How and when did you decide, or discover, that you were to be a writer?
I’m an English and ESL Instructor and Private tutor originally from Trinidad and Tobago who now lives in Vancouver, Canada. My journey as a writer began with my love of reading. My mom bought me a lot of books and encouraged me to use new vocabulary in my writing. When I was nine, I won first place in an essay competition for students in Commonwealth countries. I continued winning creative writing awards through grade and high school until my focus shifted to earning an undergraduate degree in English and French. I enjoy teaching the art of writing, both academic and creative. For most of my life, writing has been an outlet for my emotions and a home for my dreams – rarely did I share my work. Then, after a painful breakup in 2008, I wrote “The Heartbreak Sonnet, and impulsively submitted it to the 2009 BC TEAL Writing Competition, Instructors’ Category. It won first place. (http://www.kristyk.ca/about/TEAL_News_Fall_09[1].pdf, page 11)
What inspired you to write flash fiction?
In April 2016, I joined the Practice List on the Internet Writing Workshop and was introduced to flash fiction. It was a challenge to curb my verbosity into 400-word stories but it gave me the discipline to choose my words wisely.
Describe your writing process.
When a writing prompt comes in, I comb my memory for a personal experience upon which to build a story. Usually, my original idea is way too big for a flash piece. I start writing to see where the idea takes me and then start pruning words. Often, I will do online research or ask people involved in the associated experience for details to check accuracy.
What was the inspiration behind what was published on FewerThan500.com?
“Different Eyes” is a response to a prompt where a shadow must play an important role. The story is drawn from a turning point in my own life. I wanted to capture that heartbreaking moment when childhood innocence is overshadowed by cruel reality.
What are you working on now?
Inspired by other participants’ publishing successes, I started submitting my flash fiction to magazines in October 2016. I got my first acceptance in January 2017, on my birthday. My published work includes:
- The Right Fit (Summer 2017)
- Breath and Shadow Magazine (upcoming)
- Eye on the Prize (Postcard Shorts, March 2017) http://www.postcardshorts.com/read-2558.html
- Love is Blind (Freedom Fiction Journal, February 2017) http://www.freedomfiction.com/2017/02/love-is-blind-by-kristy-kassie/
- Grease Frightening (Freedom Fiction Journal, February 2017) http://www.freedomfiction.com/2017/02/grease-frightening-by-kristy-kassie/
- To read more of my writing, and to learn more about my many hats, please visit my website at http://www.kristyk.ca.