Literary Short Fiction/Collection
Date Published: May 2020
Publisher: Unsolicited Press
What do you do when the hand that life deals you isn’t the one you wanted? In Peripheral Visions and Other Stories, the characters choose to play the best game they can with the cards they’ve received. For some, it’s making the most of the circumstances in which they find themselves, even if it’s not the life they planned. For others, it’s following an unconventional path—not the easiest course or the one that others would take, but the one that’s right for them. But they never lose hope that life will get better if they can just hold on.
Interview with Nancy Christie
For those interested in exploring the subject or theme of your book,
where should they start?
My suggestion would be to read the last story—“Peripheral Visions”—first. Without giving away the ending, the story really exemplifies the theme of the whole collection: that people shouldn’t automatically do what others may think is appropriate for them, but follow their heart and go after their goals. This advice applies whether you are 20 or 40 or 70.
My suggestion would be to read the last story—“Peripheral Visions”—first. Without giving away the ending, the story really exemplifies the theme of the whole collection: that people shouldn’t automatically do what others may think is appropriate for them, but follow their heart and go after their goals. This advice applies whether you are 20 or 40 or 70.
How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
My previous short story collection, Traveling Left of
Center and Other Stories, was about people who couldn’t or wouldn’t get a
handle on their lives, so they ended up traveling left of center down the
highway of life. And that decision, if left uncorrected, could lead to
disaster.
For this collection, I wanted the opposite theme: people who make the
choices that are right for them at that time, regardless of what others or
society think of their decisions. It is a more hopeful, empowering outlook,
although not without its own risks.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you
feel you achieved them?
When I write fiction, I don’t start out with a grand plan or goal. I simply tell the stories as the characters tell them to me. But what I do hope is that I did it well enough to resonate with readers, to make them think about the characters and the outcomes, and then think about any similarities to their own lives or their own circumstances. The stories aren’t intended to be prescriptive, however—just suggestive.
When I write fiction, I don’t start out with a grand plan or goal. I simply tell the stories as the characters tell them to me. But what I do hope is that I did it well enough to resonate with readers, to make them think about the characters and the outcomes, and then think about any similarities to their own lives or their own circumstances. The stories aren’t intended to be prescriptive, however—just suggestive.
Anything
you would like to say to your readers and fans?
I hope they enjoy the stories, that the
characters touch them, perhaps even that they think about life and the people
around them and themselves in a different way. That they don’t miss the
possibilities that life offers because their vision is too narrowly focused.
What
did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Many of the stories were so much fun to write—“Aunt Aggie and the Make-Up
Lady” and “Lucinda and the Christmas List” come immediately to mind.
However, “Peripheral Visions” while not technically “fun” was a healing story for me. I had written the first draft years
before either of my parents had developed cancer, but wasn’t able to finish it
until after my father’s death in 2015. (I had been his caregiver for several
years.) I re-created the road trip that Lena, the main character, took from
Ohio to St. Augustine to get the geographic details correct, but also found
that the trip and the solitude helped me deal with the loss of my father as
well.
Can
you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the
future?
While I am always writing new short stories, I have been devoting quite a
lot of time to revising the first novel I wrote, because now I know what is
wrong with it and what mistakes I made! My goal is to split my time between novel
writing and short story writing—and of course, doing copywriting since that’s how
I pay my bills! (Unless of course I get a big fat advance with lots of zeroes
as part of a publishing contract!)
How
long have you been writing?
My whole life—well, technically since second grade. (My late mother had
saved the first book I wrote. I found it after she died.) Writing is just a
natural form of expression for me. A piece of dialogue will come into my mind
and I follow it like Theseus followed the thread. I’m never sure where it will
take me but I’m willing to make the journey.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Peripheral Visions and
Other Stories?
They run the gamut from a young boy moved from one foster care situation to
another, to a middle-age woman caring for her mother slowly sliding into the
shadows of Alzheimer’s, to an elderly widower who wants to share his memories
of his beloved wife with anyone who will listen as his way of bringing her back
to life. Some stories are humorous, others are a little heartbreaking, but all
focus on people determined not to give up or give in, not matter how hard or
painful life can be.
If
you could spend the day with one of the characters from in Peripheral Visions
and Other Stories who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this particular
character, where you would go and what you would do.
Probably Lena in “Peripheral Visions.” She is
so strong, so no-nonsense and yet, in her own way, very loving. I would meet
her in St. Augustine, FL, go with her to The Fountain of Youth and listen to
her share her wisdom. To tell the truth, sometimes when I have had to deal with
challenges, I try to channel Lena and wonder what she would do and how she
would react. It sounds silly because I
made her up, after all, but then, perhaps not really. Maybe she always existed
and I just happened to open the door at the right time and she came into my
life.
About the Author
Nancy Christie is the award-winning author of Peripheral Visions and Other Stories Rut-Busting Book for Authors, Rut-Busting Book for Writers, Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories and The Gifts Of Change. Her short stories and essays have appeared in numerous print and online publications. A member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the Florida Writers Association, Christie teaches writing workshops at conferences, libraries and schools. She is also the founder of the annual “Celebrate Short Fiction” Day.
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1 comments:
Thanks for having me on your blog and for the chance to talk about my book and writing in general! Great fun!
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