Checking in With A-Minor

Sheldon Lee Compton has started a Fictionaut group in conjunction with the literary journal A-Minor he founded recently. Awesome, Sheldon, thanks.

Q (Nicolle Elizabeth): Sheldon what is the deal, the dilly. What is the dillyo? You started a new literary journal, yes? A-Minor is a group involving this? Elaborate please, inquiring minds want to know.

I started A-Minor in late May because I liked the idea of publishing one story every week. I was already working as a founding editor at The Wrong Tree Review, but I needed a net fix, you know? Wrong Tree is print only, more or less at this time. It’s a very clean way of sharing other’s work and just clean and simple to keep up with. Starting the Fictionaut group here was just a no-brainer because this place is happening, you know? I was happy to see that people were joining and talking and all the good stuff.

Comments, concerns, we care Sheldon. The very moral fabric upon which Fictionaut’s fiber is woven becomes softer yet more durable thanks to our groups. How’s the group going?

The group is growing. We have 24 members or so and some lively talks, not to mention numerous stories that have been sent that just rock and roll. I’m still trying to figure out some of the things available to me to expand on what the group can offer, which is fun. I’m already thinking of challenges, maybe. The groups in general are of vital importance here because although we’re all sort of focused on the same basic thing, there are many unique ways in which we tell stories. The groups wrangle that in and build communities within the community. It’s damn near beautiful.

Did you know that Sophocles claimed that dice were invented by the Greek?

I did not know this. He could have been lying and just taking credit for his folks having invented it. But then again, probably not. If he was going to lie, I’m sure he would have said his folks invented something much cooler, something like the X-Files or, even better, cowboy boots.

Who are you, what are some of your projects, how did you come to writing, how did writing come to you?

I’m just a storyteller. Where I’m from in Kentucky, everybody’s a storyteller. I just write mine down and send them to journals or post them online. They sit on porches or outside stores, gather around kitchen tables and tell their stories. Lately I’ve been working like mad to piece together a collection of flash stories that I call Dysphoria when I’m talking to myself. On the shelf is a collection of southern short stories called A Dark River’s Silt, and a third project is a linked collection of micro pieces based on photographs as more or less prompts. Aside from my own writing, I’m just having a blast working on A-Minor and Wrong Tree and trying to drop a word or two at my blog, Bent Country. Just rolling like all the rest.