Author Interview – Barbara Black

Q: What inspired you to write Little Fortified Stories?

A few years ago I was in Lisbon at The DISQUIET International Literary Program. In my spare time I went to the port institution for a tasting. I sat in the dim room, sipping, when a character suddenly came into my head. A character whose words somehow echoed the particular qualities of that port. And so was born my first series of very short fictions, Little Fortified Stories. When I returned home I continued writing stories based on other liquid spirits and gradually the collection expanded to include Ekphrastic works, stories from dreams and travels and stories based very loosely on my ancestry.

Q: How did the characters come into being? What is your writing process?

It always feels like a bit of voodoo how my characters show up. Most often, a voice comes into my head and I follow that voice into a story. It’s a mysterious and murky adventure. I don’t develop a story arc in advance or try to pre-structure. I freewrite as long as I can without reading what I’ve written. On rare occasions a story may write itself in one sitting. Otherwise, I continue to freewrite to see how the character and setting develops.

When writing micro and flash fiction, especially in workshops, I sometimes use written or visual prompts or I write within restricting structures which, contrary to what you might think, actually stimulate not stifle creativity. Sometimes if you’re stuck and the story’s not working, searching for an alternate structure or approach can revitalize it. This happened with my piece about Saint Barbara. Once I transferred the fragments into a list structure it was more energized, with enticing gaps and contrasting tones.

One of my favourite prompt methods is writing Ekphrastic pieces based on visual art. It’s another way of “inducing” a story or character. There are ten Ekphrastic art-inspired stories in my collection, including a fallen saint who falls in love with a creature named Gryffix; a disfigured ballet teacher with a secret life; and a mysterious little Daughter of the North Wind who unexpectedly (and literally) falls into a couple’s life. I also find characters while listening to music.

Q: What other books have you published? How do they differ from Little Fortified Stories?

I have one previously published book, Music from a Strange Planet, an award-winning collection of short stories. Although the stories in that book are shorter (2000 to 3000 words) than most short stories, they’re longer than the 50 to 1500 word fiction in Little Fortified Stories. Also, many of the fictions in Little Fortified Stories lean into the surreal or at least the engagingly improbable! I like to let the story go where it wants. You might think it would be easier to write lots of shorter stories, but I found it challenging “herding” a cast of well over 100 characters.

Q: How fundamental are life’s experiences to the writing muse?

It amazes me how, after writing Little Fortified Stories, I see snippets of my life scattered throughout the collection. I notice themes of climate change, of mothers and daughters, of grief, fertility and dreams, and women’s agency (or non-agency). None of these themes were planned, they simply arose from my state of mind during the span of time I was writing the manuscript.

Thinking about life’s experiences, there’s something about writing in a story form that allows you to process deeper issues or memories that can’t be framed in the usual logical thinking mode. Once filtered through a fictional lens, these deep seated emotions have a place to reside.

Q: Tell me about your book cover.

Sure! Just as with my previous book, my publisher Caitlin Press once again asked if I would like to design the cover for Little Fortified Stories. Of course, I said yes. The collaged image is a take on one of the stories in the book titled “The Jaeger Family Theatre,” about a young girl who is in a rite to enter the clan of the Jaeger people (a jaeger is also a bird). It’s in the section of the book titled “Ancestral Fabrications,” meaning stories based on my ancestry, some of which are entirely fictional and others which are only somewhat fictional. Information on my heritage was scarce.

Q: If you could meet one of your characters in real life, who would it be?

It would be the woman in the story “What May Console Those with the Loss of Their Lexicon,” who kept my words alive by singing them (in a “voice like a rusty pair of scissors”) while I was agonizing through writer’s block for a year. Of course, she’s purely imaginary, but she exists somewhere deep in my psyche.

Q: Are there any books you can recommend on how to write very short fiction?

There’s an excellent, comprehensive  book, The Art of Brevity, by Grant Faulkner, that elucidates the freedom and complexity of this genre. It’s full of insights into the craft of writing very short stories, but is also very enjoyable to read and chock full of examples. This is an art form that has boundless possibilities and Faulkner is definitely on the pro almost-anything-goes side. The thing to remember about short-short fiction is that it’s not necessarily a fast read but an immersive one.

Q: What do you do when you’re not writing?

I dream about travel. I get on my Triumph motorcycle and live in the wind, without words. I go tactile. I roam and ruminate in my garden and occasionally swear at my gooey, thick clay soil that mocks my shovels, but I love every plant and insect in that finite space that is my personal heaven.

Q: Where can readers find you?
Find me at my website at https://barbarablack.ca/ or on my Facebook Writer Page at https://www.facebook.com/barbarablackwriter/.
I’m on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/bblackwrites/ and X here: https://twitter.com/BarbaralbBlack

Thank you so much, Mandy, for hosting me here.

