Angelique Fawns writes a wide range of speculative fiction. *Photo courtesy of the author.*

If you write weird short stories, you should probably get to know author Angelique Fawns. Month after month, she scours the publishing world to compile a treasure trove of information on the best speculative fiction markets available for short fiction writers. It’s a great way to find out who’s buying, what types of stories they want and how much they’re paying. Getting her monthly email is a part of my monthly writing rituals, and you can subscribe to it here for free.

I enjoy her list so much, I sent her an email thanking her for her work one day. She was kind of enough to write me back, and we just hit it off. Over the years, she and I been on similar writing journeys, sending stories to the same markets, even showing up in the same online writing workshops occasionally. She's gone from being one of my writing peers to a friend.

Which is how I learned that the list is just one aspect of this busy gal's life. A former journalist and TV producer, Angelique is now a prolific writer with scores of published short stories under her belt. She also has two novels under consideration with a literary agent, and she's the publisher of the Horror Lite collection, which included one of my stories (thank you for that, Angelique). She also hosts the "Read Me a Nightmare" podcast, which focuses on horror stories and the authors who write them. Plus, she just launched The Guide of All Guides, a Kickstarter that provides submission help for budding spec writers. Whew! Any time left over is spent riding horses or hanging out with her family in Canada. With so many spinning plates in the air, Angelique is always on the go, so I’m grateful for the time she spent with me here.

Interview

Which work of yours are you most proud of?
That’s like asking a mother which child she loves the most. As far as the most ambitious work that’s top of mind, it would have to be the dark roman-tasy I'm working on right now, Dancing into the Dark. It's 97,500 words, the most I’ve ever written for any one project—remember, I’m a mostly a short story writer.

What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned as a writer?
Oh, there are so many. Probably the most important one is to just get your work out there. Submit, submit, submit. Keeping your words in a dusty drawer helps no one. Least of all you.

Who are your writing influences?
Stephen King. Margaret Atwood. Edgar Allen Poe. Edward Hoch.

Which is your favorite genre to write in?
Horror! Isn’t that the passion we share?

What keeps you motivated to write?
I’m stubborn. I figure that if other people can do it and find success, why can’t I? Plus, I feel like a day is wasted if I haven’t written something. It’s my gift, and I am failing myself if I don’t create stories. It’s therapy. Its expression. It’s how I self-define.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve googled “for research” that would get you on a watchlist?
Probably how to kill someone with a lamprey.

Let's say Freddy Krueger wanted to hire you to produce a TikTok series promoting his new press-on knife nails. What would that look like?
It would obviously be full of urgent messaging, like “Limited-time offer”, “Killer deal” and “Full Ginsu knife add-on for just $10.99 if you buy in the next 24 hours."

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