The Centifictionist

Sara Harvey’s 100 word microfiction, “The Sprig”, will appear in the second issue of The Centifictionist (Vol. 1, Issue 2, Fall/Winter 2020). Sara graciously answered a few brief questions for us. Read the interview below.

1. What inspired the story “The Sprig”?

I was eating a hummus takeout platter in a park in Brooklyn, where I live, and mistook a dried herb for an eyelash. I wondered, how do chefs keep eyelashes from falling in food? Would a keen eye catch it? I also like how you’re supposed to make a wish when you find a lash, so it’s good luck (though, maybe not when it’s in your lunch).

2. What inspires you and your writing?

I like life’s tiny pivots and twists. I keep a notebook of ideas like, “Would a hamster hold his water bottle upside down?”

3. What keeps you going when experiencing times of misery and despair?

I draw diary comics about “what I want to remember from today,” or “what today made me laugh for real?” to post on Instagram. If I don’t draw it, I try to journal the observation in a few lines. It’s meaningful to see what I valued about each day.

4. What advice do you have for microfiction writers?

I always want to say too much in a short space, which can make a story incomprehensible. So, I aspire to Kurt Vonnegut’s rule, “Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible … [so] they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.”

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Sara Harvey is a writer and comic artist in Brooklyn, New York. Her work has been featured in The Rumpus, Hobart Pulp, Spiralbound, The Belladonna, The Junction and other places. Visit her at saraharvey.xyz, and on Instagram at @ambivalent_sun. Twitter: @SaraHarvy.