Leila has chosen a story by one of our hugely talented regulars. Ashlie Allen sends us unusual and intriguing pieces – this is what Leila had to say:
If produced by a lesser talent, Ashlie Allen’s I Called My Alcoholic Friend Sad Satan would be a boring, humorless dirge. But from Allen’s reliable hand shines a light within the relentless blackness. Moreover, the author’s intelligence allows her to make certain twists here and there with confidence and a wonderful disregard for the reader. Deliberately disregarding the reader is a dangerous thing to do; but I agree with it as long as the writer remains true to her vision.
Q: There’s a paradox formed by lovely, non-judgmental prose describing ugliness. Do you find it hard to write about such a thing while maintaining your objectivity?
Q: The final few sentences, for me, are wonderfully metaphysical. Did (or Do) you worry about losing the bozos’ ability to follow where you led them?
Leila Allison
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I Called My Alcoholic Friend Sad Satan
literally stories 
Another superb selection, gravitating me towards yet another back catalogue. I was, in particular, moved by the line ‘I was a walking dead man. It just wasn’t official until now.’
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Thank you for featuring me in Literally Reruns. I am grateful. 🙂
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Answer one:
I do sometimes find it challenging when writing such a dark piece of work where the character is full of torment. Sometimes the character grabs me by the hand and I follow him, no matter how intense it becomes. It’s as if I have no choice but to dive into the darkness with my characters once I start writing about them.
Answer two:
At times I do. I have written many short stories that have taken me months to finish because I wasn’t sure where to lead the character or where the character wanted to lead me. When I write, I like to imagine the character inside my mind and let him show me his world. Once inside his world, we work together through our darkness and collide. Sometimes that collision takes months to settle and I have to be sure where I lead my character next makes sense in his world and mine.
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Hi Leila,
Excellent choice as usual. I have always been an admirer of the darkness that is through Ashlie’s work.
Ashlie – I was very interested to read your answers. I think your comment about following the character is so true. Unfortunately there are too many writers who are not willing to complete the full journey.
Hugh
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I must have slept through all the action here yesterday. Thanks to Ashlie Allen for both her story and her insights.
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