#WritersQuick5 - Meet Microfiction author Bill McStowe

​Welcome to week eight of the #WritersQuick5 series - where we learn about writing from fellow writers. 

One of the reasons I’m enjoying the writing platform Channillo.com is the connection you can make with fellow writers. I’ve found writers on the platform to be accessible and friendly and it’s been fun to exchange messages and get to know people and their work. One of the most prolific authors on the website is microfiction author Bill McStowe. Bill’s work has been featured in blink-ink and in the Microfiction Monday Magazine Print Anthology’s Best of 2015. 

Bill’s series on Channillo.com is called Uncharted and posts every week. The series synopsis is: The world can be funny or terrifying depending on your outlook. Join our hero as he navigates the daily grind, experiencing life so you don't have to.

Let’s see what Bill has to say…

Question #1 - Where do you write and why do you write there?
I don’t have a designated writing space, so I write anywhere I can. I prefer notebooks for my early drafts so flat surfaces are important. My knee in the car, for example, counts as a flat surface.

Question #2 - What is unique about writing for your particular genre?
My weekly series “Uncharted” appears on Channillo. For about a year and a half now, I’ve been writing a story a week. The stories are written loosely in journal form by a hapless hero. The journal idea gives me freedom, so it’s a bit different. The stories stand alone, but with familiar characters and places.

Question #3 - What are some of your grammar or punctuation pet peeves?
I’d like to see a global gathering of grammarians hash out a universal rule on the punctuation in/outside the closing quotation mark thingamabob. Obviously, I would not be invited because I use words like “thingamabob.” In Australia, this would appear as “thingamabob”. 

Question #4 - At what point in your writing process do you start to bring other people in to review your work?
These days, I’m not bringing too many people in to review my work. My concentration is the weekly series, so I have a quick turnaround. I spend a lot time reading aloud as a way of being my own critic. That said, I do miss writing groups. I’ve met some wonderful people over the years.

​Question #5 - What advice would you give to a new writer about the writing process?
Avoid words like “thingamabob.”

Thank you Bill for your answers. I agree with you on the quotation marks - and for the record, I love the word thingamabob. 

If you want to keep up with Bill, please check out his series Uncharted on Channillo.com. You can also visit his website and follow him on Twitter. 

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If you would like to be featured as a writer in the #WritersQuick5 series, please just reach out and let me know. I’d love to promote your work as well!

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