What Our Fiction Readers Are Looking For

It’s the age-old question: what exactly is this journal looking for, anyway? While it’s hard to pin down exactly what makes a great story truly great, we asked our fiction team what they look for in submissions.

FICTION EDITOR
Heidi Turner
Second Year—MFA Fiction 
I love stories that utilize their structure to add to the heart of the story, that work against what I expect without leaving me hanging. I'm always looking to go for a ride in stories, and to see where the writer will take me.

FICTION READERS
Angie Stuart
Second Year – MFA Fiction
I love a story that transports me to a different world, immerses me in the main character’s emotional journey, and surprises or delights me in the transformation.

 Sebs Corrigan
First Year—MFA Fiction
I think characters are more important than plot. If I can't get invested in the characters, I'm not interested in the plot. Also, I'll never say no to horror.

Chelsea Cabral
Second Year M.A. Student in English Studies
I appreciate stories that are both economical and evocative, brief but resonant, and creates the illusion of more worlds and experiences beyond the relatively few words on the page. A good story to me is an elaborate and hypnotic world in itself, one that the reader can hold entire in their mind as they read but never want to actually depart with when met with the story’s ending.

 Jess Flarity
PhD candidate in Literature
I want a story question that needs answering. Why did grandpa shoot that bank teller? Will this lame protagonist ever get their act together? How did that arsenic end up in the marmalade? Keep me reading, already.

Alex Carolan 
First year MFA Fiction
I’m interested in stories that get a little weird. I love strong images that pack an emotional punch and don't think it's wrong when things turn absurd. We live in a strange world, and I love reading stories that reflect at that.