Meet NUNUM's Contributor: Christopher Collins

NUNUM

Blending Flash Fiction & Art

Interview with Christopher Collins

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

The first series I really got into was Animorphs by K.A. Applegate. I had all those books—the concept of kids turning into animals was too rad. I was probably eight or nine.

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

I’ve dabbled at fiction writing since I was a kid, but I started writing it in earnest about two years ago. I was working at a plant nursery at the time. On my lunch breaks I would sit in my truck and read back issues of Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. It was a brief reprieve from the boredom of work and the broiling summer heat. At some point I started writing stories on my lunch break instead of reading them.
 
Is there a writing craft book that you would recommend to new writers?

Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott, is excellent. The Elements of Style, by White and Strunk, has helped me a lot.

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

Sure, lots. Ray Bradbury, like everyone else. But also, Joe Lansdale (Bubba Ho-Tep, Hap and Leonard), who's based in East Texas, and Dennis Etchison (The Dark Country), a California writer with a chillingly vivid style.  

Why write flash fiction?

I like the challenge it presents and the opportunity to try new approaches. I also like reading flash fiction; sometimes, my attention span can only handle bite-sized stories.   

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

Three things: Use a spreadsheet or a system like Submittable to track your submissions and correspondence; do a little research on potential publishers before shotgunning your story to every literary mag's inbox; for the best chance of acceptance, get input on your story from a “first reader” or professional editor before submitting.   

Top five John Carpenter movies, in order: 

The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, Escape from New York, Halloween, They Live (Honorable mention: Assault on Precinct 13) 

A favorite quote from a book.

“I felt lonely and content at the same time. I believe that is a rare kind of happiness.”  Stephen King, Bag of Bones.  

Currently, reading? 

Erik Larsen’s Savage Dragon: Ultimate Collection, Vol. 1.

Christopher Collins is a writer and editor based in Abilene, Texas. His non-fiction work has previously appeared in Texas Monthly, Texas Observer, Grist, NPR, and other publications. In his free time, he grows a wildlife garden and enjoys identifying the Big Country’s native flora and fauna.   

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