Ask the Author: Jane Banning
Answered Questions (6)
Jane Banning
I've been writing flash fiction, poetry, essays and short stories for a long time, and have had many of the pieces published, but never thought of creating a compilation until a good friend inadvertently led me to understand that what is easy to do is often a sign. Writing "short" is easier for me than long work, and so these writings took shape in an unexpectedly effortless manner.
Jane Banning
I start to notice the details of something - and, really, the "something" covers a lot of territory, from mundane events like smelling the cat's breath to noticing a twig-thin sparrow's leg. These details sometimes extrapolate to bigger meanings - fragility, joy, loss - and sometimes they simply stand alone.
Jane Banning
I have a novel completed and two in the works, but the completed novel needs editing and the in-process ones need...finishing!
Jane Banning
Find a writing group and be fearless. 😊 Words are just words - they're not YOU. It's not personal, and yet sharing words can feel so frightening sometimes. That feeling passes. The reward of receiving honest and kind feedback is worth it.
Jane Banning
Finding the unexpected word or image to convey meaning without stating the meaning directly. Using subtext and metaphor.
Jane Banning
What works for me is to use a writing prompt. Since I'm very economical with words, this is a challenge for me. I don't tend to create big swaths of words, but a writing prompt gives me some latitude for writing "baggy." My prompts come from my online writers' group, and are single words. They've resulted in quite a few selections in "Asparagus Roots" and in a number of published works.
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