Write Here, Write Now: Exit Wound by Rachel Pollock

Family can be messy. Rachel Pollock tackles one family’s grief - for what was lost, and for what they never had, in “Exit Wound.” With as many twists and turns as the back road it’s set on, this story is one of a kind.

What was the impetus for your winning story? Walk us through your initial act of creation.

Walking down a country road, I noticed cows would freeze when I walked by, and then stampede away. I had the opening idea for Exit Wound then. In a rare moment of writer's mojo, I used a voice recorder app on my phone to describe the plot and character traits of the protagonist. Two months later when I found the opportunity to write, the story idea was there, waiting to be developed.

What does it take for a story to grab you? How do you grab your audience?

The title draws me in; the first line has to grab me, and not let me go. I try to give the same feeling in a story by channeling a first-person narrator I want or need to hear speak.

Who are your favorite writers and why? Do you have any favorite Vocal Creators?

I'm very much into creative non-fiction:  the more uncomfortable it makes me, the better. Eula Biss; Leslie Jamieson; Henri Nouwen. I also love a humorous memoir that brings faith and family into the picture: Annie Lamott; Corrie Ten Boom, Maria Von Trapp; David Sedaris, Frank McCourt. I'm very new to the Vocal neighborhood, actually. I look forward to reading as much as I can by my fellow creators in the months to come.

How has sharing your writing in life and on Vocal affected you as a Creator?

It motivates me. Knowing you have an audience, even briefly, is a great reason to keep trying and to keep writing. What I love about Vocal is that every story, even the rejected stories, get read by someone. I love that there are community challenges, word counts and a few content barriers...nothing inspires creativity faster for me than to have to solve a problem.

What advice do you have for other Creators?

If, like me, you find it difficult to write on a regular basis, I encourage you to take advantage of Vocal's immediacy and community challenges to be creative whenever you can, in short spurts. During the dry spells, dig up something you see has potential and dust it off. This might be the precise time, kairos, you've been waiting for.

Stay tuned for new episodes of Write Here, Write Now Season 2 launching weekly.