Q: What’s your name and where are you from?

A: Billie-Leigh Burns, from Liverpool, UK (home of The Beatles, beautiful architecture, and the best football club in the world – Everton FC)!

Q: Talk about your journey as a writer. Was there any inspiration you can recall that started it all? When did you know writing was a passion for you?

A: I can’t remember specifically starting to write; I feel like I was always writing. I used to write little Whodunnits, influenced by the shows my mum used to watch like Murder She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder, Columbo—she watched anything like that. As I’ve aged, my writing started to shift. With the last ten years, I’ve found politics and social justice have become much more important to me, as well as being working class. I love to write in accents, particularly my own, deliberately break rules, and I still love a good Whodunnit.

Q: Have you had any formal education in writing? If yes, what did you find most useful from the education? If no, how did you learn everything you currently know about writing?

A: I actually have a BSc Hons in Maths, so completely the other direction! Before that, I would always get weird looks when I’d run from my Maths and Physics classes to go to English Lit. I’ve never had any formal writing education so everything I know is through self teaching and research, a lot of reading, and a touch of natural instinct. Maybe that’s why I like breaking the rules!

Q: Do you have a writer’s group that you work with? What other resources have you found that help you out?

A: The wonderful writers at Writers’ HQ have been an amazing support system and there are so many resources there—they tend to be my first port of call. I can’t sing their praises enough, the quality and variety of work you find there is staggering, and really encourages you to up your game.

Q: What are some of your goals for your writing career?

A: I would love to be published as a novelist one day. If we’re being ambitious, I have a series I’ve been plugging away at for a while. I feel like I need a bit more time to cook, however—the egg timer isn’t singing yet!

In the meantime, I am in love with Flash Fiction, and I would love to share more of that with the world. I believe Flash isn’t just the future, it’s the present. It fits into our lives in these weird times, without losing the level of craft and impact of a longer form story. If anything, it’s even more challenging at times to get it right.

Q: Talk about one of your favorite pieces you’ve written. Why is that one your favorite?

A: This was hard! I think I’d have to go with “Hell’s Kitchen,” featured by The Hooghly Review. I was feeling quite frustrated at the time because nothing was hitting how I wanted it to, so I decided to just let go and give in to my ‘weird.’ And it is WEIRD! Writers’ HQ asked me to read it at a Flash Face Off, so I dressed up as the devil. It was the most fun I’d had with my writing at that point, and now I’m all in on my weird.

Q: What does your writing process look like?

A: Flash is a bit more instinctive for me, so the actual writing starts a lot sooner, whereas I like you have time just to sit and stew on a more long form idea. I rarely write in chronological order too, I tend to jump about. Because that part of the process is very feeling driven, I use spreadsheets to try and organize the chaos through the editing process. That’s where the maths becomes useful!

Q: What do you do for work? What other hobbies or interests do you have besides writing?

A: I am a maths tutor, and I do a bit of bookkeeping too (helping people do their taxes and the likes). I basically find people who don’t like maths and help them convince the government that they love it!

I feel quite boring—or maybe I have a one track mind—but most of my hobbies tie into my writing. I’m quite artistic and love to get creative, which usually inspires my writing. I also have a cinema pass, so I see a lot of movies, with a special place in my heart for Horror.

Q: As we all know, most people make little to no money for their writing, yet it’s still an important part of any writer’s life. How do you make time to write? Is there a particular time of day you prefer to write?

A: I’m self employed, and most of my work takes place in the evening, so I tend to stay up late and write into the small hours. I say I have a very kind boss who allows me to work flexible hours but doesn’t pay me a lot! It’s hard, but I’ve tried 9-5 in someone else’s business, and I know that wasn’t the right path for me. If I’m not writing, I’m not me.

Q: What are you currently reading?

A: Apart from bills and rejections? I’ve been reading a lot of Flash lately. It’s why I’m so thankful for all these lovely journals such as The Bloomin’ Onion—I’ve been so busy lately, and it’s amazing to have so much access to amazing sub-10 minute reads. I love Flash Frog, Trash Cat Lit, and so many others. For micro-fiction, I visit 50 Word Stories and 101 Words every day.

Q: Are you currently working on any projects you want to talk about?

A: I am itching to get back to my horror novel! I’ve had to dedicate a lot of time to creating my tutoring materials lately. My students probably hate me because I’ve been taking the wordy questions very seriously! Once everything calms down, I want to carry on with my novel and get out as much flash as I can.

Q: What is one piece of advice you can offer to new writers?

A: Jump in with both feet and go for it! I kept my writing private for twenty-nine years, I only started sharing and submitting just under two years ago, and I am already a hundred times the writer I was before. Rejections and critiques are scary at the start, but you’ll get to a place where you’re collecting them like badges of honor.

Q: Is there anything else you want to talk about?

A: I just want to thank The Bloomin’ Onion for showing off my story. I am so excited to read this issue and, hopefully, if you see my name out there again, you’ll give me a try!

And thank you for letting me talk your ear off about writing—I’ll never turn down the opportunity!