Interview: Super Reader Arlan Gerig

Here at Havok, we love mashups. We blur the lines between genres and themes, magazine and writing contest, and we’ve discovered something wonderful about our community. They’re mashups, too. Our most active commenter, the one who has won our Super Reader award four times in a row, is both reader and author. Arlan Gerig has fifteen stories published with Havok and he has left a comment on every single story for at least two years. So we just had to find out — what motivates such dedicated reading and commenting?

Join us now for an interview with one of our greatest fans, and one of the most encouraging commenters we know. (NOTE: The stories he mentions are free until 10pm Central today. Or you can access them all for a full year for a $4.99 membership).

Arlan’s Story

From the first day I read a Havok story, I was hooked on flash fiction. I liked commenting on writers’ stories and seeing their responses. Since I’m also a competitive person, my first goal became beating Rose Q. Addams in her Super Reader streak. Once Rose joined Havok’s staff and dropped off the commenting radar, I won! I noticed, however, that most stories only received a modicum of praise. Even powerful stories only gathered a handful of comments.

Since I enjoy lots of praise and adoration for all my hard work on a story, my competition to win changed to a resolution to comment as often as possible on other writers’ stories and let them know I noticed their efforts. The gift card and recognition were just icing on the cake.

I believe that stories shape our behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes. We are shaped by story. If I can encourage writers in their efforts and they gain confidence to continue sharing their stories, then I’ve made my own contribution, even if I never publish another story of my own. The world is full of people who tell us what we can’t do, but Havok is different. I love Havok’s policy of giving positive feedback, and the more I do it, the easier it becomes. Even the occasional story that doesn’t appeal to me always has something in it that I can appreciate.

I enjoy reading Havok on my breaks at work or while eating lunch, and I love the communication between reader and writer. I’m always fascinated to know what prompted them to write the story and what connection it has with their lives. In a snapshot of a thousand words, I know what was important to them.

Q: What have you observed about the season themes over the years?

One of the things I like about Havok is their attention to themes. Transitioning from theme to theme is a little challenging, but it also invites different types of stories. I feel like I never really left the Animal Kingdom theme. Many of my stories have animals somewhere in them, even if they aren’t the main focus of the story.

Havok’s themes are like writing prompts to jumpstart your imagination. A writing instructor recently suggested picking a theme for your story, such as “hope,” and then purposely not using that term or any companions to it in your story. Havok has already given us elements like this, such as our current theme of remembering past events, then using it in a certain month, then using it within a specific genre like fantasy, humor, sci-fi, etc.

I usually take it a step further and avoid the first things that come to mind. For the Animal Kingdom theme of discoveries and extinctions, for example, I avoided dinosaurs and the like and focused on ancient Christian mythologies. I discovered the caladrius, a dove with healing properties, and knew I had something I could write about. It became the topic for my story “Secret Bird.”

What fascinates me is how the theme, such as our currently monthly choice, still elicits such different stories. Five people can write about the developing warmth in May, but one will bring in aliens, one will remember World War II, and someone else will focus on a dragon race (that was mine).

I’ve noticed that flash fiction tends to favor first person POV, both because it allows us inside the main character’s head but also because a tight word count means that every word is worth gold. You can’t waste words describing a character’s family or surroundings. If you’re already in their head, their relevant background and feelings sneak in, as well as coming through their speech, attitudes, and actions.

Q: What have you observed about the growth of various authors?

We all have to start somewhere, and often our strengths carry us quite far. John Leatherman started with many Wacky Wednesday stories filled with puns and the tales of Super Gus, then branched into Techno Tuesday and Thriller Thursday stories with different main characters. I enjoy watching his growth as an author and reading his hilarious stories.

Pamela Love has also developed as an author. She’s given us many mysterious stories, like “Mud Season,” about a poor boy in a one-room schoolhouse. Pamela has also written sci-fi stories about a rhino on a spaceship (“The Case of the Runaway Rhino”) and tender fantasy stories (“The Shoemaker and the Mermaids”). She has the great ability to evoke strong emotions while also developing a captivating story.

Rosemarie DiCristo is a relative newcomer with stories about a superhero with the odd power of detachable limbs (“Flight or Fight”) and powerful stories (“X Must Die”), in which the object of their wrath isn’t revealed until the very end. I often see a connection between a writer’s stories, but Rosemarie has the wonderful ability to totally change mindset in the types of stories she writes. She’s a fun one to watch develop.

Q: How does all the reading affect your own writing?

I’ve always been a big reader. I believe that the more reading we do and the more genres we read, the more diverse and expansive our writing becomes. I’m still amazed at how a Fantasy Friday story can contain sci-fi elements yet still be solid fantasy. Star Wars, for example, is basically a fantasy story that takes place on other planets.

Havok has a diverse group of writers, each with their own focus and style. There are some writers that I can identify just by reading part of their story without seeing their names, like Hannah Carter, John Leatherman, and Rachel Dib, to name a few.

One of the early ways my writing evolved came after several rejections from Havok. I tended to deal with serious themes through tragic endings or dark stories. That changed after reading “Mustard Maid” by Cassandra Hamm, in which a bridesmaid tried so save her best friend from being killed by a vengeful alien. It had some serious moments, but Cassandra would incorporate humorous internal thought from the bridesmaid immediately after a couple paragraphs of tense drama. The story was humorous (the beginning is enough to make you blurt out laughing), yet without becoming a farce.

