Meet Our 2024 SAS Fiction Judge Greg Herren!

Learn more about this year’s SAS Fiction judge, Greg Herren, in his interview by our publicist, Reine Dugas.

 

 

What is it about a story that first captures your interest?

A strong opening and beautiful use of language.

What are you always happy to see in a short story? (a symbol, theme, place, literary device)

I love surprises, especially the ones you don’t see coming. I love a good twist ending!

What advice do you have for new writers?

Keep writing, always. No matter how bad you think it is, it can always be fixed. As with most things, your writing gets better the more you do it. Rejections aren’t personal; and have nothing to do with your talent or your story but rather what the editor is looking for and what they need.

What have you been reading lately?

Right now, I am reading Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford, Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay, The Complete Short Stories of William Faulkner, and Rival Queens by Nancy Goldstone.

How would you describe the New Orleans writing scene/community?

Vital and vibrant. It’s astonishing how much talent there is in this river port!

How can writers connect with other writers here in the city?

There’s all kinds of writing groups, readings, and so forth always going on in the city. I don’t even try to keep up with everything because there’s just too much of it.

Can you tell us about what you’re working on now?

I am finishing my fourth short story collection, and just started a new novel about a gay man moving to New Orleans in 1994 after twenty years in the military.

Thanks, Greg, for the insights! And thanks for being this year’s finalist judge!