How would society, and human interactions, be different if we were each allowed one free killing of another? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the narrator works as one of two designers at an athletic shoe factory. Ally, the other designer and a missed love interest, takes him to lunch to inform him their departments are being merged and she will be the head of the department. In effect, she will be his boss. After they leave the restaurant, the narrator decides to finally use his “one free kill” and shoots and kills Ally, not for love, he says, but for work.

Get to know the novelist:

What is your novel about? Society grants people the right to kill one person without consequence in a misguided effort to quell gun violence. A young man struggles to choose if – and when – to pull the trigger.
What genres would you say this story is in? Dystopian/black comedy/adult/literary

How would you describe this story in two words?
One bullet.

What movie have you seen the most in your life?
The Bourne Identity.

What is your favorite song?
Racing In The Street, Bruce Springsteen.

Do you have an all-time favorite novel?
Tender Is The Night, F. Scott Fitzgerald.

What motivated you to write this story?
Gun violence is so out of control, it's ridiculous.

If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would
that be?
My mother.

Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Family. The outdoors. Northern Ontario. Cycling. Sports. Work. Craft beer.

What influenced you to enter your story to get performed?
As a short story it garnered a lot of reaction. This longer form is a work-in-progress, but I wanted to share it.

Any advice or tips you'd like to pass on to other writers?
Don't think about writing; write.