BCC Shines A Light On: Mike Fox
Name of the piece published by BCC:
When/where was it originally published:
Eunoia Review, 2020
Tell us more about your piece! What is the background of the piece? What led you to write it? What’s your process?
The Subtext of Skin is about the creative urge, specifically trying to find a way for it to flourish in the world as we find it today. In that sense it’s also about the merging (or collision) of idealism and pragmatism. Fred Bone (one of my favourite characters), makes a good living as a tattoo artist, but at the expense of a vocation in fine art. In contrast, the narrator is a skilled craftsman who has yet to develop business sense. Each sees something of himself in the other.
How did you feel when it was first published and how have your thoughts or feelings on the piece changed from then to now?
It was a story I’d worried about structurally, and had kept returning to for adjustment. That’s not unusual, but I retained a creeping sense of unease after publishing it. It also went out at a very unfortunate time, so got few readers. I made tiny alterations before sending it to Bulb Culture Collective, so now feel happier. Having said that, there are some parts of the story I really love, but I still wonder if I could do better with the exposition that links events, even though it’s necessary.
Is there a specific message you would like readers to take away from reading this piece?
I feel that once a story is ‘out there’ it’s important that the reader feels free to interpret it in whatever way they wish, so I tend not to write with a specific message.
What else would you like to tell readers about your writing? (Doesn’t have to refer only to your BCC piece)
Most of all I’m hell bent on actually telling a story, by which I mean I try to write as if I’m speaking to the reader, and accompanying them through a sequence of narrative events in as meaningful a way as possible. That applies whether I’m writing in first, third, or in one instance second person. My writing process is also influenced by my work as a therapist. So, rather than plot, I try to follow the psychological and emotional process of my characters, and particularly that of the narrator, in the case of a first person narrative. Consequently, I rarely know what will happen next, although I do occasionally develop a sense of an ending to work toward. I think that this approach offers greater likelihood of authenticity – characters the reader believes in – though it necessitates being very conscious of how the structure of the narrative is developing, to prevent the story losing shape.
Where can readers find more of your work? (Website/social media, etc)
Website: www.polyscribe.co.uk
X/Twitter @polyscribe2
