I met J. Summerset through a writing group when I was living in Fayetteville, NC. Since then, I’ve enjoyed both reading their writing, and following them online (and am hoping to get together for a chat once we head back there and we figure out how to do that in a way that adheres to social-distancing protocol.) Their story combines the quiet horror of a Grimm fairy tale, with a contemporary setting and characters, to a chilling effect. Check out what they have to say about writing, and then go give them a follow (and read their story!)
Q (Crone Girls Press): What do you write? How long have you been writing? What are your preferred genres and why?
A (J. Summerset): I’ve been writing since I was eleven, and I’ve mostly spent that time living in the Sci-fi/Fantasy/Horror/Weird Western spaces. Why? Because I am a nerd like my father before me. He had a love of those genres and he handed them to me by sitting me in front of a TV with him and watching his favorites.
Q: What do you find the most challenging about the writing process, and how do you meet that challenge?
A: The most challenging thing about writing is usually ending a story. I’ll usually have pages of notes with several different endings for a tale and a whole lot of frustration. The most helpful thing for that is other writers and creative people. I will scream run to my sister or best friend and demand they read things till their eyes cross.
Q: What was the worst writing advice you ever received? The best writing advice? Why, and how did it affect your writing?
A: The worst advice I ever got was “Villains need a reason to be villains.” I reject this idea. There are people who do awful things “just because” all the time. The best advice I ever got, “Write first for yourself.” No matter what story I write, it is for me first. If other people enjoy the ride, awesome! Road trips are more fun with friends.
Q: Of the characters you’ve created, who is your favorite, and why?
A: One of my online names comes from a character I created in high school, Gen Rev. She was an android created by a childless doctor housing an angel by accident. Her whole job was to fight unspeakable horrors, someday she’ll fight them again.
J. Summerset
J. Summerset is an American writer and artist. They love horror, bad sci-fi, myth-touched fantasy, and horrible entities buried beneath the earth. They write bad things very well and good things passably. J. Summerset makes their home in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and spends their time dreaming up impossible situations and how they think they’ll survive them. Occasionally, they consume vast quantities of rum and will watch monster movies.
You can follow J. Summerset online on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram.
To read J. Summerset’s story, Mirrors, pick up a copy of Stories We Tell After Midnight. And if you’ve already gotten one, please consider leaving us a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Thanks for stopping by!
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