BYPASS: 100 INCREDIBLY SHORT STORIES (Author Interview)


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRVWHXLS

Bypass looks like a great book.  What can you tell us about it?

The book tries to highlight the beauty in the extraordinary and ordinary.  From grocery store receipts to junk mail, from a fictional family named The Words, Bypass is the story of you, me, and that which dwells in the imagination.  The thoughts never said.  The sentences never written.  The reality never lived.  

Any plans to turn it into a series?

Yes!

What story did you have the most fun writing?

The story about the two swimmers was by far, my favorite.  Growing up I was one of many other kids who participated in endless swim races to the dock. Recently I went back to the lake only to find that the next generation was also racing to the dock.  I was inspired to think that even in this day and age, some things truly do not change. 

What inspired the idea for the book?

In September of 2019 I was awaiting the results of the New York State bar exam.  As you can imagine, I was incredibly anxious and each day seemed painfully long.  I was inspired by the work of author and NavySeal Mark Divine, who believes that you are capable of 20 times what you think you are.  While Divine usually applies this thinking to physical workouts, I thought it might be interesting to apply it to writing.  So, I set out to write 100 incredibly short stories. After I found out that I passed the bar, I continued to write...straight through the pandemic.

How did you come up with the title for the book?

Oh, that’s simple.  Writing was a means to Bypass the anxiety of waiting for the bar exam results.

Did anything stick out as particularly challenging when writing the collection?

I think when you try to do something that’s not mainstream, it can be difficult to determine whether it’s accessible.  Will people “get” it or does it fall flat?  Is this too avant garde?  Too obscure?  But ultimately I thought the reader should be the one to decide that, not me.

What do you like to do when not writing?

Where can readers find out more about your work?

Bypassthebook.com but please, do not bypass the book.