Melissa Jornd is a Midwest gal who dreams of one day being surrounded by mountains. Her stories have appeared in Crepuscular Magazine, 101 Words, and Microfiction Monday Magazine. She was the 2023 Gold winner of The Scribes Prize and has also placed in contests from NYCMidnight, Flash Fiction
Magazine, and Writer’s Weekly.
In her corporate life you’ll find her debating whether your e-mail does find her well; otherwise, she spends her time starting—but rarely finishing—art and home projects, admiring the beauty of nature, and forcing her two cats, Charlie and Minnie, to cuddle.
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Interview with Melissa Jornd
about her story "Early Morning Reverie"
Honorable Mention for The Scribes Prize 2024
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What inspired this piece?
This was for a contest where I was assigned romance. I am not a romance writer so I always try to take a different angle when I have to write it. I had to write this on the day of my brother’s wedding—in Florida, in June—so the sun was on my mind, and I found my POV.
What draws you to the micro-fiction format?
I’ve realized one of the best aspects of microfiction is that it shows you the bones of your story. So many times I start writing where I think the story begins, only to realize as I go that I’m doing more backstory and the true story starts much later. You also need to make sure to get an entire arc that readers will connect with as succinctly as you can, so it’s a balancing act of getting the story out without info dumping, and managing to weave in characters and emotion and everything. It really makes you choose each word with deliberate care.
What's next on the horizon for you?
I’ve had a lot of fun the last couple of years entering different contests and pushing limits in terms of unfamiliar genres, forms, quick deadlines, etc. But I haven’t spent much time fleshing out longer stories, or dedicated enough time to learning more about writing. I want to step out of the contests for a bit and dive into some ideas while working on the craft, as well.
This was for a contest where I was assigned romance. I am not a romance writer so I always try to take a different angle when I have to write it. I had to write this on the day of my brother’s wedding—in Florida, in June—so the sun was on my mind, and I found my POV.
What draws you to the micro-fiction format?
I’ve realized one of the best aspects of microfiction is that it shows you the bones of your story. So many times I start writing where I think the story begins, only to realize as I go that I’m doing more backstory and the true story starts much later. You also need to make sure to get an entire arc that readers will connect with as succinctly as you can, so it’s a balancing act of getting the story out without info dumping, and managing to weave in characters and emotion and everything. It really makes you choose each word with deliberate care.
What's next on the horizon for you?
I’ve had a lot of fun the last couple of years entering different contests and pushing limits in terms of unfamiliar genres, forms, quick deadlines, etc. But I haven’t spent much time fleshing out longer stories, or dedicated enough time to learning more about writing. I want to step out of the contests for a bit and dive into some ideas while working on the craft, as well.
Interview with Melissa Jornd
about her story "Daisy, Maybe"
Gold Winner in The Scribes Prize 2023
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What inspired this piece?
In large part, it came from my aunt’s mother-in-law. When she passed, my aunt was reminiscing and mentioned there were times her mother-in-law didn’t know her, but was still more calm than when she was with caretakers. It intrigued me and my brain tucked it away until there was a prompt of “breadcrumbs” in a contest. From there, Daisy was born.
What draws you to the micro-fiction format?
It might sound cliché or obvious, but I love that in micro, every word counts. In real life I’m a long-winded, rambling person, so having to whittle down my ideas into crisp micro stories is always a challenge (but a fun one!).
Who are some authors that inspire you?
I tend to gravitate towards YA. Maggie Stiefvater, Scott Westerfeld, Marissa Meyer, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Orson Scott Card, and Charlie M. Holmberg are some of my favorites—the characters and worlds they create are so believable and engaging, you can’t help but get attached.
In large part, it came from my aunt’s mother-in-law. When she passed, my aunt was reminiscing and mentioned there were times her mother-in-law didn’t know her, but was still more calm than when she was with caretakers. It intrigued me and my brain tucked it away until there was a prompt of “breadcrumbs” in a contest. From there, Daisy was born.
What draws you to the micro-fiction format?
It might sound cliché or obvious, but I love that in micro, every word counts. In real life I’m a long-winded, rambling person, so having to whittle down my ideas into crisp micro stories is always a challenge (but a fun one!).
Who are some authors that inspire you?
I tend to gravitate towards YA. Maggie Stiefvater, Scott Westerfeld, Marissa Meyer, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Orson Scott Card, and Charlie M. Holmberg are some of my favorites—the characters and worlds they create are so believable and engaging, you can’t help but get attached.