Dames in the Dark - Devil In Me

On Monday I'll be a guest on Authors on the Air with Pam Stack, and looking at some of the amazing writers that have graced those airwaves I can't help but be a little intimidated. We're doing Dames in the Dark, hosted by the amazing Angel Colón, I'll be reading some new flash alongside five other kick ass women. Nikki Dolson, Rios de la Luz, Heather Luby, Carmen Jaramillio, and Jen Conley will all be reading their work.

When Angel first approached me, I gave a tentative yes, and asked for a deadline on a real yes, because I didn't have a damn thing to read that fit the word count. On further thought though, how could I say no? I gave a yes and started brainstorming. Flash can be fun, but it can be fucking difficult - it's closer to poetry than short fiction and believe me, you don't want to read my poetry. I don't even want to read my poetry.

I do enjoy writing flash when I get my mood just right and figure out a voice. First person tends to work best for me in that small a space, but getting the story just right is the hardest part. I turned, as I so often do, to music for my inspiration.

I've written about my relationship with music in regard to my writing here before, so I won't get into it, but I had my lightbulb moment when I realized the catchy song by Gin Wigmore I'd be listening to and singing along with was actually straight up about murder (the video is also absolutely killer).

My favorite line of the song is "I'll drink, drink until you love me, and wake up always thinking of me", especially later in the song when it's juxtaposed with the more serious line "You left, left me on a Monday, so now I'll bury you on Sunday" - and, like I said, DAMN IT'S CATCHY. I always play it twice in a row so I can sing along. So this throaty, hardened chick getting whiskey bent and bloodthirsty over her ex embedded itself in my brain and I had to follow it.

If you're interested in the result... well I guess you'll have to listen.