Windy Lynn Harris
Age: 45
Location: Arizona
Education: Writing classes, writing mentors, and a long string of writing-related jobs.
The Writer
How long have you been writing?
I wrote my first story in September of 2005 on a self-dare. It was published about a year later.
Do you have a specific writing style?
My work tends to have at least one absurd character stomping through the prose. I like to examine environmental and social issues in my stories, without cramming politics down anyone’s throat. My writing has been described as, “Giving someone the finger while wearing white tea gloves,” which I think might be the best compliment ever. I’d love to have that image on a T-shirt so I could wear it while I’m writing.
What is your greatest challenge as a writer?
I’m a super quick first-drafter and a maddeningly slow rewriter. I’d love to see a better balance there someday, but I don’t see it changing anytime soon.
The Work
Tell us about your work in Crack the Spine.
“A Town Built on Salt” is a story about a small mid-western town being consumed by random sinkholes. It’s told through the eyes of Liam, a young boy who hopes he’ll witness this happen on his own property, if only to bring his estranged father back home.
Is there a main theme or message in “A Town Built on Salt?”
There’s an intentionally disturbing mood throughout the story. Something bad can happen any moment, those sinkholes remind us. Hold on to what is dear to you.
What inspired this work?
I have a research file of natural disasters on my desk (which my husband would refer to as my “paranoia file”) and the bulk of the information is about sinkholes. They open up around the world in huge numbers every year. There’s an environmental factor to this phenomena as well as a human one. We’ve mined our planet to a fragile state. I’m worried about it, and that fuels my work.
Tell us about another project you have published or are currently working on.
Right now I’m working on a novel called “The Men of New York.” This war-of-the-sexes project explores gender roles and gender identity, while discussing our evolving understanding of both. In this story, a global epidemic has temporarily separated men and women for their own health. On the island on Manhattan, where a recent political exile has cut them off from the rest of the country, the last of the city’s residents are left to monitor the quarantine alone. When the story opens, a violent gang of glamorous women run the streets of NY while the surviving healthy men are holed up in Central Park behind a barricade of discarded cars. There is only a small cache of supplies left to fight over.
Where/When can we find “The Men of New York?”
I hope to have a final draft of this book by the end of summer.
The Methods
How many drafts do you generally go through before you consider a piece to be complete?
I’m usually three drafts in before I submit a short story to my critique group. Any earlier and I haven’t really gotten to the meat of what I want to say yet. After workshopping, there’s always a clean-up draft or two. Sometimes I only need to do a light dusting. Sometimes I need a leaf-blower.
What are your thoughts on writing at a computer vs. writing longhand?
I do both, but at different stages of the process. My first drafts usually start longhand in a notebook. I like to play around with an idea in word bubbles to see what associations I make, then I look for opposing points-of-view, conflict situations. Sometimes I don’t get more than a list of images or a good first line from all this, but more often than not the skeleton of a short story takes shape. That’s when I hit the keyboard.
What is your best piece of advice on how to stay sane as a writer?
Hang out with other writers on a regular basis! Who else will nod their head while you rant about rejection letters and the demise of the serial comma? We gotta stick together.
The Madness
What is your favorite book?
White Oleander by Janet Fitch
Who is your favorite author?
Margaret Atwood
What is the greatest occupational hazard for a writer?
Chair-butt
What is your favorite word?
Onomatopoeia
Rain or Sunshine?
Sunshine (and sunscreen)
Beer or Wine?
Vodka
Pen or Pencil?
Rollerball pen
Additional Reading on Windy Lynn Harris
Personal website/blog: www.windylynnharris.com
Twitter profile: @WindyLynnHarris
I loved getting an inside look into your writing process, Windy. Congrats on the short story and this interview.
Windy—loved, learned and laughed! So much like you in real life and so representative of your motivational and enthusiastic writing spirit! Trish
Loved your story and enjoyed reading this interview, Windy! For as long as we’ve been reading each other’s writing, I still learned some neat bits about you here. 🙂
Great interview Windy! Loved your story. Looking forward to some mentoring in Sedona! Your growth both personal and professional has always inspired me.
I’m getting you that T-shirt! How perfect…that’s you. I really loved hearing your spunky voice in this interview!!! xo