I started writing short stories or ideas for novels as a kid. Most were emulating books or music that I liked. In undergrad I took a lot of writing courses and wrote short stories, a (weak) novella, blogs, poems and a collaborative short play. DO YOU HATE ME NOW? draws from sci-fi ideas I had as a teenager but abandoned because I lost momentum after a few chapters because I wasn't sure where it was going, but I'm glad I never forgot them.

I’ve always been fascinated with American literature, especially Modern and Post-Modern. It has a uniquely depressing quality I appreciate. Some current favorite books: House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski Under the Skin - Michel Faber Manhunt - Gretchen Felker Martin Tender is the Flesh - Agustina Bazterrica

Going to metal and hardcore shows or plunking out covers on ukulele. Watching horror films, splatter/gore are favorites. Pondering the existential weight of humanity and how history is doomed to repeat itself. Embroidery and needle-point. Building miniatures or other little cute crafts. Video games that don't require a lot of skill.

Other than literature, I am a lover of all art. The desire to create, share what you’ve created in hopes others will understand, and others learning about themselves and the world through that creation is the most human thing we can do and the only thing worth doing in my opinion. Music has always influenced me and often put feelings and experiences to words in a way I couldn’t. I listen to music whenever I write and the playlist I compiled as I worked on Nothing to No One includes musicians like: Every Time I Die (especially Low Teens), The Acacia Strain, Manchester Orchestra, MARINA (especially Electraheart), Balance and Composure, Bayside, Basement, Citizen, Cruel Hand, Elliott Smith, Harms Way, Knocked Loose, Kublai Khan, La Dispute, Metric, Modest Mouse, My Chemical Romance (The Black Parade), Oceana, Parkway Drive, Phantogram, Senses Fail, The Shins, The Story So Far, Sum 41, Tegan and Sara, Tigers Jaw, Touche Amore, Trash Talk, Trapped Under Ice, Turnstile, and Vundabar, among others. People watching is also a favorite activity and human idiosyncrasies will always be fascinating.

It’s all over the place. Working as a full-time teacher doesn’t always leave the brain space for creativity but using a Google Doc helped because I could work on it from anywhere if inspiration struck, especially helpful for drafting speculative elements.

The best editing tool is delete. I am often guilty of over-explaining to ensure my meaning is clear, but in writing, less is more. I also intentionally didn’t look too far down the publishing route because I didn’t want to be discouraged. 97% of writers who start a book do not finish it so I wanted to get the “hard” part done first before moving on to the next step in the process.