Moira has only published with me the once, but her story is one of my favourites! This is her interview from Beyond The Withered Roots;
What drew you to writing your piece?
Like a lot of horror readers, I love a good, demonic kind of monster and an inevitable tragic end. I wanted to write a story with an unreliable protagonist, someone who you’re not sure if you can believe. I also really enjoy an open-ended horror, the kind that isn’t really over even if the story is.
Describe your writing process.
For me, one of the most important things is a good playlist. For this piece, I was exclusively listening to Dawes, which is a band I am really into at the moment. Not exactly horror music, but many of their songs have a soft tragedy vibe, which I think translated into this project.
Why do you write? Why do you want to be an author?
I write because it gives me an outlet for my creativity, and I really enjoy creating world and stories in my head. I want to write because I love it, and because my first audience, my little brothers, are far too old now to believe the stories I make up.
What kind of books do you read and how does that influence your writing?
I read a lot of horror and fantasy, H. P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, Sarah J. Maas, Jay Kristoff, Karen Marie Moning, but Kathy Reichs is my favourite. She writes the crime novels that inspired the TV series Bones and it’s an incredible series that combines crime with slow-burn romance and I just love it. As a kid, I was also really into Goosebumps and The Bailey School Kids; both are children’s horror.
What do you eat or drink whilst you write?
I try to stick to a Wedding Feast at Cana diet when I write, as in water and wine! A glass or two of red wine when I’m writing and then I’ll edit with water and avocado toast in the morning
What is your preferred genre to write in?
I love to try to draw out tension, which is something I can do across a few different genres, but I enjoy it mainly in horror and romance pieces.
What comes first, the plot idea or character idea?
For me, I usually think of a specific scene first, and then I will build character and flesh out a plot around that.
Are you working on anything at the moment, or do you have any plans or ideas for future projects?
Right now, I am finishing up my dissertation for my master’s in creative writing, but after that I am going to tackle a romance project or explore the world with the monster in this short story. I don’t think it’s done with the world yet.
Which is your favourite moment from the book as a whole (doesn’t have to be from your own work)?
I really loved the ending of El Rose’s story; I think the line about “the witch, the wife, and the widow” tied up the story so well.
Would you like to write more with the characters from your piece?
Yes!!!
Who is your author inspiration?
Probably R. L. Stine. Growing up, I was a huge fan of the Goosebumps series and I read every copy at my local library. His stories are wildly creative, and always end on a cliffhanger.
