All Things Pankish

Ask the Author: Garrett Socol, Laundry Expert

Garrett Socol knows things about washers and in today’s interview, we find out what. Read his story in the August issue.

1. Does Washer #8 have a secret?

No. The only secrets are in Washers #6 and #7. Those are the washing machines in which important evidence is stored. When these machines are in use, they lock, so the evidence can’t be touched. Washer #8 is a regular washing machine that customers use to clean their filthy laundry.

2. The narrative structure of The Secret of Washer Number Six is very interesting. Why do you force the shifts in time?

I like meeting Ravina in the disheveled, distressed state she’s in. But in order to understand how she got that way, we need to flash back. I don’t think I’ve ever used a flashback, but the events in this story are so over-the-top that I think it works.

3. How did this story come about?

This may sound familiar but I honestly feel like a vessel, and I channel whatever voices choose to come through. I have no idea where these voices come from (yes, I’m on medication), but as a writer I let them take full control. (Just kidding about the meds.) The “noir” feeling of this story is different from anything I’ve written before. I don’t even LIKE “noir” as a rule, but this particular story came alive for me in that style. However, I must admit I found it fascinating that after ex-Hollywood Madam Heidi Fleiss served her time in prison, she bought a coin-operated Laundromat. That image must have been floating in the back of my mind.

4. There are several characters and a lot going on in this story. Do you have a method for keeping track of things in longer short stories?

On a movie set there’s a continuity person. When I write a story, I’m the continuity person, constantly checking previous paragraphs to make sure I keep all the characters straight.

5. What is your writing process like?

When I’m writing a story, the characters live in my head. It’s really like they’ve moved in for a while with all their baggage, and they’re with me 24/7. I may be stuck in traffic or working out at the gym when one of the characters tells me something, and I immediately jot it down. The characters reveal themselves gradually. Sometimes it takes weeks to come up with the perfect name or perfect occupation for a character. (A name can change many, many times until it feels exactly right.) My favorite part: I’m sitting at my computer, and a character says something that’s really hilarious, so I burst out laughing, sometimes uncontrollably. My dog looks at me like I’m out of my mind.

6. You’re also a playwright. How is working in that genre different from writing fiction? What do you enjoy most about writing plays?

I enjoy the challenge of writing something that takes place on one (or two) sets. When you write a story, the sky’s the limit, and even the sky doesn’t have to limit you. But what’s more important is that I love the sound and the nuances of language, so obviously I enjoy working on something that’s dialogue driven. There’s nothing more exciting or fulfilling than hearing your words spoken by good actors on a stage, but a play can take years to get produced. I love the fact that a short story is finished in a few weeks (or months), and the final product may appear shortly thereafter.

7. Is every story a love story?

Love is found in several of my stories, but it’s usually through one character’s search to find himself (or herself). I tend to write about people who don’t fit in, people who have strange desires or unique struggles. Some of them find love on their journey toward self-awareness and self-acceptance. Some don’t, but they’re happier with themselves at the end than they were at the beginning.

8. What are you working on right now?

I’m working on a very serious, very emotional piece about a schoolteacher who takes her second grade class on a field trip. The city is Dallas, the year is 1963, and the kids are excited to catch a glimpse of President John F. Kennedy as he rides by in the motorcade. The story explores the impact the assassination had on this teacher. It’s powerful, and I can hardly wait to move on to something lighter so that I can laugh again.

Now that I’ve written around 16 stories, I’m thinking of putting them together in a collection. The search for a publisher is about to begin.