WriteFluence

Linda Hibbin is a mosaic artist living near the English Essex coast.

She has squiggled a few light-hearted lines of poetry over the years, usually to let off steam as a housewife and mother, and more recently wrote and illustrated stories for her granddaughter about the magical adventures of her unruly terrier, Poppy.

Linda became seriously interested, addicted might be a better word, in writing flash fiction and short stories when sharing her work for the first time, with other writers, during online creative writing courses in 2020.

Much of her work is inspired by her own life experiences. Some are thought-provoking, many reflect the humorous side of life or are pure fantasy. Her work has been accepted by a number of writer websites and the elation experienced seeing her words in print is on a par with a sky-dive on her 65^thbirthday.

We asked Linda a few questions to get to know her better. Here’s what she had to say:

^{Wanna see yourself published in this space? Participate now in our ongoing contest and get published!}

I have been writing since… 

The Pandemic changed my life. Faced with months of isolation I joined online creative writing classes and have been writing ever since. I am a mosaic artist and my life revolved around the craft until I discovered the joy of mosaicking with words. I am well and truly hooked.

My favorite author(s) and book(s)? 

My tastes have changed over the years. I have enjoyed everything from the classics to a wide range of fiction. To name a few and confuse you, Hugh Howey’s ‘Wool Trilogy,’ Shaffer & Barrow’s, ‘The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society,’ Simon Tofield’s ‘Simon’s Cat’ and of course the Harry Potter series. To top it off, I just can’t live without a smattering of nonsense from Ogden Nash or Lewis Carrol.

My journey as a writer: 

I squiggled a few light-hearted lines over the years, usually to let off steam as a housewife and mother. More recently I have written and illustrated stories for my granddaughter about the magical adventures of my unruly terrier, Poppy. I self published but realized that ‘marketing’ was a chief requirement. It seemed too big a project so I temporarily withdrew from that arena. I became seriously interested in writing flash fiction and short stories when sharing my work for the first time with other writers during online creative writing courses in 2020. Feedback was encouraging and motivating, and I have been writing and submitting to writing websites ever since. Not necessarily for any reward but to justify to myself and my neglected family and friends, the hours I spend in my imaginary world. The elation I experience seeing my words in print is on a par with the skydive on my sixty-fifth birthday!

Why should we read you?

I hope you’ll find me entertaining, maybe thought provoking. I’d like to think the reader may gasp or shed a tear. I’m as old as Methuselah and have experienced so many things that colour my story telling and provide me with a myriad of ideas.

My favorite genre to read / write 

At the moment I enjoy dystopian fiction and nonsense poetry, depending on my mood, and I suppose a lot of my work reflects this quirky mix. I can be very quirky but I also write stories that draw an emotional or sympathetic response.

What advise would you give young and aspiring writers? 

Write, write write and submit, submit, submit. Don’t hope for instant reward or recognition and don’t give up your day job. Write because you want to share your imaginary world. I am an ’emerging writer,’ it seems. Imagine you are emerging from a chrysalis preparing to spread multicolored wings. Your mission, to bring joy to everyone who sees you.

Here’s an excerpt from Linda’s winning story The Fragrant Embrace of Jasmin that’s now published in Wafting Earthy:

Gwen needed her mum. She found comfort in her presence as she listened to the consultant, not really hearing what he was saying. Later she wept into her mother’s softness soothed by the familiar fragrance which brought back memories of childhood cuddles. Made the world feel a safe place. Dispelled the monsters of dreams and banished fear. Suddenly, Gwen’s eyes lit up.

‘Do you remember waiting outside Woolies, pretending you didn’t know why we were really there?’ She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. Conjured a small smile from nowhere. ‘You always gave me a sixpenny piece and told me to go and buy my own Pick ‘n Mix. She got up, went into the kitchen and filled the kettle, continuing the conversation. ‘I’ll take the sound and bounce of the wooden floorboards to my grave.’

Gwen laughed, remembering herself as a child. ‘A visit to Woolworths was on a par with a trip to Santa’s Grotto. No, it was better. A wonderland for children. So many toys, books, art stuff, cheap jewelry, hair ribbons and tortoiseshell hair slides. Not real tortoiseshell, of course.’ While she waited for the kettle to boil, Gwen stared out the window.