How exciting to share the writing of someone whose influences are so near to mine. In an interview, Keely says, “I still love Carver and Carter, only now I read more widely. I love anything written by Jhumpa Lahiri. And flash writing wise, I adore Jules Archer and Kathy Fish.” and then she counts among her interests, “travels”, “Canada” and “vastness of the landscape” which are also identical to my own.  Meet Keely O’Shaughnessy, who is a widely published author of flash fiction, enjoys all genres from literary to horror, and is the Managing Editor, Flash Fiction Magazine.​

Keely has a penchant for tackling difficult subjects in an easy and understated manner. Like this story in Reflex Press: “Sometimes, I think about travelling to Canada, when my boy is grown, and meeting this man. Hugging him and saying thank you. But for now, I’m just happy that this child is surviving and growing strong because of me.” Notice the warmth and emotion in the lines, feel drawn to its positivity. Also read this brief piece in Sledgehammer Literary, to get reaffirmation of her skill in dealing with serious subject matter.

Keely’s love for travel finds expression in this EllipsisZine story. I adore the expanse it covers, the beauty of this line: “As we imagine our travels, I track the pinkest trail etched in your skin like a lifeline.” The story is rich in the images it creates, and is a must-read for the lasting impact of its final lines.

Finally, let me point you to Keely’s story in Macromic. With its deftly done time-jumps and intensity, this story is perhaps way more than the words it takes to tell it. Again, Keely’s writing encompasses her love for travel. She writes, “She’ll travel to Europe, to The Sistine Chapel, so she can crane her neck to see Michelangelo’s frescoes.”

In her own words, 2021 was her ‘busiest and most focussed’ writing year. We wait to read more, many more!