AUTHOR INTERVIEW: MARISCA PICHETTE

We wanted to know more about our anthology authors so we asked if we could pick their brains and scoop out the delicious brilliance.

First up is Marisca Pichette, who wrote the beautifully haunting 'Gravestone House':

IP: Would you survive one of your stories in real life? Which one and how would you last? 

M: I’m tempted to pick a non-horror story for this question, but I’ll make it harder and pick something that’s unequivocally horror: “Spines,” published in 2023 in The Old Ways (Eerie River Publishing). In this story, the main character—Magda, a midwife—uses the blood of flesh-trees to paint new babies into being. The catch is, if you touch the blood, you die (horribly). Since all people are infertile, though, Magda’s dangerous work is needed for humanity to endure. As someone without children, I think I would have a decent chance of surviving this story, so long as I stayed away from the vengeful trees. 

IP: What is the most unconventional piece of inspiration you’ve had?

M: Oof, that’s a tough one. I’m often inspired by words and the meanings behind them. My story, “The Jewels of the Mermaids,” was inspired by a late-night blending of mermaids and werewolves (mer-wovles? were-maids? Take your pick). This story is my most-reprinted piece, so whatever the inspiration, it worked!

IP: How do you write? What does your ‘routine’/‘set up’ look like? Do you have a playlist?

M: I really enjoy writing to music, but I have to be careful not to get distracted tailoring playlists, or it will suck away all my time. I don’t have a set daily or weekly writing routine. In general, I go piece-by-piece, focusing on a single story/poem/novel at a time. Once I have a workable draft, I can move into either revision or creating something new while the draft rests.

IP: What are you currently working on? If you're not working on anything at the moment, what work are you most proud of? (Big yourself up!)

M: My debut novella, Every Dark Cloud, is set to be published by Ghost Orchid Press in spring 2025! Blending elements of horror and sci-fi, the novella takes place in a post-climate disaster world shrouded in artificial clouds. If bioluminescence, corruption, and eerie forest vibes are your deal, this novella is for you.

IP: What are your favourite things about the horror/writing community at the moment? 

M: I love body horror, especially as a manifestation of queer rage. Give me the grotesque, the macabre, the monster-fucking-fury.

IP: Who would you say is the biggest supporter of your writing? 

M: Big shoutout to writing friends! My MFA cohort from Stonecoast, as well as all the amazing people I’ve met at cons and through shared TOCs. There are no better cheerleaders than people sharing the writing trenches with you. We get it. 

IP: Why do you write?

M: Mostly, it’s because I love weaving words together, feeling their shape and depth. I love creating weird and wondrous worlds, conjuring phantasms of possibility.

IP: Name a writer that inspires you and why?

M: So many! I’ll pick my most recent inspiration: Sofia Samatar. I just finished reading her story collection, Tender, and loved every single bit of it. Her command of language is deft and beautiful. Even the barbs at the end of a darker tale were delicious.

IP: What would be the worst superpower to have? 

M: I’ve always thought Midas touch-type powers would get old right away. Any ability that you can’t turn off at will, or control, would be bad to have in my opinion.

IP: And because we have to ask - favourite horror movie?

M: One I think about a lot is Los Ultimos Dias, an apocalyptic horror movie where the global population suddenly develops crippling agoraphobia, and how society disintegrates in the aftermath. As traumatic as it is, the movie also has a satisfying—and poetic—end.

IP: Where can we find you, and your work?

M: You can pick up my Bram Stoker and Elgin Award-nominated poetry collection, Rivers in Your Skin, Sirens in Your Hair, from Android Press!

Join my newsletter through my website to keep in touch: www.mariscapichette.com

Find me on Twitter as @MariscaPichette, Instagram as @marisca_write, or Bluesky as @marisca.bsky.social