An Interview with L Brown

What first sparked your interest in writing?
Reading. Particularly Simenon, Camus, and Daphne du Maurier. I think du Maurier's Rebecca inspired me the most to begin writing and exploring how very simple interactions, whether they be between people or people and their environments, can become intense experiences.

Do you practice any other forms of writing beyond flash?
Poetry and short stories, mostly the poetry I write evolves into flash fiction if the idea is strong enough. I try to use poetry to enrich an idea and then tell it straight in prose, working from a poetic kernel.

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There is a reason that writing is segmented into forms, readers choose what shape they wish to read, and you want to meet them at least halfway.

—L Brown

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What time of day can we find you writing?
Mostly in the evenings, but best in the mornings—not often enough.

Let’s talk first drafts. Do you compose on a computer, or are you a pen and paper writer?
I work through single sentences and stanzas with pen and paper, but the act of getting a story or poem down in first draft invariably happens on screen.

Do you ever give up on an idea? How do you know when a piece just isn’t working?
I try to finish all pieces, even if I know that they aren't working or aren't strong. I have found that working through an idea will bring a tangent that I wasn't expecting.

What advice can you give other writers on writing effective and meaningful stories in under 500 words?
Read it aloud. I suspect all writers know this to be instructive, but how many really do it? Actually read it aloud. Would you be confident to read it aloud to another person? If not, then maybe it needs more attention.

As a writer, do you find yourself constantly seeking inspiration in the world around you, or do you let the ideas come to you?
I try to find inspiration in the world as it presents, but most ideas come from far in the past.

Is there an under-the-radar writer you wish more people knew about?
Padraic Fiacc

What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve been given?
See above. Read it aloud.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Pay attention to conventions, learn about forms, if only a little, but have an understanding of what it is that you are trying to achieve. There is a reason that writing is segmented into forms, readers choose what shape they wish to read, and you want to meet them at least halfway.