Blurb: Little Fortified Stories

A spinster in love with a tobacco-smoking ghost. A lonely one-eyed monster who wanders the desert. A Medieval saint who delights in her “miraculous ruine.” In Little Fortified Stories, award-winning writer Barbara Black conjures a microcosm of characters that defy convention. Black’s writing has a signature tone and precision that readers and reviewers call out for praise. In this suite of startling, haunting stories, curious worlds are encapsulated like a series of snow globes, swirling with deep emotion and teeming with strangeness. Inspired by art, music, alcoholic spirits and what Black calls “authentic fabrications” from her own ancestry, these eclectic tales buzz with a hypnotic intensity you will never forget

Bio:

Barbara Black writes short and flash fiction, poetry and libretti. Her work has appeared in national and international publications, including The Cincinnati Review, Geist, The Hong Kong Review, Prairie Fire, and CV2, and in many anthologies, including Bath Flash Fiction Award 2020. Achievements include: Fiction Finalist, 2020 National Magazine Awards; Winner, 2017 Writers’ Union of Canada Short Prose Competition; Winner, Federation of BC Writers Contests (Prose Poem) 2018 and (Flash Fiction) 2021/2022; and Shortlisted for the 2023 Edinburgh Flash Fiction Award. She recently won First Prize in The International Plaza Prizes Microfiction Contest 2023 and placed Second in their Flash Fiction Category. Her debut short story collection Music from a Strange Planet was released in 2021 to critical acclaim and was a finalist or winner in 10 Book Award competitions. Black’s highly anticipated flash and microfiction collection, Little Fortified Stories, is forthcoming in May 2024. She lives in Victoria, BC, where she gardens and rides her trusty Triumph motorcycle.

Bibliophile’s Collective Tuesday – Children’s Book Week

This week we celebrate Canadian Children’s Book Week to celebrate books, reading and the connections they bring. Many schools, libraries and bookstores are hosting local authors and having special events throughout the week to promote the wonder of stories.

The first Children’s Book Festival tour took place in 1977, organized by the newly-established Children’s Book Centre. It featured just eleven authors, taking them to schools across the country over seven jam-packed days. Today, that celebration, now called Canadian Children’s Book Week, includes dozens of creators and hundreds of events in a single week.

My own children’s books are available through online platforms for all school levels.

Each of these books deals with self-worth, friendship, love of family and the natural world, valuable lessons for all kids.

Wordsmith’s Collective Thursday – Six Networking Tips for Authors & Writers

We have all heard the old adage – writing is a solitary business – however, with the use of technology, writing groups and book events, you need not feel alone. Putting words on a page is the solitary part of an writers life, but it is certainly not the totality of our existence. Without connections and experiences we would not have anything to write about!

So how do you build a network of other writers? Here are some tips, that may help.

Online Social Networks – we all have them, so why not utilize them to connect and expand your writing community connections? It is not just a matter of adding as a ‘friend’, there needs to be interaction. Read their posts, comment and like, but also converse with them on what they write, where they write, what their current WIP is, etc. This is much more meaningful and will build a relationship.

Be Generous – Share events local to them, share your writing knowledge and resources, after all we are not in competition (or shouldn’t be!) Acknowledge their successes and relate to their disappointments. Once you have some connection be proactive and send a message of support, or resources for them to use. Go to Goodreads, or Amazon and write a review for their book, repost to your page and tag them.

Attend Their Events and Invite Them to Yours – If you can physically, or virtually attend each other’s events do so, if not then promote them on your socials. This is mutually beneficial, but shows your commitment too.

Find Your Local Literary Community – Join a local writers group, attend writer’s workshops, conferences and book readings in your area. It is a great way to find your ‘people’, but also to get your name known.

Join Professional Organizations – These can be genre specific, or general, either way your membership allows you to meet like minded people. Benefits of such organizations include discounts, scholarships as well as information in their newsletters, forums, websites, classes and conferences.

Share Opportunities – When you make a connection to a podcast, magazine, blogger, or know of a literary event then share it with your community. If you are organizing an event send out invites not only to your writing community, but also your audience.

Being interconnected with your community benefits you and them – and once you have firm friendships then you can offer to help, or ask for it. Don’t connect and instantly ask for a favour, that is unfair and unprofessional. If someone finds your work interesting, or your plight resonates with them and they then offer some support, accept it and thank them. We grow together through connections.

What has been your experience with connecting with a broader writing community?

Bibliophile’s Collective Tuesday – A Shoutout to All Independent Bookstores

On Saturday 27th April, I joined several local authors to present and read from our books at The Sherwood Park Bookworm. This store is a treasure trove of books, readers and authors rolled into one, with friendly and knowledgeable staff. I am honoured to have all of my books stocked there, and have enjoyed time among the numerous shelves as reader and writer.

As readers, we are drawn to stories, but can also admit to favored authors and genres. Finding a new author’s work is the ultimate high. We consume each book with passion and escapism. This is where a local bookstore comes into its own. The staff, using their expertise, will find many similar authors and genres to expand your TBR pile.

Have you discovered a ‘new’ author recently?

As you can clearly tell I was in my happy place and thrilled to share a chapter from The Commodore’s Gift. Connecting with new readers and networking with other writers is always a joy.

Wordsmith’s Collective Thursday – Supporting Your Fellow Authors

Photo by Keira Burton on Pexels.com

One of the greatest parts of being a member of this community of writers is the connecting, supporting and encouraging of each other. There are virtual and in-person groups across the world, numerous conferences and retreats, all giving us the ability to share, learn and succeed in our writing journey.

A couple of days ago, I connected with someone, who is launching a new online magazine, The North Ink, this May, which will highlight Canadian authors. After discussing the opportunity of myself being included, I asked if I could share the details with some writer friends. This was welcomed with open arms and I sent a compiled joint message to numerous contacts. I have no problem sharing such opportunities with people, who have the same passion and are generous in their support of others.

When we support each other, it goes beyond the ‘shop local’ because the writing community is global. We are connected by the power of words. You never know how a connection will affect you, them, or your writing – be brave reach out.