Instead of thinking of closing the story off, think of opening it up,” said Maizes. I like small movements in the ending, a small change in the character or the reader’s understanding of human nature. “People crave resolution, but that isn’t reflective of life. She takes a similar approach to story endings, looking closely to make sure she hasn’t passed the ending and that it doesn’t completely resolve the story. “People crave resolution, but that isn’t reflective of life.”

She suggests that writers rewrite titles when stories are finished and they really know what the story is about. She gives herself permission to write lots of titles, combing through the text for a word or phrase that is intriguing. If nothing else, it sets the tone of the story,” said Maizes. “I’ve heard writers say the title is the first line of your story.

The story title We Love Anderson Cooper comes from the response a gay son gets from his parents when he comes out. Maizes titles for stories are short and snappy, capturing the essence of her stories without over explaining them. “I’ve made wonderful friends in workshops and it has helped me develop a writing community to brainstorm the challenges of a story, commiserate and celebrate with, and I’ve met wonderful teachers whose advice echoes in mind as I write,” said Maizes. Writing workshops such Sewanee, Tin House and Bread Loaf have been important to Maizes, who does not hold a writing degree. When constructing stories she harkens back to advice writer Rebecca Makkai gave in a workshop, “never stop at your first thought, to always go deeper for something more original.” “The story I write is always very different from what inspired it,” said Maizes.

Better Homes and Gardens was born out of seeing a pizza Delivery sign atop a BMW. Tattoo was sparked by a New York Times article on a tattoo artist who inked nipples on women who had breast reconstruction surgery. The story couch was prompted by inheriting the therapy couch her mother used as a counselor and feeling an inexplicable sadness. “The story I write is always very different from what inspired it…” Once there, she offers a deft balance of humor and sadness. Maizes takes readers into some intriguing scenarios: a young man who decides to come out during his bar mitzvah, a disfigured tattoo artist who discovers healing powers, a therapist, whose new couch has the power to take away sadness, a woman haunted by the spirit of her dead dogs. In her debut short story collection, We Love Anderson Cooper, R.L. Maizes, author of We Love Anderson Cooper

We Love Anderson Cooper by R.L. Maizes