Jayne Martin, who lives in a tiny house with two tiny dogs, is an expert when it comes to tiny fiction. Fellow micro fiction author Kathy Fish has called her “a badass writer if ever there was one.” We wanted to learn more about the flash fiction genre, and we wanted to know more about how Jayne, once a screenwriter for TV, came to be writing it. We’re so glad to have caught up with Jayne Martin for this interview.
How did you go from a TV screenwriting career to writing flash fiction? Was there something about screenwriting that organically led to flash, or was it more of a creative leap?
I’d long retired from writing movies-for-television by the time I started writing flash fiction. The TV industry had gone through a transition to a plethora of reality shows at the time, which were cheaper to produce, so work had become harder to come by and, frankly, after 25 years, I was pretty burned out. There were a good five years after that when I wrote nothing at all. Then I discovered the world of blogging and writing became fun again. I started writing humor essays, which turned into my first book, Suitable for Giving: A Collection of Wit with a Side of Wry. Shortly thereafter, I stumbled across some writers of flash and immediately fell in love with the form. Tender Cuts is the result of seven years of work.
For those who only know that flash fiction is short, can you expound on its other qualities?
When describing flash fiction, I often go to a quote by Toni Morrison: “It’s what you don’t write that frequently gives what you do write its power.” Because there is no time for exposition in flash, the writer must think like a painter providing strong imagery and sensory details to ignite a reader’s own imagination. Our brains are wired to respond emotionally to such details and emotional resonance is my strongest criteria for a good piece of flash fiction. Endings are not tied up in a neat bow. Readers are encouraged to form their own interpretations in many cases. Flash fiction, maybe more than any other form, invites a reader to participate. The best way to understand the form is to read it. One book I highly recommend for those wanting to learn more is The Field Guide to Writing Flash Fiction, from Rose Metal Press.
Relatively speaking, flash fiction is a new genre. How does it coincide with the times we live in (besides the fact that you can read it easily on your smart phone)?
Many of my flash colleagues bristle when I say this, but we live in an era of sound bites and short attention spans, and those things lend a real timeliness to the genre. I often refer to Tender Cuts as tiny tales for the time challenged, and in no way do I believe that diminishes the form. When I go to bed, I maybe have ten minutes before I’m too drowsy to retain whatever novel I may be reading, but I can absolutely enjoy a full piece of flash.
To me, reading flash fiction is like reading poetry, especially in the case of your work. I read it slowly and then contemplate each piece before moving on. Is that what is intended?
Actually, I’m delighted that you read it that way, although there is no better or worse method. It’s whatever works best for the reader. I like to think of the pieces as rich chocolate-filled truffles. You want to linger over each bite. There is a lot going on in even the tiniest piece. Take “Working Girl,” for example, at only 48 words:
Working Girl
Found upright at the curb in the chill of dawn, the single blush-tinted stiletto was the last footprint she would leave on this earth, its mate too quick to step into the car of another faceless stranger. Tiny hands press against a window and wait for her return.
Much of your flash stories deal with vulnerable people: the homeless, the boy who stutters, the girl whose mom keeps reminding her that she is overweight. Why this pattern of oppression?
Hmmm. Oppression. I never thought of it like that. I’m attracted to characters who are underdogs in some way. We all have our emotional baggage, our wounded hearts. Some show more than others. I like to peel back those layers we hide behind and in doing so, hopefully, create empathy. I have a deep love and respect for all my characters. I root for them.
Aesthetically, your book Tender Cuts is beyond beautiful, with each story having one minimalist drawing to go with it. Who are the artists you work with? Why are these drawings important to your work?
I have to say, Vine Leaves Press did a stellar job with the design. I’m so proud of it. The artists, Janice Whitby and Indigo Roth, are both amazing talents and good friends. They understood immediately what I was going for and I feel so blessed to have had them onboard. I wanted to give readers an additional way to experience each story and also, honestly, I wanted to distinguish the collection from the hundreds of others out there. The book was intended as a total concept and I was fortunate that Vine Leaves saw it that way, too.
You live in a tiny house and have two tiny dogs and write tiny fiction. Is there something philosophical going on that you would like to talk about?
In 2011, I moved from an 1800-square-foot house and unloaded 40 years’ worth of stuff. It felt immensely freeing and I’ve never looked back. I’ve shifted from acquiring things to acquiring experiences. Minimalism in every form appeals to me. I even have a tiny car, a Subaru BRZ. So, yes. I suppose writing micro fiction may be a natural outcome of that shift. Other than the stacks of books that occupy every surface, I couldn’t be happier in my cozy mountaintop nest.
It must be challenging to distinguish yourself as a flash fiction writer because so many people are writing flash these days. Yet you have already been nominated for a Pushcart, “Best Small Fictions,” and “Best Micro Fiction” awards, and your book is a Powell’s “book staff pick,” and more. Will you stay with flash fiction now that you’ve found a home with it?
When I first started writing flash there were much fewer of us. I’m probably considered part of the “old guard” now. There are so many flash writers appearing on the scene every day. Still, cream does rise to the top and the best seem to be carving out a notable place for themselves. Also, there are many more literary journals now than when I first started and they are all vying for good work, so opportunities for publishing abound. It’s a great time to be a flash writer, no doubt. I love flash fiction and will continue to write it as long as the readers will have me. Next on my bucket list is experimenting with the novella-in-flash form.
Before writing Tender Cuts you wrote Suitable for Giving: A collection of Wit with a Side of Wry. And, the first thing one sees on your website home page is a slideshow of positive quotes by writers, strategists, people from the business world, etc. I assume you are a very positive person, and funny. How do these characteristics inform your career and/or life choices?
The slideshow was important to me and, luckily, I have a very patient web designer who made all my crazy ideas for the website a reality. I’m a very positive person, but also very cynical as is most often reflected in my humor. It’s an odd combination. But my spiritual philosophy is what guides me. Not a day goes by that I don’t align myself with the creative power of the Universe to choose and attract what I want in my life. Our thoughts are powerful creators and I’m always mindful of what I’m putting out into the Universe because it gets created really fast. I try to pass on positive thoughts and that’s how I wanted to welcome visitors to my website.
Some might say that these are hard times to be positive and funny. Any words of wisdom for them?
We don’t have control over what goes on in the world, but we do have complete control over how we choose to respond. Come from love and you attract love. Come from anger and you attract angry people. Come from a victim mentality and you will attract people who will take advantage of you. Like attracts like. It’s a Universal law. Choose wisely.
How can Occhi readers learn more about you and your work?
All my publications can be found on my website at www.jaynemartin-writer.com.
Find me on Twitter at: @Jayne_Martin
On Facebook at: Jayne Martin-Author
On Instagram at: jayne.martin.writer
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