Don’t Show, Don’t Tell looks like a great collection of shorts. Any plans to turn it into a series?
All of the stories in Don’t Show, Don’t Tell are individual stories surrounding various conspiracy theories and imagined worlds. There are a couple of stories that are connected to one-another, but besides that, they are all separate stories with their own plotline. I do hope to write another collection of short stories in the same dystopian genre, but I do not plan on having them be a continuation of these existing stories. I am also currently working on a novel in the same genre that I hope to release later this year!
How did you come up with the stories in Don’t Show, Don’t Tell?
I have always loved conspiracy theories and questioning everything that exists around us, and I was taught by a college professor that one way to start a story is to write a ‘What if’ question. This became my focal point in writing these stories because I would begin to think about the things that are told to us or the things that we see and ask myself, ‘what if…?’ From there, I began writing, and the stories turned into what they are today!
What will readers get out of your book?
Readers will get a new outlook on life, an awakening that will open their eyes and show them some truths that are hidden and disguised in our world. They will have the thrill of reading a short story with the added bonus of experiencing a different take on the way that we live every single day. From the way that we run our social media accounts to the way the news is portrayed to us, these stories cover it all.
What inspired you when writing Don’t Show, Don’t Tell?
One of my biggest inspirations was Shane Dawson because, to be honest, I fell down a pit hole of his conspiracy theory videos on YouTube. I have always loved the dystopian genre such as 1984, and I truly believe that there are things that we ignore that are hidden just beyond the surface. Through all of this, I began to write down every question that I had about our world, and that is how these stories were made.
When writing Don’t Show, Don’t Tell did anything stand out as particularly challenging?
Before I learned the ‘what if’ method, I struggled with what most writers struggle with: writer’s block. I had so many ideas floating around in my head that I didn’t know where to start. Once I began writing down my questions, my ideas were able to be contained and flow out into the stories.
What do you like to do when not writing?
I am currently finishing my last semester of student teaching. Next year, I will be a middle school teacher because I love to help kids achieve their goals and see their full potential just as teachers did for me in school. Aside from that, I am an avid reader, a big fan of Stephen King, and an artist. While I don’t do art full-time, I do like to do it as a form of creative output and relaxation.
Where can readers find out more about your work?
Readers can find out more about my work through my Instagram (@abigail_lanee) where I post about my writing and life in general as well as my Facebook account (Abigail Lane). My collection is currently sold through Amazon in both Kindle and paperback version. It is free for those with Kindle Unlimited as well.