More From This Author
Story Art Sneak Peek
Amazing Artwork By Daniela Rivera
"A Chronological List of My First Hauntings by Jonathan Chen"
Anthology: Uncanny & Unearthly Tales
Release Date: Oct 27th, 2023
Preorders: Coming Soon
About the Author: A child educator, Mei Davis maneuvers between managing fictional children and the far more troublesome tangible variety. She has been published by prairiefire, Sans Press, Translunar Traveler’s Lounge, and Radix Media.
Release Date: Oct 27th, 2023
Preorders: Coming Soon
About the Author: A child educator, Mei Davis maneuvers between managing fictional children and the far more troublesome tangible variety. She has been published by prairiefire, Sans Press, Translunar Traveler’s Lounge, and Radix Media.
Q & A
How does it feel to have this story published for the first time?
I'm always pleasantly surprised when a story of mine is picked up.
What inspired the idea for your story?
Countless hours of writing academic papers. Anyone who's been through the mills of higher education understands that writing papers is often an exercise in twisting the source material into a shape of your own making, couched in a lot of unnecessary descriptors. I thought it would be fun to emulate that style (replete with ghost related puns) while also winking at the reader, letting them in on the joke that the only person Jonathan is fooling is himself.
We know that writing can be a tumultuous journey with a lot of obstacles, what is your kryptonite as a writer?
Naval-gazing. Agonizing over every word and sentence instead of just getting on with it. While it's true that thoughtfulness and careful construction matters to good writing, stories will never be shared if they're never written. It's why I've started a dozen novels and finished none. It's why I always go back to the quick dopamine fix of short fiction.
Tell us about your favorite author. What about their book(s) call to you and how do they inspire your own writing?
Aside from writing clever mysteries, Agatha Christie can tell you everything you need to know about a character in two sentences. I'm a very plot-driven reader who doesn't like to be bogged down in tangents, who likes to be an active participant in the story, and her murder mysteries do just that. Her lightning-strike narrative style helps temper my tendency to get too caught up in the details.
Clearly, you’ve succeeded at writing a captivating story for GrendelPress, but we all start somewhere. What advice would you give yourself as a young writer?
Have fun. Don't stress. Use a productivity timer.
We’d like to argue that every good story makes both the author and the readers feel something. What perspectives or beliefs have you challenged with your story?
Everyone has blindspots. Everyone wants to be believe they are in the right. Hopefully, this story will help us question whether the narratives we construct are based in truth, or if we are simply trying to convince ourselves by way of convincing others.
What do you love most about your story’s genre?
The best ghost stories are also mysteries, but with an ambiguity that stays with you longer than the neatly wrapped and tied resolutions of the typical murder mystery.
What are some other genres you’d like to break into and why?
I've written in many genres and enjoy writing cross-genre work as well. One I haven't written as much in is children's literature. I have three children and would like to write something for them some day.
If you had to pick another story of yours to share with your readers, what would it be?
Outfoxing the Fox: When a mythical, shape-shifting kitsune gets bored of swindling daimyos and samurai, she sets her sights on Europe. But knee-deep in her latest con of an English nobleman, her plans are upturned when it is announced the gentlemen are going on their yearly fox hunt. Will she put aside her scheme to help her fox-kin, or keep her eyes on the prize?
