We got to talk with Laura McGinnis about her piece “If Walls Could Talk” in Issue Seven.
First off, what do you think your walls would tell you?
My walls would remind me to keep moving, keep getting things done. Maybe they would have story ideas for me, based on what they’ve seen in our lives in these rooms.
The walls in this story seem to have personalities, but they’re all looking out for the narrator. What if the walls didn’t have the best intentions?
The walls are benevolent, not antagonistic. If they were of a chaotic or evil nature, they might be malicious gossips or downright liars, giving misdirection and causing mischief.
What do you find to be the hardest about consolidating and writing stories as flash fiction?
I tend to write a lot of detail, which I have trouble separating from the guts of the story. I have to reread things very objectively to get down to flash fiction.
Are there any writers you draw inspiration from?
Stephen King comes to mind, in his writing style and process, but I don’t think I could ever write horror, especially like he does. His book, “On Writing” has had a lot of influence in what I do.
Do you have any previously published pieces you’re particularly proud of?
I have a lot of poems and some short pieces online at mrswoonsocket.wordpress.com. I also have a novella, “Ships that Pass in the Night” on Amazon.
