We are thrilled to announce this year’s Slinkies authors. In the next series of posts we bring you interviews with 2020 Slinkies authors, Sophie Overett, Harry Goddard, Ch’aska Cuba de Reed, Liam Higham, Sky Carrall, Emil Colic , Tehya Nicholas and Thomas Alan. In this post, Tehya talks about her microfiction, ‘Rosie’ , her favourite authors and her latest writing project. ‘Rosie’ is published in Slinkies Shorts which is available from all major ebook retailers.
Tell us about the inspiration for your piece, ‘Rosie’.
I had been reading obsessively about Caroline Calloway, a notorious Instagram Influencer and #scammer who had an infamous falling out with a friend. It just grabbed me, this knotty female friendship. I wanted to invent a character based off Calloway, who was somewhat toxic and tragic, and the plot unspooled itself from there.
What are your writing habits?
A hot mess. During isolation I wrote for an hour each morning; a small taste of glory. Didn’t last. These days I write whenever the desire hits or an assignment is due. It’s a bit erratic and elusive.
Who are your favourite authors? How have they influenced your writing?
I really dig Carmen Maria Machado. She never shies away from the underbelly of the feminine experience. Her short stories are like twisted fantasies and I take inspiration from her courage in vulnerability. I also love George Saunders’s experimental, hilarious approach to fiction. I seem to copy what he does a lot.
What do you like about the short story form?
Boundaries and constraints make short story writing a challenge I can’t resist. Precision is everything in this form and I love the opportunities you have for surprising the reader. You just don’t really get that in novellas or novels. Also, my attention span is tiny which works well.
What other projects are you working on? Where can people catch you on the internet?
I am currently working on an absurd comedy screenplay for a friend’s production company. A sort of a ten-minute version of The Lobster meets The Importance of Being Earnest. My website tehyanicholas.com is where you can read some more of my work, or Instagram @glow_fishing for a window into my charming life.
Tehya Nicholas is a creative writing student at RMIT in Melbourne. This is her first piece of published fiction.
Follow Us:
Share this page:
