E.A. Brady is one of the authors featured in the first volume of our literary journal, The Fiddlehead Folio! Her short story, Superhero in Aisle Six, is a touching read that we know you will enjoy.

What inspired you to write your story? How does that inspiration manifest in this work? 

The seed for this story came from an actual experience in my life.  I was sitting in a doctor’s office waiting room reading a book and another person entered. He approached the desk to check in and, only hearing his voice, my mind thought, “Is that Chris Evans?” My rational brain knew it wasn’t him but the fangirl in me couldn’t help but wonder. 

I went through an entire chain of events in my mind before I even looked up. Could it be him? (He is from this part of the state, so it was a possibility.) If it was him, could I introduce myself? Would it be an invasion of privacy because we were in a doctor’s office? Would my then eleven-year-old son ever forgive me if I passed up the opportunity to get him Captain America’s autograph?

Eventually, I peeked, and it was not Chris Evans (). It was just some random guy. But it started my writer brain in motion. I started to wonder what a person would do if she ran into someone famous around town? I kept asking myself “what if” questions. Then I wondered if there was a way to give it a little more of a surprise ending and wound up having my main character use her encounter to gain the courage to try dating again after the passing of her husband. 

What was the hardest part of your writing process? Do you think it will be easier for your next story? 

The hardest part of writing anything for me is using my own emotions as story fuel, but still keeping myself separate from who my characters are. The way one of my characters responds to grief or joy or whatever may or may not be the way I respond to those things.

I would love for that to go away but I don’t think it will. I think, for me, that’s just part of the writing process.

What was your first thought after hitting the “submit” button for your Folio submission? What was your first thought after being accepted? 

Honestly, I was really excited when I submitted my work. I’d never done that before and there was a certain exhilaration that came with it.

As a writer, I’m always afraid my work is not good enough. When you’ve read something thirty or forty (or more – lol!) times, it can start to feel stale, and you wonder why anyone would ever want to read it. 

But then getting the acceptance letter from someone who’d never read it before and realizing the “hook” worked was a huge validation for me.

What are you writing now (or next)? 

I’m an indie publishing romance author and I recently released my third book. So the plan for 2024 and 2025 is to publish my six-book series that’s been in the back of my mind for several years. They will all be standalone books that take place in the same town.

How has the Guild helped with your writing and storytelling? What do you want other writers to know about writing communities? 

The biggest benefit to being part of the Guild is, without a doubt, the community I’ve found here. Writing is a solitary pursuit but having others to chat with about craft or similar struggles has been an amazing experience. Part of being a writer in community is sharing work. And the feedback I’ve received as part of this group has been immensely helpful to me.

The launch of the Fiddlehead Folio will take place at the Literary Extravaganza and Book Bazaar on Saturday, December 2nd from 10am-3pm at the Writers’ Loft in Hudson, MA. If you live in Massachusetts, we would love to see you and share the Folio (along with so many other books on sale that day!) with you! Planning to join us? Let us know on Facebook or Eventbrite!