I started writing my stories using that approach and discovered that I enjoyed humorous writing while still incorporating serious topics that made the reader think. Thriller Thursday, however, doesn’t have many humorous stories and was particularly difficult for me to write. The editors kept telling me my stories didn’t pack enough punch.

Then came “Rise of the Serpopard,” my first Thriller Thursday story. It kept the balance of humor from the viewpoint of a struggling actor contrasted with the stress of dealing with a mythological creature that could change a sunny day to thunder and lightning on a whim.

With flash fiction, the characters must feel complete and real, and the story must have a beginning and ending under a strict word count. Many Havok authors have developed their characters so well that sequels and sometimes novels result from one story. I like following those, like Katie Hanna’s Green Room stories. The first one was so funny it had me in tears.

As I progress in my writing, I constantly find myself way over that thousand-word limit, and the question becomes what is most important to the story and what can be dropped. Sometimes it’s obvious and other times it’s like deciding which toe to cut off.

Q: What differences do you see between reading flash fiction vs reading novels?

Havok was the first time I had encountered flash fiction, which has a different approach from short stories and novels. In a sense, flash fiction is a novel because there is a beginning conflict, a main character who has to undergo some change or arc, a climax, and an ending. A short story might do the same thing but with more words. A novel, of course, takes many twists and turns and fleshes out the characters, plot, and setting. Flash fiction usually has two or three characters at the most and focuses on one key moment. The setting, which can take time to establish in a fantasy or sci-fi novel, is usually pretty sparse in flash fiction. There just isn’t room.

When I read a novel, a couple themes dominate, but many smaller themes weave through it. When I read Of Sea and Smoke recently, I enjoyed getting to know the characters and watching their struggles through various problems. I also enjoyed Gillian Bronte Adams’ descriptive style and story development.

Flash fiction, on the other hand, is like the TikTok version of a novel. The story is sharp, the characters are lively, and there are no wasted words. I believe both are important. As a writer, my development for description and pacing has increased from reading novels.

Q: What kinds of stories resonate with you most?

 I like stories with a spiritual and/or emotional emphasis. Lincoln Reed dealt with an injured soldier and his friend who tried to heal him in “The Bronze Serpent.” The narrator had the bronze serpent that Moses shaped thousands of years ago, and tried to get his blind friend to look at it and believe that he could be healed. This story beautifully incorporated faith with the stress and danger of WWII, and I couldn’t help liking the Indiana Jones vibe as well.

I like dragon stories, too, and they populate a fair number of Havok stories. Dragons might be fierce or friendly, but they’re always interesting. I enjoy seeing how various authors incorporate different dragon attributes into their stories. J.L. Ender has taken the most unusual approach, since his dragon is also a magician who can shapeshift into a human. His stories are always entertaining and provide a good laugh.

Stories that make me laugh often top my list of best stories. If they’re in a genre other than Wacky Wednesday, it makes the week even better! Rachel Dib’s story “Pop Goes the Ferret” made me chuckle, giggle, and laugh all through it. It was a Techno Tuesday story that incorporated a wonderful new slang term, “chippy.” Although not everything was chippy for the main character as she worried about a ferret in her house, maybe that term can still become a new trend.

Q: Have you noticed certain story structures or choices that authors make about how they frame a story moment (like when they choose to begin or end a story)?

 The best stories start with a strong hook that piques your interest. At the same time, they identify the main character, some kind of conflict, the time period, and the genre. That’s a lot to pack into one paragraph or two, but many Havok writers do it well. Rebecca Morgan’s historical stories, for example, pull me in from the start.

The ending is also key. I have yet to perfect the twist ending in the last line. John Leatherman did that well in “Fool Me Twice,” a story about two Dougs, one who’s timid and one who makes things happen. I appreciate stories that change your whole understanding with a twist in the last paragraph. Most stories end at a climax or a loose ending that invites the reader’s thought to what comes next.

Once in a while, an author will write a story in second person. These are rare because they’re hard to pull off. Abigail Falanga wrote a second person story titled “Out of Order” about the Fountain of Youth coming through a high school water fountain. The reader is essentially the main character, which adds a neat twist to the story. I’ve admired writers brave enough to try it and successful in doing so.

Q: Any other thoughts?

Titles are important. I see them as the introduction to the story. A good title often tells you if it’s serious or humorous, and indicates the content of the story. Katie Hanna’s “Four Wizards and a Funeral” is one of my favorite Havok titles because it’s a clever play on a movie title as well as showing the focus of the story. One of my own favorite titles is “Somewhere Over the Rainbow Detector,” which is reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz but also makes the reader wonder what a rainbow detector is and why someone would need it.

I obviously enjoy reading Havok stories and encourage other readers/writers to keep reading, as well as voting and commenting on stories they appreciate. It’s good being part of the Havok community!

That concludes our interview with Havok author and Super Reader, Arlan Gerig. All the volunteer Havok staff, including co-founders Andrew Winch and Teddi Deppner, have poured their hearts, time, and talents into this passion publishing venture, and hearing the impact it’s having is super encouraging.

Keep on writing and reading, friends. Stories make the world go round. As that lovely Doctor Who quote goes (loosely paraphrased), “We’re all stories in the end. So make it a good one.”