M L Henderson
Why did you submit to trash to treasure lit?
I found Trash to Treasure Lit on Twitter and looked into the mag. I thought the mission was a really cool idea. Resurrecting art is important.
How would you describe your writing practice?
I throw up words on the page, as much as I can get out. Then I try to think about what my characters want or how my characters are going to change, then, try to shape it from there.
What is the biggest thing that stops you from submitting work to lit mags/journals/publications?
I always feel like it's not ready, like there's always something that will make it better or something I need to work on.
Do you think the writing industry has an impact on your confidence in your work (good or bad)? Why?
Yes, and in a good way, because sometimes I'll read something that is so so terrible that I'll think, "If this garbage can get published than so can mine."
When do you start to doubt a piece that you are working on?
Before I start writing it.
Once you trash one of your pieces, what makes you come back to it (if ever)?
Time. I find if I give it time to bake, around six months has been my average waiting period, I can see what it's missing. That's when it's been long enough, that I'm no longer in the headspace I was in when I wrote it the first time. When you're farther away, you can see the holes.
How many pieces do think you have currently in your 'abandoned' folder?
Easily 20 or more.
What is the ultimate reason that you trash your work?
I don't think it has enough to it.
My name is M.L. Henderson. I write about the moments in between moments and small conflicts with large consequences. I mostly do short stories, although recently, I've started trying for a novel. I am currently working on my Creative Writing MFA at Eastern Washington University. I am a gender fluid Buffalo New Yorker living in the PNW. I work as a communications specialist GSA for EWU, an Editorial Assistant & Social Media Manager for Willow Springs Magazine, as a freelance writer, and as an Event Supervisor for the city of Spokane. When I'm not writing I'm tweeting with my two pet birds.