writing. He's so carefree and has an impeccable appreciation for life, mainly because he doedn't have much longer to live. Although Max and Amora are not inspired by real people, I feel that I can relate to both of them. And in my mind, their story is alive.

Did you plan for it to be a sad ending from the very start? If yes, why? If not, and you originally thought of a happy ending, what made you change it?

Yes, it was always meant to be a sad ending. I felt that Max's impact would be more effective and meaningful that way. And some moments in life are truly fleeting. They're not meant to be over-analyzed or rational or practical. What Max and Amora have is a symbol of these moments and of the fact that something so beautiful, though temporary, never dies. It lives on, even if the person passes away.

Most novelists face writer's block. Do short story writers encounter it as well?

I can't say that I speak for all short story writers because this is the first short story I've ever written, but I actually found myself not experiencing writer's block with this story. It was a relief, actually, because I definitely face that problem with my novels. I actually wrote this book in three days. The ideas in my mind were so overwhelming and they were begging to be written. When I started writing, I fell into an easy, fast rhythm. I think that this was partly due to how inspired I was and also because the story was shorter, requiring less scenes.

What is your advice to writing a good short story book to other writers who are pursuing the same genre?

What I learned from writing this short story is to be careful about what you include and what you don't. The words that you can tell the story in are limited, so you have to be sure to include only words that add to the story, no fluff. And don't be afraid to fall in love with your own characters. In romance, I believe that this is important. If you pour your own passion into your characters, others are bound to love them!

Congratulations packmate!