Rebecca Watson, "Punchline"

It’s December 15. Rebecca Watson, author of little scratch, is wondering if you’ve heard the one about two people who walk into a bar.

How would you describe your story?

REBECCA WATSON: The strange, unpredictable thrill of getting to know someone.

When did you write it, and how did the writing process compare to your other work?

RW: I wrote it at the beginning of 2021, just after my first novel was published. Radio 4 had asked me if I wanted to write a story about 'millennial dating' and I thought that sounded fun. I started just by writing by hand, seeing where my head took me, and it was an unexpected direction—it was a really enjoyable story to write, the rhythm and voice came to me quickly.

What kind of research went into this story?

RW: None, unless the dark depths of my mind count as research. (Ominous.)

What, to you, makes the short story a special form? What can it do that other kinds of writing can’t?

RW: It's embarrassing to answer this question when George Saunders answers it so well elsewhere, but for me, I like how its brevity demands the writer condenses, condenses, condenses. As a reader I think you can feel more in-sync with the form: you're listening harder to what might happen, and where it goes, before you're spat back out.

Where should people go to learn more about you and your work?

RW: My website, www.rebeccawatson.co.uk, will tell you more. And if you dig deep, you may even find a VIP section.

What's the best gift you've ever been given?

RW: I remember I coveted my brother's pair of wheely shoes when I was a kid. You pushed a button on the side and two wheels clicked out of the bottom. They weighed a ton and were three sizes too big at least, but I would look at them with wide eyes and beg for turns. Then one birthday, I opened a box from my brother and there they were. Mine.

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