Meet NUNUM's Contributor: Elizabeth Murphy

NUNUM

Blending Flash Fiction & Art

Interview with ​Elizabeth Murphy

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

Stein on Writing by Sol Stein.

Is there a writer who has influenced your current writing style?
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I like the restrained style of the Irish writer, Claire Keegan, and her ability to create tension without drama.

Why write flash fiction?

Why tell a story in 2000 words when it can be told in 500 or 1000?

What advice would you give someone who is just starting to send their work out to journals?
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Write for the sake of writing, for personal expression. Enjoy the process. That way, the rejections hurt less.​

What have you read this past year that you really liked?
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The Adversary, The Innocents (Michael Crummey), Birnam Wood (Eleanor Catton), Claire Keegan (everything she has published).

What do you not read?

I don’t read murder mysteries or detective stories. I make an exception for Patricia Highsmith. Instead of the Whodunnits, she wrote Whydunnits.   

What do you strive for in writing?

I aim for an original voice, interesting characters, and an original storyline.

What advice would you give regarding editing?
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For me, the best approach to editing is to put the piece away for a few weeks or months. That distance allows me to see weaknesses that might not have been obvious in earlier drafts. Also, I cut mercilessly. 

Elizabeth’s second novel, The Weather Diviner, was nominated for the 2026 Dublin Literary Award and longlisted for the 2024 BMO Winterset Award. Her short fiction has appeared in Nixes Mate Review, Reckon Review, Tiny Molecules, and other journals. Originally from Newfoundland, she now lives in Canada’s Ocean Playground, Nova Scotia.

NUNUM

Blending Flash Fiction & Art