The Centifictionist

Dan Farkas’s 100 word microfiction, “Could It Happen Again?”, will appear in the fifth issue of The Centifictionist (Vol. 3, Issue 1, Spring/Summer 2022). Dan graciously answered a few brief questions for us. Read the interview below.

1. What inspired the story “Could It Happen Again?”?

Much of my writing is autobiographical. I am a son of Holocaust survivors; the stories I’ve heard and read, and the resultant fears, are never that far from my mind. Fascism’s embers still glow. We’ve seem signs and outright manifestations in our own country. Could it happen again? Sadly, it seems the answer is that it could.

2. What inspires you and your writing?

Inspiration comes from the opportunity to escape into my own mind and into the computer monitor; the pleasure that comes from finding just the right word, from crafting the best possible sentence, from constructing the paragraph that flows…from there it gets harder.

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

Certainly, I am thankful that good health and the love of family and friends buoys me daily. I’m glad to report that I don’t fall headlong into the black holes of misery and despair often or for very long, but when I am feeling down, I do find great comfort in indulging in my creative outlets, writing and photography.

4. What advice do you have for microfiction writers?

I’d offer advice analogous to the Ted Williams theory of hitting a baseball. He said, “Wait…wait…wait…then, quick! Quick! Quick!” His point was to wait on the pitch as long as possible so you can evaluate its speed, movement, and location, and then explode into it with your bat. Even at that and Hall of Famer that he was, he failed almost seven in ten times. Writing microfiction, perhaps any writing, has an analogy (without the speed component): write…write…write, then edit! Edit! Edit! Thankfully writers have more time than the two fifths of a second available to major league baseball hitters.

5. Is there anything else that you would like people to know about you and/or your writing?

I write for me (and perhaps my son and daughter will learn more about me when and if they read the anthology I’m assembling). It is a very gratifying activity. If submissions turn into acceptances, then the opportunity for others to see my work is an added bonus. One more thing, I invest entirely too much emotion into the NY Mets, NY Jets, NY Rangers, and MSU Spartans (I’ve given up on the Knicks) and I know it’s not that healthy…but oh, for one more championship.

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Dan Farkas is an itinerant New Yorker currently exiled in Cleveland. His creative outlets include writing & photography. His latest published pieces are “Summer’s End on Erie” in The Birdseed Magazine & “Ascension Song” & “The Wedding Toast” in The Prompt Magazine. Twitter: @DNARNADan, Instagram: dan.farkas, Facebook: Dan Farkas.