Bethany Browning
Why did you submit to trash to treasure lit?
I loved the idea of submitting a story to a place that is specifically for a story I gave up on. I rarely totally abandon a story but I kept coming back to it (and submitting it to other places) even though I was disappointed in the ending, and it kept racking up rejections! I even hired an editor to help out and they were insistent that it was unbelievable--and that was tough because the specific things that were called out were things that actually happened. So I shelved Firebrand for a while, found Trash to Treasure and it was accepted! And that made me very happy.
How would you describe your writing practice?
My writing practice is pretty disciplined. I can force myself to write even when I'm not feeling it, and some of my best stories have come from the struggle of forcing myself to sit still and get the words out. It's such joy to finish a story I'm proud of, even when it's tough to keep going.
What is the biggest thing that stops you from submitting work to lit mags/journals/publications?
I am pretty open to submitting to anything other than pubs that have a bad reputation, charge money and then never respond (cough--rhymes with "thank"--cough) and anything too fancy-fancy highbrow literary. I'm not a literary writer. I also avoid anthologies that already have a lineup of super famous authors.
Do you think the writing industry has an impact on your confidence in your work (good or bad)? Why?
Very much so. I have queried two novels and am getting ready to query a third. We're talking hundreds of rejections from agents and publishing companies, so, yeah. It affects me. I am always wondering if my stuff is commercial enough. Right now, I don't think it is. But I keep going and I do love the work.
When do you start to doubt a piece that you are working on?
I love a twist ending and I work myself into a tizzy trying to get just the right amount of clues and red herrings. I doubt my work when it seems like the twist is too obvious or when it comes out of nowhere. Twists are tough.
Once you trash one of your pieces, what makes you come back to it (if ever)?
I like revisiting old pieces when I am feeling a bit stuck or blocked on something else. I have definitely chopped up bits from abandoned stories and put them in new ones. I use them like a junk yard.
How many pieces do think you have currently in your 'abandoned' folder?
About four.
What is the ultimate reason that you trash your work?
I can feel it when it's not going to work. And if I trash it, it's because I don't think I have the patience to sort it out. And that's usually because I don't have much of a belief in the story to begin with.
Is there anything that would stop you from trashing your work? (More education in writing, more publications/less rejections, a change in the industry, etc)
I think there will always be stories that get trashed. They can't all be winners.
What writing advice have you been given that has changed your perspective on how you treat/view your work?
You can't bore people into to reading your work. Pacing, twists, humor, strong endings--these are all things that keep readers engaged.
If you have any upcoming work (books, publications, features, art, etc), feel free to mention them here, so that we can support you!
I had a good spooky month in October with pieces in The Hallowzine, Halloween Horrors, Esoterica and Flash Fiction Magazine. All of my published work is linked on my site as well at bethanybrowning.com. You can also find me on Twitter for now @buzzwordsocial.
Bethany Browning's work has been published in Stories We Tell After Midnight Volume 3, Allegory, Angel Rust, Drabbledark II, Mudroom, The Drabble, Flash Flood, Filth, Sage Cigarettes, Flash Fiction Magazine, The Hallowzine, Halloween Horrors, Trash to Treasure, and Esoterica. Her story Charred Cedar was nominated in 2022 for Best of the Net. She's on Twitter @buzzwordsocial and you can find links to her published stories at bethanybrowning.com.