A MicroZine Interview w/Sharron Bassano

6 Questions on Microfiction

Sharron Bassano

is best known for her short fiction and for her travel tales. She writes

LEAVES

.

1. When did you first start writing microfiction?

Leaves has been on Substack for two and a half years and I’m having so much fun here. I had written many published articles and books in my academic career, but it wasn’t until I retired that I found the free time to begin writing fiction. I had no intention of publishing these pieces — it was for the sheer pleasure, and, frankly, the catharsis, that creative writing affords.

That being said, I was happy to discover Substack as a platform in January 2022. Within days I learned of something called “microfiction”, which I had no idea was even a “thing”. I leapt right in. Then, I had the great good fortune of meeting up with an accomplished 50-word story writer on Substack,

Justin Deming

at

Along the Hudson

. He reached out and gave me such welcome encouragement. He’s been a generous ally.

2. What kind of microfiction do you write? Any specific length or genre? How often?

I have written a lot of 50-word pieces. Writing within the constraints of that format has given me good, solid practice in focusing on the essence of a story, leaving out all the unnecessary bits, yet still having clearly defined characters, setting, plot, conflict, etc. I can see how lean my writing has become since working with 50-word pieces and with other short forms, including over eighty pieces of fiction of 100 to 1000 words.

I have learned that it's okay to jump into a tale in the middle, with no back story, and it is often effective to leave an ending unresolved or ambiguous. I know that as a reader, I am dismayed when writers "explain" things to me, as if I couldn't understand it on my own. I strive to give my readers the opportunity and space they need to come up with their own interpretations.

In looking over my themes, there are many stories about the joy and pain of various kinds of relationships - short term romance, marriage, family dynamics, co-workers, etc. For over a year I have been trying my hand at science fiction tales, but they invariably turn into thinly-disguised inter-species romances. I am not sure why that has become a recurring theme. I guess I will have to ask my therapist...

3. Describe your microfiction writing process.

Most of the time I begin writing a story with no idea whatever in mind. Frequently I begin with an intriguing photograph ( a shout out to Substack’s

Kenneth Mills

,

Terry Freedman

,

Sheila Moeschen

for their inspiring images). I write one sentence about the image and walk away. I come back a bit later and add another sentence or two. The people in the image suddenly begin to talk to each other and then, magically it is out of my hands. I just see what they have to say. I am embarrassed to admit that sometimes it is only at the very end that I discover what I am actually writing about.

Other inspiration may come from a line in a song or a movie or a memory. It is initially stream-of consciousness writing, I guess, and then I spend an obscene amount of time cutting, revising, deleting, searching for the one perfect word. Editing is my favorite part of the writing process. I read my pieces aloud over and over (and over) until all the snags are smoothed away and the music appears. Well, that is the goal, anyway. Of course, it doesn’t always pan out!

4. Have you ever submitted your microfiction to a contest or publication before? If so, why and where? If not, why not?

Substack gives me the outlet I want, so I don’t reach out much. I have submitted a handful of small pieces to On the Premises Magazine (OnThePremises.com) but they have only published one of them. For writers looking for a publisher, I highly recommend Authors Publish (AuthorsPublish.com), a free e-magazine that sends you reviews and descriptions of publishers currently seeking submissions of short stories, poetry, essays, and books in various genres. They send out every couple of weeks. A terrific resource.

5. What advice would you give someone who is on the fence about writing microfiction?

People write for so many reasons and specialize in so many different genres, I really couldn’t give advice, per se. But I can say this:

1.) Writing microfiction is excellent practice. And,

2.) It is a great starting point for online publishing. I firmly believe that online readers respond best to short pieces. ( I, myself, subscribe to only 19 Substack writers and I have to confess I can scarcely keep up with the reading. And though their writing is excellent, I find that I always put the longer pieces aside until I "find time".) But,

3.) Micro fiction is also a way to work up to a longer more sustained piece. I can’t imaging launching into a full length novel the haphazard way in which I work.

One has to have a plan in place before beginning a novel, and I am not much of a planner anymore. I write a pile of words, and I hope that when I am finished cutting and rearranging, the cream will have risen to the top.

6. Share either your favorite piece or most recent microfiction that you’ve written.

Here are a couple of examples of 50-word stories:

Shoreditch Road

We were really into these two cute guys we met at a pub last night in Shoreditch. We’d laughed and teased them under the stairway. We let them kiss us and touch us. They promised we’d meet here again tonight, but they never came.

American girls. OMG! We’re so delusional.

Dive Bar

We’re in our seventies now, but still go to that dodgy old haunt from time to time, just to be amid the youthful exuberance, the ambient testosterone. Our favorite night out. We ladies stay out of trouble, though. “You remember what trouble is, don’t you, Thelma?”

“Nope.”

“Nah, … me neither.”

My readers’ favorite piece of micro fiction, though -- at the top of the list, is about a half-naked temptress named Jolene:

Jolene

---

BONUS QUESTION: Who is your favorite microfiction writer?

If I could subscribe to only one Substack writer, it would be

Jim Cummings

at All Day Long. His prose is utterly fresh and new, with unexpected themes and sentence structures. Jim has a wry, subtle sense of humor and writes authentic, snappy dialog like no other. Here is an example of one of his latest. "

Cool Like Casali

Special thanks to Sharron Bassano for answering these questions.