Mini-Interview with Heather Bell Adams

If your writing was having a conversation with a reader, what is it trying to say? What secrets might it reveal?

You’re not alone on this journey called life. That weird thing that happened to you, the surprising feeling you’ve been hiding—don’t worry. You’re not the only one struggling or discovering or surviving.

What’s more important, the writer’s intent or the reader’s discovery?

Once a piece has been published, the writer’s intent, while still relevant, may take a back seat to the reader’s discovery. At that point the piece is like a gift to the reader to do with what they will.

What are your favorite things to write about? Those topics or items you can’t stop thinking about!

What an intriguing question! I’m fascinated by character growth and the idea that, no matter our age or life experience, we are all continuing to learn new ways of being.

What’s your favorite point of view? Why are you drawn to this particular voice/perspective?

It’s interesting because for longer works—definitely for novels—I prefer third person. But for micro and flash stories, I often default to first person. I like the sense of intimacy, the confessional nature it can bestow. The reader is being let in on a secret or invited into the character’s innermost sanctum.

What’s your favorite craft element to focus on when writing flash? Is there an element you wish you could avoid?

I love beginnings and endings—the invitation and the farewell. But I find dialogue difficult to get right. (I would love to take a dialogue workshop from you, Tommy! J)

How do you know when a story is done or at least ready to test the submission waters?

A lot comes down to intuition. Once you’ve gotten feedback from trusted readers and revised until you are simply shuffling around commas, it’s probably ready. Of course, as soon as I press “submit” I often see something I desperately want to fix…

When looking for places to submit your flash, what are your priorities for finding a good home for your work?

Because my writing tends to be realistic and character-driven, I gravitate toward journals that feature similar work. Put simply, I aim to submit to journals that I enjoy reading.

What do you know now about writing flash or other forms that you wished you had known from the beginning?

Sometimes you want to delete the last sentence. Often nailing the ending means letting the reader take that final step on their own.

What resource (a book, essay, story, person, literary journal) has helped you develop your flash fiction writing?

Honestly, following Cathy Ulrich (@loki_writes) on Twitter is the best. She links to really excellent stories.

What’s your favorite way to interact with the writing community? Do you have any advice for writers trying to add to their own writing communities?

I really enjoy attending writing conferences.

As for advice, I would say be authentic, but don’t hesitate to step out of your comfort zone. For a long time, I was shy on social media and didn’t want to “bother” people. Now I’m more comfortable reaching out and it’s such a nice way to interact with other writers.

A novel, a micro, and a poem go to a bar together. What happens?

They take turns entertaining the crowd all night and inspire all the bar patrons—yes, every last one of them—to take up their own writing.

If you could recommend a few flash stories or writers, who/what would it be?

Some recent flash stories I’ve especially enjoyed:

“Generations of Leaves” by Lyndsie Manusos

“Sanctuary” by Beth Gilstrap

“The Grand Am” by Tyler Barton

What story of yours do you want us to read?

I would be honored if you read “Last Last Shift at the Drive-Through” at Atticus Review.

Bio: Heather Bell Adams is the author of two novels: Maranatha Road (West Virginia University Press 2017), winner of the IPPY gold medal for the Southeast, and The Good Luck Stone (Haywire Books 2020), winner of Best Historical in the Next Generation Book Awards. Her work, which has won the Doris Betts Fiction Prize, Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Award, Carrie McCray Literary Award, and James Still Fiction Prize, appears in the North Carolina Literary Review, Still: The Journal, Parentheses, The Thomas Wolfe Review, Broad River Review, and elsewhere. She is currently serving as North Carolina’s 2022 Piedmont Laureate.