This week, I’m off visiting Tina Pollick as a guest on her blog for a three-part interview series about Spark: A Creative Anthology. Part 1 was “Interview with editor Brian Lewis.” Part 2 featured a discussion with some of the authors and poets to be published upcoming volumes of Spark. In today’s final installment, I answer questions posed by Tina’s readers. See my answers at tinapollick.com!

Tina Pollick: What do you look for in a story—or a poem? Why?

Brian Lewis: It’s interesting that you say “story” and not just “submission”—and that’s actually important, because what we’re looking for is a story. Spark is looking for great writing that tells a compelling story, regardless of length. Even very short pieces, like flash fiction, should tell a story, though there will certainly be fewer dramatic elements developed than we’d see in a longer piece or novel. The presence of “story” is what distinguishes flash fiction from “vignette.” (read more…)

Tina Pollick: Do you provide comments when you reject a story?

Brian Lewis: We try to provide comments with every rejection. There have only been a few times where we really had nothing to say other than “No.” [. . .] When possible, we also provide suggestions for improvement.  (read more…)

Read the responses to these and other questions at tinapollick.com!