Let me just start off by saying that after transcribing writer Sean Ennis’ interview (Yeah, I’m back on that again!), I’ve decided that he’s the most conscious self-editor I’ve interviewed this year.

As soon as the words leave his mouth, he’s already assessed whether it’s actually what he means, whether it’s “a dumb pun” or “too dramatic.” He often doesn’t retract what he says, just adds a disclaimer and keeps going. Somehow, the listener understands what he meant initially and what he means now.

The result? An interview that is thoughtful, humble, and personable. Sean’s short story collection, Chase Us, fuels our discussion as we meander through a narrative that is both engaging and mysterious.

In this episode, you’ll find out:

– How the people you surround yourself with can help or impede your writing journey

– What one detail can do for an entire story

– What’s Sponge Bob Got To Do With It

– The best writing advice Sean ever got

– The rhetorical move that made Sean “wiggle in his seat” when he wrote it

– The “Tom and Jerry Pitch” that landed his agent RENÉE ZUCKERBROT

– The “pleasures of a good short story”

BONUS: This is the first episode that the guest insults me! Listen to find out how. Then, learn something about writing. After, go write.

ABOUT SEAN ENNIS

Sean Ennis

Sean Ennis is a Philadelphia, PA native now living in Water Valley, MS where he teaches writing and literature for the University of Mississippi and the Gotham Writers Workshop. His work has appeared in Tin House, Crazyhorse, The Good Men Project, and the Best New American Voices anthology, among others. He is a recipient of a Mississippi Arts Commission grant and the proud father of a future paleontologist/astronaut.