Keep writing: a reflection by writer Chelsy Husni
Words by Chelsy Husni
Winner of the October 2024 Flash Fiction Contest, co-hosted by Words of a Feather & The Provocative Inklings
What began as a simple account to share poetry has blossomed into one of the most rewarding decisions of my life. Through consistent efforts to connect with various writing communities, I discovered The Provocative Inklings, a Melbourne-based collective that fosters inclusivity and creativity among writers. Their warm response to my message made me feel instantly welcomed: "Hi! We love meeting other writers... Are you Melb-based?"
The question caught me by surprise — it was my first connection with a writing collective outside the U.S., and it happened purely by chance. The timing felt almost fated. A friend from Sydney, Australia, was visiting my hometown, which made the moment feel even more niche. I shared with Angus, a fellow Inkling, how my friend had called my fries "chips," leaving me momentarily confused but laughing about it later. Angus and I instantly connected, discussing cultural quirks, exchanging writing goals, and sharing jokes. He spoke warmly of Kartiya, another Inkling who plays a pivotal role in their mission to amplify creative writers’ voices.
As someone who works with the creative writing program, the Jiménez-Porter Writers House at the University of Maryland, I found their dedication to fostering an accessible and magically creative space particularly inspiring. It felt like one of those conversations destined to happen, and I couldn’t help but thank the algorithm for facilitating this meaningful interaction.
Not long after, I noticed their Flash Fiction contest that was co-led by Words of a Feather, a Melbourne-based creative writing studio, founded by author Amy Han. The theme of the competition was Light. Fiction had always been a very challenging genre for me, and I truthfully avoided it like the plague.
However, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to push myself, as there were no grades or pressure involved; just the joy of creating.
Inspired by the theme, I reimagined a piece I’d written about family and memories, condensing it into just 100 words and submitting it under the title In Memory. It wasn’t perfect, but I loved it enough to share — and that, in itself, felt like a victory.
To my astonishment, I won! I immediately texted my sisters, shared the news on my story, and joked with a friend about sneaking into her suitcase when she returned to Australia so I could hug the Provocative Inklings and Words of a Feather teams in person and join their exclusive workshops. The excitement felt surreal, but the ripple effects were even more incredible.
In Memory was not only celebrated by The Provocative Inklings and Words of a Feather, but it also reached unexpected new audiences. After casually mentioning it to the Writers’ House team, the associate director offered to teach my story in his writing course, engaging his students with it. He didn’t stop there — he excitedly shared the news with the program director, who paused in the middle of our standing meeting to offer his enthusiastic congratulations. The excitement continued when the graduate assistant of Writers House asked to publish my story in Writers House Weekly, sharing it with our community and beyond.
Looking back, this experience reminded me that writing is not just about the words— it’s about the connections you cultivate and the courage to step beyond your comfort zone.
The Provocative Inklings and Words of a Feather’s commitment to accessibility and community-building gave me the confidence to embrace a genre I once avoided and the joy of seeing others connect deeply with the world I created in In Memory.
So, my advice is this: keep writing, stay true to your voice, and never shy away from reaching out. Whether it’s a contest, a collective, a studio, or a community, your words have the power to touch lives, build connections, and inspire change in ways you may never anticipate.
Let my story remind you that when you take the leap, trust in your craft, and believe in the impact of your voice, absolutely anything is possible.
Chelsy Husni (@c.husnipoetry) is based in Germantown, Maryland, and is an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland studying English on the Creative Writing Track! If there is one thing you should know about her, it is that she is OBSESSED with media mixing! In her childhood, she loved both baking and painting. Chelsy would bake a large vanilla cake and use frosting and food coloring to create colorful designs on the top, treating it like a canvas. Today, Chelsy loves to implement a mix of poetry, prose, and collages all in one piece, and has recently found it to be her niche. In the future, Chelsy hopes to one day own a coffee shop flower shop bookstore hybrid and continue her media mixing legacy!
Her flash fiction story, In Memory, won our October Flash Fiction Contest. You can read her winning story here.
