The Centifictionist

Salena Casha’s 100 word microfiction, “I Knew an Eggshell”, will appear in the fifth issue of The Centifictionist (Vol. 3, Issue 1, Spring/Summer 2022). Salena graciously answered a few brief questions for us. Read the interview below.

1. What inspired the story “I Knew an Eggshell”?

I think I had just gotten back on Twitter after a ten year hiatus and the first thing I saw was someone mentioning that they were going to a Zoom reading (obviously, this was during the height of the pandemic). I had this whole flashback to pre-pandemic memories when you’d find yourself in indy bookstores that sold coffee and let people step up to the mic on a Friday. I couldn’t let the image – and the absurdity – of it go. My husband once said he wanted to go to a reading and recite the lyrics to “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and see if anyone noticed. So, when writing this one, I chose paint colors instead.

It started out as a poem and eventually, I compressed it into a microfiction.

2. What inspires you and your writing?

I’m a big eavesdropper and prone to getting wrapped up in strangers’ conversations or vignettes I witness when I’m just walking around Boston. It’s easier for me to steal from things going on around me than creating stories from scratch. I’m just inspired by the life happening where I live.

Also, sunshine in the morning and a hot coffee always tend to do the trick, especially in the winter.

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

Right now at least, I’m returning to nostalgic things that give me a hit of serotonin I need. I’ve gotten really wrapped up in a hilarious podcast called Pottervision that my husband sent me from Spotify. Essentially, it’s two guys reading through the Harry Potter series chapter by chapter and poking fun at the inconsistencies. It’s irreverent and hilarious and makes me laugh out loud which helps me take a break from the darkness going on in the world today.

Outside of that and writing, I find running and keeping in close touch with the people I love has helped enormously. Running for the meditative feeling I get when I do it and the people because, well, surrounding yourself with the right people can split a dark day like a disco ball in a nightclub.

4. What advice do you have for microfiction writers?

• Never be afraid to just write down an image you see or a snippet of dialogue you catch when you’re out in the world. There’s a story to be found in everything around you.

• Don’t take yourself and your writing too seriously. Some things you write will never come to anything. Regardless, it’s important to let those words have their time in the light and then, when the moment is right and calling to you, move on to the next.

• Even the shortest pieces have conflict, a turning point, a vibrant character, however subtle. Find it and hold on for dear life.

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

Not really other than I’m so grateful to you, all of you, for reading my work. If you liked my microfiction, “I Knew an Eggshell,” you can check out other things I’ve written linked on my Twitter @salaylay_c or on my website: salenacasha.wixsite.com/salena-casha.

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Salena Casha’s work has appeared in over 50 publications in the last decade. You can find her recent words over on Bending Genres, FlashBack Fiction, Scrawl Place, and Rejection Letters. She survives New England winters on black coffee and good beer. Follow her on Twitter @salaylay_c. Website: salenacasha.wixsite.com/salena-casha.