Shawn Syms on his Journey Prize-nominated story “On the Line”
What inspired you to write “On the Line”?
While the themes, characters and plot of the story came out of my imagination, the mise-en-scène was directly inspired by a short news clip I heard on CBC’s “Metro Morning” program. The clip was about the challenges of cultural integration in a small Alberta town where the main employer is a meatpacking plant. Many of the people who worked there had travelled from all over the world to the small community just for the job. It struck me as a potent setting for a short story. Ultimately, “On the Line” is about alienation and resilience, which are key themes in many of the stories in Human Forces, my short-fiction collection in progress.
Tell us a bit about writing the story.
I’m very flattered when people who’ve read “On the Line” say, “Obviously, you must have worked at a meatpacking plant,” but in truth I’ve never set foot in one. The story presented some really interesting research opportunities, from the logistics of meatpacking operations to the history of Sudanese migration to Canada, from labour relations in food production to allegations of animal mistreatment in the industry. My wide-ranging sources included research reports from Human Rights Watch, US government job-training manuals, reports from The Globe and Mail, and even political campaigns by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. I even learned a thing or two about dressmaking!
I did the research and wrote the draft simultaneously over a two week period while participating in an online writing workshop with an esteemed and experienced writing mentor. I would submit weekly drafts of new stories and she provided me with feedback and suggestions. I subsequently had the opportunity to refine the piece with another really great author and incisive critic in the Creative Writing program at University of Toronto’s Department of Continuing Education. I’ve also workshopped the story in a few different places, including Humber College and the New School in New York. I don’t want to name-drop any of these folks (though I’m hoping to get the chance to formally thank them on an Acknowledgments page one day!), but I will say that I’ve been extremely fortunate to have received a lot of amazing advice and support from a few of the best writers around.
What was challenging about writing the story? What was easy?
The research was the easiest part because I have a journalism background. I also really enjoyed the revision process, probably in part because I’ve worked as an editor in book and magazine publishing. When it comes to short stories, generating the first draft is always the part that is simultaneously fulfilling and a struggle for me. There are a lot of similarities between journalistic writing and fiction, but a key difference is that a non-fiction article is usually about something tangible that exists and can be approached in some way. But by definition, fiction is made up! How to tackle that freedom is something I learn more about all the time. Deciding what’s going to happen in a story is a process I’m engaged in right up until the very end. In the case of “On the Line,” I didn’t realize how the story was going to finish until I actually typed out the words. Most of my stories are like that. So far, I tend to work in a very linear fashion — and though this might not be very au courant in terms of literary fiction, I tend to be very plot driven.
What is your writing background?
I’ve been writing for publication off and on for about 20 years. I started as an advocacy journalist doing a lot of work around LGBT issues and various human rights concerns. I still do that, with a lot of reviewing and some profiles and feature writing thrown in. In addition to my freelance journalism career, my day job is in communications for the health care sector. I had no experience writing fiction until a few years ago. In fact, I thought it was beyond my capabilities until I decided in my thirties that I wanted to give it a try, and started taking courses in order to learn various elements of the craft. Since then I’ve written a number of stories with a collection in mind. I still need to write a couple more before I will consider the collection complete.
What was it like working with our Fiction Editor Michelle Miller and the PRISM editorial team?
I am thrilled that Michelle Miller and PRISM international saw value in my story and wanted to share it with readers. Michelle was an absolute joy to work with and the editorial process was very straightforward. The changes she proposed were minor but I agreed with all of them as they helped to strengthen the prose. I’m also incredibly grateful that Michelle and PRISM felt the story was worth submitting for consideration for the Journey Prize. It’s an incredible honour.
Michelle Miller, 2008/09 Fiction Editor of PRISM international, on publishing “On the Line”
Tell us about your decision to publish “On the Line”.
When I found Shawn Syms’ “On the Line,” I couldn’t believe how incredible it was. At PRISM, we get a ton of unsolicited manuscripts every week, and many of them are quite good. I had put together most of the content for my first issue as Fiction Editor but I wanted something else, something that really popped. I wanted to make it really special, since it was my first try at fiction editing. I knew right away that “On the Line” was the story I had been looking for. The first line got me: “I won’t go out with another man who works on the kill floor.” Shawn really knows how to get a reader’s attention. The first time I read it, I didn’t even look at it with an editor’s eyes. I just let myself go along with it. The story broke my heart. I was sitting on Vancouver’s 99 B-Line, just shaking my head at the vivid imagery of the slaughterhouse line. I could smell it. As soon as I got to the last line: “I scan the sea of parked cars, and nothing looks familiar,” I knew I had to have it.
The funny thing is that despite his name, I thought Shawn must be a woman. There was no way a man could write this female point of view so subtly and convincingly. It wasn’t until we became friends on Facebook that I finally realized he was a man. I was so impressed. Plus, the copy was very close to clean. I made a few small changes in style before publishing it. Anyone who’s placed a story with us will know that’s very uncommon.
It was an absolute pleasure to nominate Shawn for the Journey Prize. While I’m not surprised he made the shortlist, I’m really excited and I wish him all the best. Also, I can’t wait for his short story collection to come out. When it does, I’m going to devour “On the Line” again.
Look for “On the Line” in PRISM 47:1.