During our Friday Indie Q&A author M.J. Weisen discusses the importance of brevity and interpreting the world around us while not allowing the world change the core of who you are as an individual in your writing.
Fable-like Storytelling
Indie: Congratulations on your 4th place win in our 2nd Annual Microfiction Contest! Only Whispers is intriguing and chilling at the same time with the feeling of “The Purge“. How did you come up with the idea for this microfiction story?
M.J.: Thank you so much! This story was really enjoyable to write, thanks to the challenge that the contest presented. I was “inspired” by how some people in my life, and in the world in general, brushed off the pandemic and simultaneously badgered those that took proper precautions. It brought me to a fable-like story that exposed how some people ignore reality and dangers for their own pride and convenience. I incorporated biblical and mythological elements and at the core of it all was a family that resembled my own.
Importance of Brevity
Indie: What did you learn about yourself and the craft of microfiction while writing Only Whispers?
M.J.: I learned that while I love to write fantasy and science fiction, supernatural horror is a fascinating world that I am interested in exploring. There’s so much that can happen and be said! The challenge taught me the critical importance of brevity in not only microfiction but in any writing. It helped me prioritize what moves a piece and what drives change for the characters.
Logic, a World Building Bedrock
Indie: How do you stay consistent creating art?
M.J.: It helps to keep in mind that you’re building a world when you’re writing, and with that comes a bit of responsibility for the reader’s sake. I try to read through the piece as thoroughly as possible and put myself in the shoes of every character. Does the world work? Does it seem clunky? Even though a setting may be fantastical, logic needs to be the world’s bedrock. Furthermore, a listening ear is an amazing gift. I read my pieces aloud to my wife, and by doing so, I find little things I need to change, and she does too.
Interpret the World
Indie: In your bio you discuss that you “enjoy[s] exploring magical and supernatural realism while still exploring what it means to be human, and a resident of this planet.” What does that mean to you? Can you give us an example?
M.J.: My writing ambitions were born when I would explore the woods and forests near my home in Pennsylvania. There, in the quiet, I imagined woodland creatures and fiery monsters and all sorts of heroes. As I got older, these characters grappled with the issues I dealt with in real life. Anxiety, emotional traumas, deaths, failures. Imagining and writing, especially through a fantastical veil, became not only cathartic but my own way of interpreting the world and experiences around me. For me, writing is survival.
Keep your Core
Indie: Please share some sage advice about being a creator with our readers.
There are so many things I’d love to tell our readers, but if I could sum it up, it would be this – never let the world change your core. Whether you’re working on writing, visual arts, music, or something totally new, you and your work have a core, and it shouldn’t change to the whim of the world’s opinions or oppression.
M.J. Weisen
M.J.: There are so many things I’d love to tell our readers, but if I could sum it up, it would be this – never let the world change your core. Whether you’re working on writing, visual arts, music, or something totally new, you and your work have a core, and it shouldn’t change to the whim of the world’s opinions or oppression. Yes, sharpen your craft. Yes, discern what criticism is deemed valuable and use it to improve. However, never change the essence of your art, its core, its identity (and, by extension, yours) for the sake of audience or critical approval. Instead, embrace your true voice and let it shine in whatever way you feel is best.
M.J. Weisen is a new fiction writer. He enjoys exploring magical and supernatural realism while still exploring what it means to be human, and a resident of this planet. He has been published in anthologies by Daily Prompt, Brilliant Flash Fiction, and Lulu. M.J. lives in Wake Forest, NC with his wife, his two children, two cats, and two dogs.