Addie Citchens, VSF Judge Interview
Interview with Very Short Fiction Judge, Addie Citchens
By Reine Dugas
When reading a story for the first time, what pulls you in first? Voice? Character? Idea?
Normally, the first thing that pulls me in is voice. Overly chatty and off-putting voice can quickly turn me away from a story. For me, the voice, whether it’s good or bad, negative or positive, wherever it falls on the spectrum, must above all things, be compelling.
Do you have any pet-peeves when it comes to fiction submissions? Anything writers should absolutely try to avoid?
Anything too talkative or unnatural or story-ish, unless you’re telling a super cool new age fable type of story won’t work for me. I also caution writers about having their influences close to the surface. I don’t like to be immediately reminded of another story when I’m reading something new. I like to fall into stories and not come up for air.
What are some of your favorite short stories?
I have so many, much more than this. Short stories were my first love.
“Sweat,” Zora Neale Hurston; “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson; “Good Country People,” Flannery O’Conner; “Girl,” Jamaica Kincaid; “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” Gabriel Garcia Marquez; “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” Hans Christian Anderson; “Who Will Greet You at Home?” Lesley Nneka Arima; “Bear Hunting Season,” Annell Lopez
What are your thoughts on story structure? Do you prefer a classic, beginning / middle / end setup, or are you open to less conventional narratives?
I prefer any way that works for the facilitation of the story. I’m not so big on technique and the expected; I’m big on the way the story makes me feel.
What is the appeal of very short fiction versus short fiction or longer formats?
I like almost all fiction, so I wouldn’t say there is an appeal of one over the other; I will say what I particularly enjoy about micro fiction is that it gives you a point without all that jazz. And sometimes that’s all you need, the quick, hot point of the thing.
Be sure to check out Addie on social media at @addie_citchens.
