About “today’s headlines” & “Hunted”

1. What was your motivation for writing “today’s headlines” & “Hunted”?

today’s headlines was inspired by the idea of writing a poem that was only headlines, but I wanted a little more of a challenge than that, so I turned it into a sonnet. I woke up on any regular day and, like most of us, unfortunately, was immediately inundated with how awful the world has been lately. Each line was inspired by real news stories that hit the headlines in the last year; today’s headlines as a title was meant to showcase the feeling of seeing all of them in such a short amount of time that it feels like a daily occurrence of bad news. I’ve been saying the words “time is a circle” a lot lately, and that’s what felt relevant here. There are so many stories that feel the same that just hit you over and over and over again that we wish we could change, but we are next-to-powerless to do so. 

Hunted, on the other hand, was something fun I wrote for a class a handful of years ago. It was the first story I handed in to class electronically because of the pandemic, when we still had the hope that we were going to go back to physically being in class after two weeks. I don’t particularly remember the prompt, but I have always wanted to write space-age bounty hunters, royalty, and pirates, so, being in a speculative fiction class, that was the place to put them. Obviously Star Wars had its influences, but I also liked the neo-noir city in Blade Runner, too. I loved the idea of playing with when the timelines were and yet having it all start being present day, with interludes in the story telling. I wanted to kind of write a story that felt like a detective movie but from the point of view of someone who maybe we don’t know if we should fully trust. 

2. What challenges—if any—did you have writing your poem and short story?

today’s headlines was hard if only because the subject matter was so fresh, and remains fresh. When I wrote it, the headlines were true, and months later, it’s still true. Poetry will always be a vessel for speaking politically and it’s important that we do, but coming to the reality of what we’re talking about isn’t easy.

Hunted, on the other hand, was something fun I wrote for a class a handful of years ago. It was the first story I handed into class electronically because of the pandemic when we still had the hope that we were going to go back to physically being in class after two weeks. I don’t particularly remember the prompt, but I have always wanted to write space age bounty hunters, royalty, and pirates so, being in a speculative fiction class, that was the place to put them. Obviously Star Wars had it’s influences, but I also liked the neo-noir city in Blade Runner, too. I loved the idea of playing with when the timelines were and yet having it all start being present day, with interludes in the story telling. I wanted to kind of write a story that felt like a detective movie but from the point of view of someone who maybe we don’t know if we should fully trust.

3. What is your favourite line—if any—in “today’s headlines”?

Definitely ice melts in political climate change. We need to do more to melt that ICE and get rid of it, while also saving the climate. Somewhere those two go hand in hand.

4. What is your favourite line—if any—in “Hunted”?

My favourite part is the little interjection to the story on pages six and seven. Shows of J.P. and Jennifer’s relationship, gives us a small break from the action and a little bit of good-stupid. 

5. What do you want people to walk away with after reading “today’s headlines” & “Hunted”?

I hope that Hunted gives people some sympathy for their neighbours while having a fun time reading something space age and silly, and I hope today’s headlines makes us speak up about the things that make us uncomfortable. 

6. Is there anything else you would like to talk about regarding “today’s headlines” & “Hunted” that hasn’t been asked?

I don’t think so! Thank you for reading, and I’m so excited that these pieces have a home! 

Reading

1. What are you currently reading?

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King. 

2. Do you have a favourite book? If so, what is it?

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. It was one of the first books I ever fell head over heels with in a genre that I eventually wanted to write, and it inspires my writing style no matter what genre I’m attempting. I reread passages all the time when I’m in ruts. 

3. What is your favourite poet or author, if any?

Favourite poet is Trista Mateer. I wrote in a review of one of her books once that she feels like the older sister everyone needs in their lives. Every book of hers that I have has come at the perfect time in my life, and they never cease to be what I need in those moments. Aphrodite Made Me Do It is my favourite of her works.  

4. Do you gravitate towards reading genres outside the ones you write?

I don’t tend to, no. I would love to read more outside the genres that I write, but I am always looking for inspiration, and those tend to come from books in the genres I write. Although, my recent stint in a lot of comic books has been a fun way to explore dialogue that I don’t think a prose-based book could. 

Writing

1. Why do you write?

I think it’s because I’ve always been a writer. There are worlds that I’ve created that may never see the light of day, but I made them because I had to get them out of my head. It’s something I’ve been in love with since I was a little kid and I remain in love with now. Finding a place for my stories is always a work in progress that I never cease to enjoy.

2. What do you love about being a writer and poet?

I love being creative in every aspect of my life. I always have too many works in progress creatively, to be honest. Embroidery, bracelet making, junk journalling, on top of everything I’m working on for school and in my personal life writing-wise. I love finding a way to keep my brain going while also quieting it down at the same time. Poetry always gives me a smaller form to play with for bigger ideas, ironically, and then writing prose gives me a larger form to give all the moments of character to. I love having both genres and forms in my toolkit because it allows me to find a home for any thought I need to have and produce. It’s wonderful. 

3. What time of the day do you write, and do you have a writing routine?

I tend to write anytime I can without a scheduled routine, but I think my best stuff usually comes out past ten at night. Sometimes I’ll really get into a flow, and before I know it, it’s one in the morning. And I might be tired, but that’s when the good stuff comes out. I love writing whenever I need to, no matter what.

4. Where do you get your ideas from?

I am always inspired by movies and media around me. Sometimes they are inspired by something I’ve seen or read or heard, sometimes they’re a combination of all my favourite things rolled into one, sometimes they’re what I’ve seen on the internet today. I tend to get ideas from all over the place and then stick to the ones that excite me the most. 

5. How long does it take you to write your projects?

Totally depends on the project itself! I’ve written novels in two months and three years. I’ve written poems that took weeks to perfect, and I’ve written them in afternoons. I’ve written short scripts in single days and I’ve written them in months. It tends to be dependent on my perfectionism, my time available, and how much time I spend thinking about the product. 

6. What advice would you give to other authors/writers/poets?

Write what excites you. Write what you can’t help but spend every waking hour thinking about. The timeline to finish it doesn’t matter as long as it’s something you love wholeheartedly. 

7. What project(s) are you currently working on?

If this counts, I’m currently working on my Masters degree, so lots of ongoing projects there with my classes. There are constantly three stories, at least, being worked on for that alone. It is both rewarding and insane to experience, but I am eternally grateful that I get to. I am hoping to start working on my thesis soon, which I’m looking forward to. Spoiler alert: if it gets passed, it’s a TV show. Woohoo! 

I am currently working on a couple baseball themed books in my free time. One is a Romeo and Juliet retelling, and the other is a novella about a girl coming back from an injury who literally runs into the social media intern for her team. Both are romantic comedies that have my heart. By the time this interview is published, I should be done the novella! This year has been challenging to keep up with my personal writing because of all the work I do for my MFA, but when I have the time to work on these, they always remind me that I love these characters deeply.