Julie Meier, FlashFiction Semi-Finalist, LISP 2nd Quarter 2020

Can you please tell us about your daily life?

I live on a farm in Alberta, Canada with my husband and three teenage children. We have a small flock of sheep and I am also a new beekeeper.  I find that my best writing usually occurs when I am sitting at my kitchen table, enjoying the view of my grazing sheep and the majestic Rocky Mountains.

When did you start writing? How often do you write? 

Though I have dabbled in writing throughout the years, I started honing my craft in earnest about a year ago.  Since then, I have entered a number of contests and have come to love the thrill of seeing my writing in print.

What's the best thing and the hardest thing about writing a Flash-Fiction? 

I am absolutely in love with Flash-Fiction! I enjoy the challenge of creating a tightly knit package with perfectly placed descriptive language.  And the hardest part?  Well, now that I have become a Flash-Fiction addict, I struggle to write longer stories since I am always looking for the most succinct way to engage the reader and tell my story.

How did you come up with the idea for your LISP selected story? Is there a story behind your story? And, how long have you been working on it?

I’m honestly not sure where my initial idea for this story came from, but I will say that I often craft my stories around a theme for the descriptive language.  For this story, my focus was on the sensations associated with light and color.  Interestingly, the sea often finds its way into my stories although I live in land-locked Alberta, as it did in this story.

What's the best thing and the hardest thing about writing competitions? 

For me, the best things about writing competition are the firm deadlines and the set word limits – this keeps me very focused and motivated. The hardest part is sending in what you believe to be your best work, waiting with anticipation, and then receiving an email to say that your work has not been selected.  I’m still getting used to the rollercoaster of emotions, but you just have to pick yourself up, dust your story off, and continue on!