Summer General Issue – 1st Anniversary

Following the launch of each of our issues, we cajole one or more of the contributors into a mini interview with the Trash Cat.
Here they will reveal some writing wisdom and tell you what trash critter they identify with most. Important stuff like that.

Today, we have Dan Weaver. You can read his fabulously quirky flash fiction, Last Year I Got My Septic Done HERE and his voice-driven sci-fi short, Chime 3, Volume 5 HERE

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Q: What piece of writing advice/ crafting rule would you trash?

A: All of them? (Caveat: I have no authority or credentials.)

Q: Which writers and magazines do you go to to find treasure to read?

A: This is maybe a cop out answer since I’m not giving a litany of journals and names (I do read and appreciate many journals and names), but whenever my wife and I are researching some kind of purchase, having her read online reviews of products out loud is just the best. One, because my wife is the best so, purely by default, you have that. But also, online reviews are full of happy accidents of syntax and spelling and punctuation and comedy and earned emotion. I like to write how people talk (try to at least), and online reviews are how people talk. Plus, hearing those lovely imperfections spoken aloud doubles down on that and is great fun. So there are many treasures for me there.

Q: What trash animal do you most identify with?

A: I think humans are pretty trashy since humans create all kinds of trash (protein bar wrappers, curtain rods, buildings->rubble) and trash stuff that was not trash to begin with (Earth), and I’m a human, so I guess, to own it: human. (Is a human a Trash Ape?)

Q: When your writing mojo is trashed, how do you recharge?

A: Do other stuff that isn’t writing or reading. Any other stuff (except scrolling online, that will make it worse, scrolling online is bad, overall). Pay attention.

Q: If you could offer three tips to writing short treasures, what would they be?

A:  
1 – over-commit; make it fluorescent, 

2 – language is made up, like money,

3 – see question/answer number 1

Q: What is one thing, if spotted in a crowded charity shop/thrift store, you would just have to buy

A: I’d have to imagine that at some point in history there was a person (people even?) who had a face pretty much just like my face and that that person had their portrait painted at least one time. I’d buy that thing. It’s not really something you can search for on the internet.

Dan Weaver writes in Vermont, USA. He is on Bluesky @supernaturalfeat.com. More of his work can be found at supernaturalfeat.com.