Interview with Bash Ortega

Meet NUNUM's Contributer: Bash Ortega

2/22/2025

NUNUM

Blending Flash Fiction & Art

Interview with Bash Ortega

What was the first book you remember picking and reading by yourself?

There isn’t necessarily 1 book I remember in particular, but I have 2 brothers who are much older, so I inherited all of their Animorph and Goosebump books. I was obsessed with Goosebumps as a kid, and remember getting my dad to read them to me before I was old enough to read them myself. I also have a specific memory of watching Goosebumps: Night in Terror Tower on VHS while my dad made me alphabet soup for lunch.

What writer(s) or which book(s) influenced your decision to become a writer?

I first started writing professionally as a horror film reviewer and interviewer. I’ve learned so much from talking to other creators and have always been a visual artist, so it was a natural progression for me.

Is there a writing craft book that you would recommend to new writers?

The most influential piece for my writing is actually a podcast, Start With This, by Jeffrey Cranor, co-creator of Welcome to Nightvale. Each episode of Start with This focuses on one aspect of writing and creativity and then gives an activity or challenge to the listener to practice using the advice discussed in the episode. As someone who enjoys audio learning and storytelling, I find the podcast invaluable because it encouraged me to create just for the sake of making something. It helped me be less judgemental of my own work and allowed me to put my ideas out there.

Is there a writer who has influenced your current writing style?

If it isn’t already clear, I am very into “genre” fiction. I love comic books, horror, and sci-fi. I think Harlan Ellison’s short story, I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream has influenced my style because I appreciate how straightforward the narrative is. Any detail is necessary for tone, but the work is streamlined. I also think comic book writers such as Jeff Lemire, James Tynion, and Junji Ito have

influenced my style. The effectiveness of comics is that they can show the story's action without frills. Junji Ito, in particular, has a genre savviness that allows him to play with tone and use tropes in unconventional and often funny ways.

Why write flash fiction?

I love flash fiction because it allows me to hone in on a single concept and pushes

me to be as precise as possible with what I’m trying to say. Flash does not usually allow elaboration that does not directly advance the narrative of the story, so it allows me to express my ideas in a very immediate and visceral sense. This is especially effective when writing horror because it allows for quick gratification. Additionally, my writing focuses on queer narratives, especially focusing on my experience as a trans person. Obviously, the experience of being queer and trans is very complex, but flash allows me to focus on one facet of that experience at a time, which can also make it more digestible to audiences who are just getting introduced to queer or trans people.

What advice would you give someone just starting to send their work out to journals?

Always submit, even if you don’t think your work is good enough. Rejection gives you room for growth. It also never hurts to ask the journals for feedback. They’re often too busy, but I’ve found that if they do have time to offer feedback, they will! Also, get as many people to read your work and give feedback as possible. It will make you a better writer. You will not grow without criticism.

How does your identity as a trans person influence your writing?

Almost all of my characters are queer. Most of my writing focuses on queer narratives, but even if a character’s identity is not central to the story, I will make them queer because we exist, and our lives are not always centered around our queerness. The story published in NUNUM, My House, is inherently about the queer experience. The main character is a gay man who feels like he cannot escape a bleak future, so he has given up on trying. I wanted to express how difficult it can feel to exist in a world not set up for people like you and how insurmountable it can feel to just function when you’re set up to fail.

How does your work in nonfiction influence your fiction writing?

I’ve been a film, music, and art critic, as well as an interviewer. Additionally, I was a screener for this year's Brooklyn Horror Film Fest’s short film program. Screening helped me because I was exposed to so many short films (Somewhere around 200 in about 6 months) and had to score each movie with a rubric. Immersing myself in narrative and creative work has helped me think deeply about what I like and what I find effective in other people’s work. Additionally, interviewing has allowed me to talk to artists I deeply admire and learn more about their creative process. Every interview I’ve done has inspired me in some way. I think of interviewing as collaborative storytelling. I am trying to prompt something interesting and profound from my interviewee, which involves a lot of research and also creating trust with the other person.

Can you tell us about your other creative outlets?

Yes! I am happy to participate in anything creative that comes my way, so I do diverse creative work. Outside of writing, my primary creative outlet is as a visual artist. My big project is a series of bone illustrations with micron pens. I recently showed a small group of these pieces at Smush Gallery. I also enjoy crafting and selling kandi (pony bead rave jewelry), clothing, and pins at craft fairs. Finally, I recently helped a friend, Alice Thirteen, make a documentary film! This was new for me, but Alice is a film professional. She had recorded the behind the scenes footage for the film, It’s a Wonderful Knife, and asked me to help her review the footage. This turned into us making the documentary Better Off together. That’s the condensed version, but you can read the whole story on The Medium.

Bash Ortega is a writer and multimedia artist living and working in Brooklyn, NY. Over their art career, they have created a collection of iconography heavily inspired by street art and scientific illustration. Bash is an established culture reviewer, and you can find their published work on Horror Press and Artefuse.