Meet NUNUM's Contributor: Seth Kristalyn

NUNUM

Blending Flash Fiction & Art

Interview with ​Seth Kristalyn

What was the first book you remember picking and reading by yourself?
​
This is a hard question to answer because I read so many books as a youth that I’ve legitimately forgotten many that I’ve read. However, I do remember that in the second grade I picked up Redwall by Brian Jacques and was consumed with his worldbuilding.

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

I’m not sure that I would say that I was influenced in my decision. To some degree, I feel as if I never had a choice, and I mean that as a positive thing. I recall trying to create stories with just pictures in stapled books of construction paper before I could even read or write. Telling stories is what I’ve always wanted to do. However, to answer the question more precisely, the worldbuilding aspects of Redwall that I mentioned in my previous answer were definitely an early influence on me.

My own fantasy setting that has occupied my brain for decades now began in second grade. I cannot recall a time when I was not aware of the stories of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. It wasn’t until college that I began to consider writing more realist or “literary” (though I loathe the term) writing.

Is there a writing craft book that you would recommend to new writers?
​
There are so many good craft books out there, so I’ll spare the usual answers of King’s On Writing, Gardner’s The Art of Fiction, or Forster’s Aspects of a Novel. Instead, I’d point to John Steinbeck’s writings in Journey of Novel: The East of Eden Letters. I recommend this to my students precisely because it is not a craft book, but rather, it is an intimate look into one man’s writing process in a way that was never designed to explicitly be turned into a book. 

Reading it can help with some of the more existential questions about writing like “What does it mean to be a real writer?” because you get to see a writer at work and enter his mind. Reading it allowed me to feel much more at ease with myself as a writer.

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

​I mentioned a lot of fantasy before which was an early influence. However, currently my writing style is not fantasy fiction (which I still have a deep respect for). As an undergraduate, Kevin Brockmeier came to my university and held a reading. His style really resonated with me, and I began to become much more interested in fabulist and formalist writing styles. If I had to select one writer who has impacted my thoughts on what writing can be, it would be him.

Why write flash fiction?

To be honest, I’m not sure. Some stories are meant to be told in hundreds of thousands of words, others in mere thousands, and yet others in hundreds. I guess it really just depends on the story and what it needs in order to be made real. Flash fiction is particularly difficult for me because I’m a naturally wordy person (as you can see through my answers). In some ways, flash fiction represents a challenge to be overcome. 

How can I convey depth of meaning, character, and tension in so few words? The power of flash fiction is in its brevity and ability to, when done exceptionally well, punch a hole right through you in such a way that a story of only a few words clings to your mind and gives you pause.

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

I’ll skip the usual answers of persistence and patience and instead focus on something that has helped me greatly—staying organized. I keep a record of all the places I’ve submitted. I keep a spreadsheet of how often a story has been sent out and how often it has been rejected. I keep a long master list of potential journals to submit to which I constantly update.

Generally, I set aside a day in the spring and fall when most journals are open and submit dozens of times in a frenzy. It is so easy to get discouraged when submitting, and one thing that helps me stay grounded and excited to continue to submit is simply keeping organized.

How did you discover NUNUM?

​I don’t exactly recall how I discovered NUNUM, but I can say that it has been on my list to submit to for years. I personally love the juxtaposition of art alongside the written word, and NUNUM approaches it with much the same thought as I would myself. When I look at the chaotic pages of the journal, I’m reminded of Wyndham Lewis’s short-lived Blast magazine with its vorticist artwork and challenging typefaces.

​What excites you about sharing your story, “How to Live with a Hotter Roommate” with the world?

This is a story that I felt was good enough to be published, but I wanted it to be published in the right place. The second person singular narrative as well as the decision to treat this in the vein of a dating magazine’s “How to” article resulted in a unique story for me that not everywhere would be interested in publishing. I think what excites me most about this story and its acceptance to NUNUM is the opportunity to see my own work in a new light and environment.
​
What was the inspiration for this story and why was it something that you needed to write?

For this story, I’m drawing heavily from my own experience. I moved to a new city and needed a place to stay, so I started to live with a friend from high school. His roommate and our mutual friend from high school as well had gone to basic training, so I moved his stuff into a closet and took his room. Soon after, an acquaintance from high school needed a place to stay, and he began to sleep on the couch. I wanted to write something about this experience while also beginning to look at toxic masculinity and men’s inability to be vulnerable with each other. I wanted to address the homoerotic undercurrents that many men feel but are unequipped to handle and navigate.

Seth Kristalyn has an MA in English from Kansas State University. He has previously published work in Burningword Literary Journal, The Write Launch, Rappahannock Review, and others. He teaches English courses and lives in southwestern Kansas with his wife, two daughters, and dog. You can keep up with him on Twitter.

NUNUM

Blending Flash Fiction & Art

Current Issue

Next Interview

Nominations