Kathy Watts’s short story, Skeleton Baby Magic, appears in the Autumn 2006 issue of Shimmer.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STORY:

Where did the idea come from?
A few years ago the Natural History Museum in Victoria had a great exhibit of family treasures owned by the various native peoples of Vancouver Island. In the gift shop, afterwards, was a book of contemporary art by present day artists. There was a sculpture of a young mother kneeling on her husband’s grave. I never heard the whole legend related to that artwork, which allowed me to “hear” a story that brought it to life for me.

How did the story change as you developed it?
I wrote what I wanted, then the story forced me to make it way shorter and, basically, be a totally different story. Sometimes a writer has to remember to be god and make the story do what god wants; sometimes a writer has to shut up and listen to the story. This was definitely the second case.

You know the advice “Sometimes you have to kill your darlings.” Was there a scene or line that it really hurt to cut, but cutting it made the story stronger?
I don’t pretend to have had that much control. Actually, my “darling” was the setting, the environment, the culture, and the longer I worked on the story, the longer I got to live in that world.

How is this story like your other work? How is it different?
No two stories of mine are anything alike. However I do enjoy exploring how weird everyday life is, and fantasy lets me explore some fantastic everyday lives. Even my current craze for “science fantasy” stories are explorations into the weirdness of what’s natural.

QUESTIONS ABOUT WRITING:

How long had you been submitting before you made your first sale?
My first rejection letter came from Ben Bova, in the mid 1970’s.

Do you work with a critique or writers group?
I have a choice few writer friends but no regularly meeting group.

What authors, if any, have had the most influence on your work?
This changes with time. Right now, my favorites are Martin Cruz Smith and Carl Hiaasen.

Favorite short story you’ve read recently?
Believe it or not, The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway. It’s basically a death experiece. The end alone qualifies as a superb post-death sequence.

RANDOM QUESTIONS:

Do you believe in ghosts or the supernatural? Why?
I should be honest. I’ve seen ghosts. That won’t help people who haven’t but, so it goes. As for the supernatural, I believe most of modern America is so out of touch that a lot of what is natural looks supernatural. Really, how do we know what’s supernatural?

Fast food: Yea or Nay?
Rarely, but yes.

Name one place in your hometown that you love to go to and would recommend to others to visit.
My hometown is Baltimore. Forget sightseeing (well, the Inner Harbor is cool). Go the Wharf Rat in East Baltimore and have a beer.

Is there anything that you would “sell your soul” for?
Probably, but it will no doubt surprise me.

Do you have a secret skill that you never get to show off?
It wouldn’t be a secret then, would it?