Lydia S Gray

Goldfish Grimm: If we could peek into your office (coffee shop, kitchen table, wherever you write), what would your writing process look like?

Lydia S Gray: It would look like me on a couch with a laptop on my lap, watching the TV over the top of the screen. I may also have a pair of headphones on, listening to music. There is an ash tray and a mug of coffee within reach. There is ash all over the keyboard.
I’m a woman. I can multi-task.

GFG: What is it actually like?

LSG: It depends on the story. Some get bashed out in one big rush, some get written inch by painful inch, and others actually get some form of planning. But in the end, it’s all just putting words in a row and hoping someone likes it.

GFG: Was there anything in particular that inspired “The Collector”?

LSG: I’d love to say something really interesting here, but it was a prompt from about a year ago. I was doing flash fiction fortnight on the Absolute Write forums, and I was writing a story a night for two weeks.
I got a lot of good stories out of that. It’s surprising what you can come up with when you just let yourself hammer something out. I have no recollection of what inspired it. Maybe a garden on the TV.
It got put away until recently, and then I got it out, tidied it up and sent it to you.

GFG: The main character in “The Collector” is so enchanted by the lure of the garden that she rattles the gate. At the same time, she doesn’t seem to be aware of her actions. Do you think her pain has led her here or has the collector summoned her somehow?

LSG: That’s an interesting question. I think her pain led her there. A few days ago I was thinking about it, and I thought she might be dead, and the garden is either heaven or hell. But I have no idea whether that’s right or not. I think with things like that it’s up to the reader to decide what they think.

GFG: Do you have anything you’d like to plug or promote?

LSG: Not a lot. One of my stories is a podcast over at Every Day Fiction. It was read by Folly Blaine and everyone should go and listen to what a great job she did. everydayfiction.com
Also, thank you for interviewing me. I’ve never been interviewed before.