11-11-2024 12:27pm

Ypsilanti Library Congratulates to the winner of the short horror story contest to Logan Corey

Ypsilanti PressLLC Editor

Can you tell us a little about your background as a writer? How did you get started, and what drew you to writing in the first place? I've been writing since I was a little kid, mostly poetry but a few one-act plays here and there, too. I found my first real writing community in college where I earned a BA in Creative Writing - Poetry at the Residential College at the University of Michigan. Shoutout to my mentor, Ken Mikolowski, and my advisor, Laura Thomas, who balanced encouragement with constructive criticism that really helped me grow and find my voice.

What inspired you to write this particular horror story?I love horror as a genre, especially in film. A lot of my work these days focuses on a sense of creepiness or discomfort (with a little humor), often blended with themes from the natural world. And body/food horror is a special brand of hair-raising I wanted to lean into for this story, but also center a female voice. The trope of any female character as the helpless victim against the scary monster has been played out - I'd rather see a female monster have the best day of her life.

Can you share a bit about the process of writing the story? Did you encounter any challenges while working on it?My favorite author is Chuck Palahniuk and my favorite book is likely "Frany and Zooey" by J.D. Salinger. I really like authors that have almost too much to say so the stories feel like they're near overwhelming in detail and description. For poetry, I'm drawn to writers who can somehow fit an entire universe in just a few words, like "This is Just To Say" by William Carlos Williams, or take me on a journey, like "Jane: A Murder" by Maggie Nelson. I think that influences my poetry a lot, because I want to create something that sticks with the reader in their head and their heart after they turn the page (and disgust or horror is great for that).

Can you share a bit about the process of writing the story? Did you encounter any challenges while working on it?I tend to write fast and edit in my head - which makes it easy to forget a word or part of an idea. While I prefer writing in a notebook, writing on my laptop makes it easier to keep track and create a few different versions of the same text with slight differences. I was going back and forth between two different versions of this story and ran it by my husband, Andrew, who is an excellent editor. Per his encouragement, I kept "rubbery snap" in my story.

What’s next for you? Do you have any upcoming projects, or are you working on another horror story? Hopefully more poetry collaborations! I recently partnered with my yoga instructor friend, Chelsea, on a workshop at ZionWell Yoga Studio in Ann Arbor, "Awaken Your Inner Poet," which was a really amazing community experience (and was not horror-focused). Other than that, I plan to continue working on my creepy little poems and sharing them on my Instagram (@thepoetslittlebookofnightmares). I started posting during the pandemic where I'd add daily poems, which helped me learn that something doesn't have to be perfect and polished to share it, and as long as I'm writing, that's a win.
Let me know if you can find some space in the Press. I imagine that you will be very full with election fallout coverage, but it never hurts to ask.

We were lucky to have 73 individual entries, 230 likes, 258 comments, and 123 shares, making this a true community staple.

Warmly,Ellen Steves