I read everything I laid my hands on, from Sci-Fi to the Classics, fantasy, historical dramas and thrillers. Much like now, I couldn’t get enough. At 9, I wanted to be Jessica, the evil twin in Pascal’s Sweet Valley High; at 10, I dreamed of wearing a crown like Marguerite in Druon’s The Accursed Kings; at 11, I walked the line between good and evil with Christiane F; I became a vampire with Anne Rice’s Lestat; had a forbidden love affair with Winston Smith in the year 1984 and married Mr. Darcy, thanks to Jane Austen. I. Love. Books.
Would you say your childhood and teenage reading has had a distinct influence on how you write fiction now, and why?
I strongly think so. I’ve travelled to so many different worlds through books, I’ve loved so many stories and characters, no wonder I write just as many. For me, it’s all about how I look at things from a different perspective depending on the genre I’m willing to explore. I think of my premise, characters and plot and then toy with a dystopian development or a strong Sci-Fi vibe, sometimes a horror setting or even a lit approach. I like the challenge different genres bring just as much as the writing itself.
Pick one of your favourites among your fiction stories or a story which is an interesting example from your fiction. What makes this story one of your favourites or an interesting example of your fiction?
Misery of Me, published by Cutting Block Press in the anthology Tattered Souls volume 2.
Misery of Me is my favourite simply because of the entire process behind it. I initially thought of writing it as a novel, then decided to shorten it to a novelette—and the writing just flew out of me in 3 days. I became nervous when it got picked up by Cutting Block Press, I knew the editor Frank Hutton wanted to change things a bit, but the moment we started working together, my fear dissipated. I just loved the whole experience.
Who is another author whose fiction writing you admire and why?
There are many but, for his proficiency and unique approach to storytelling, I have to nominate Neil Gaiman. I just love him, the way his stories lure me in without ever letting go, and I admire his artistic views on the craft of writing, too. Such a creative mind, I really hope he gets to live for a long time to tell us more stories.
How would you summarise one of your short stories in one paragraph?
In Misery of Me, a heroin addict vampire falls in love with her human blood bank, and through their nights of need and want, she becomes the monster she always was and he becomes the man he always dreamed of being.
How would you describe the appeal of this short story to readers?
Vampires are becoming household names at the moment, because of how writers humanised them, made them sexy and normal—not in my story. Misery of Me is for fans of horror, of finding the beast within, of being scared of what we can become, too.
How would you summarise a scene or sub-section from this short story in one paragraph?
In an abandoned library, the cold wind ruffles forgotten books as Liriel and her victims shoot up by the dim evening light. Her eyes light up at the prospect of riding horse, she finds the way the blood mixes with the drug in the syringe so beautiful, and she needs to drink blood as much as she wants to fly. But as soon as she drinks, something goes wrong, and through the thick veil of H, she sees police raiding the squat.
How would you describe the contribution this scene or sub-section makes to the short story?
From the get-go, we see her as who she is: a vampire disguised as a human girl, ready to do whatever she needs to get what she wants, not afraid to follow strangers into dark corners, and happy to bite any junkie’s neck.
Do you aspire to primarily write novels in the future, or are you more interested in writing short stories, and why?
Oh, I write in every shape and form: flash fiction, short stories, novelettes and novels. I never constrain myself into one genre, either—the beauty of art is to explore whatever you want and feel, to go wherever it leads you. My love of writing started with short stories, so I’d be the first one surprised if I ever stop writing them.
Do you read many short story anthologies, and why?
I do, and I just love to be surprised by the stories inside them. I prefer themed anthologies, to see the different perspectives and approaches different authors have to the same guidelines. I’m also a great fan of single-author collections, which also gives a good perspective of the writer’s world.
What lengths of short stories do you usually write, and why?
They range from a couple of sentences to 12-15k. At the moment, I’m working on soft horror novelettes, Girls & Monsters, a collection of five stories about, well, girls and monsters. So for now, my mind is focused on lengthier short stories, but every couple of weeks, I blog flash fiction, so I need to switch gears quite often.
Do you submit for many short story competitions, anthologies and magazines, and what are your main motivations for this?
I ignore competitions since I’ve been a judge for screenplay contests and know how they work: highly subjective depending on the mood of the day, personal taste and opinion. My goal is to get published, to get my stories out there, to be read. If it’s through a cool antho, a popular magazine or on my blog, it’s all good—as long as I write, I’m happy.
Author website: www.annecmichaud.wordpress.com
I read and love Anne's writing. Thanks for the interview and its insights into Anne and her work.
ReplyDeleteI love watching the changes bloom in Anne's work, fortunate enough to read some of it while still in the raw stages. What can I say besides I am a fan.
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