Category: short-stories

Friday Five: Q&A with multi-genre writer Allison Field Bell

‘I write one word at a time, focusing on the lyrical potential of a sentence and how that aligns with a character’s voice’

Multi-genre author Allison Field Bell

I first discovered Allison Field Bell‘s writing via the literary magazine Fractured Lit, which published her stunning flash fiction piece “Vermillion Cliffs” last March. I started following her on Twitter (X) and soon was astounded by how frequently she would post about new pieces being accepted — not only short stories and flash fiction, but creative nonfiction and poetry as well. (This X/Twitter thread of a few of her favorites from 2024 should give you some idea of her range and diverse styles.) I consider her a writer’s writer and highly recommend her work.

Later this year, a chapbook of her creative nonfiction, Edge of the Sea, will be published by CutBank Books, and her poetry chapbook, Without Woman or Body, will be published by Finishing Line Press. Her current projects-in-progress include a book of short fiction, a collection of flash nonfiction, and a full-length collection of poetry. She is also finishing up her first novel, wrapping up a Ph.D. in Creative Writing and English Literature at the University of Utah, and offering editorial services to aid other writers.

In today’s Friday Five, Allison shares her thoughts on multi-genre writing, her writing routine, and some excellent advice for the rest of us.

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Friday Five: Q&A with speculative fiction author Angelique Fawns

‘Never self-reject. You never know who might buy what!’

Photo of Angelique Fawns, speculative fiction writer.
Angelique Fawns

Her background in journalism and television production no doubt has helped Angelique Fawns establish herself as a prolific writer of speculative fiction. And she’s one terrific and imaginative storyteller. The Canadian writer has published over 80 short stories since launching her short story writing career in 2018.

She’s also persistent, pushing aside those 500 rejections over her first three years to rack up an impressive catalog of publications.

And she’s generous. She’s turned her experience of researching the writing market of her chosen genre into a free collection of 13 of her sold stories and a look at the editors who bought them. She also has a guidebook for other writers listing a comprehensive guide to current speculative short story market. Think of it as a Writer’s Market for speculative fiction. (Subscribe to her paid Substack to obtain your copy.) She supplements that resource by posting the latest calls for submission, complete with details about each magazine, on her Substack and blog.

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