Q: If you could have a fantasy pet, what would you have and why?
A: THE NEVERENDING STORY was one of my go-to movies when I was a kid growing up in the ‘80s. I think the luck dragon (Falkor) was every kid’s coveted fantasy pet during that era, including mine – although a close second would be Ludo from LABYRINTH. I came close to having my very own luck dragon – Spartan, an elder Aussie/American Bulldog mix I adopted at the beginning of the pandemic. There were days when he’d flop out on the floor and he’d fit the bill, although I suppose his flying skills could have used some work.
Q: What type of music best describes your writing?
A: Not sure, really, as my writing style seems to be all over the place. Bjork? Ha! But if I had to choose one genre or type of music, I’d say film scores. I think I’m a pretty visual writer, and I also love film—the two go hand in hand, and sometimes while writing a story I also imagine the music that would play in the background – music has an awesome way of guiding a narrative.
Q: Tell us about your writing office/space and why it’s special to you.
A: I don’t have one place that’s specific to writing. I’ve been known to sling words in my somewhat clean/mostly cluttered home office; plopped down on the couch in the living room; splayed out on my bed; when it’s cooler out (I live in Georgia, so spending a lot of time writing outdoors is not always conducive to being comfortable) I write out on my deck. When I need to get away, I head to one of the local coffee shops and I’ve even been known to sling some words at Waffle House with a cup of coffee – I haven’t done that in ages, so maybe that’ll be my next writerly field trip.
Q: What is your favorite piece of visual art that has inspired a story or two?
A: I’d say film has inspired many of my stories—films from folks like Lynch, Brooks, Kubrick, the Coen Brothers – but also the artwork of William Blake. His subject matter and use of color has always fascinated and terrified me in ways I can’t really describe. “The Ghost of a Flea” is one of my absolute favorites. Followed by “The Ancient of Days” and “The Lovers Whirlwind,” just to name a few.
Q: If you didn’t write full-time what would your day job be? Is writing a hobby for you?
A: Writing is not a hobby, but something I’ve been compelled to do since childhood, and I wish I had the means to without needing a day job. But I think a lot of authors fall into this category.
Q: What is your writing schedule and how many words do you write in a sitting?
A: I aim for 1000 words a day. But you know, life gets in the way sometimes. I don’t beat myself up about it if I’m not able to reach that goal. There’s always tomorrow.
Q: How do you celebrate publishing a new story?
A: By hopping on another that’s been in my WIP list that I’ve neglected for far too long.
Q: How do you balance your outside life with your writing life?
A: My writing life will always be important because of the community I’ve been lucky enough to be immersed in, so, writing will always be a part of what I do. I think in these last few years we’ve all learned [or are still trying to learn] to cut ourselves a little bit of slack. Pre-plague I was on the go 24/7 with a million balls in the air and I liked it like that. Kept my mind from focusing on things I had no control over. I couldn’t function without constantly being busy, having something to do, including working my day job, slinging words, whether it was my own fiction, or being Managing Editor/Contributing Writer for ATLRetro.com, raising my kid, going to the movies, events, etc. And now, I’ve learned to set aside time for what feels right and I no longer try to force a full schedule if I’m just not up to it, and frankly I’m generally not. I write when it feels right and I sit on it for awhile if it doesn’t.
Q: Write your eulogy in three sentences.
A: She lived. She laughed. She languished.
Q: What project are you most proud of completing?
A: I’ve been writing for most of my life – publishing mostly non-fiction magazine articles and interviews of artists and creators. However, I didn’t start submitting my fiction officially for publication until 2019. I’m proud of all the stories I’ve been able to successfully complete. If you could see my WIP list [35+ stories going back to 2013], you’d completely understand.
Q: Do you have any projects you would like to tell your readers about?
A: My most recent story, “In the Darkness – A Familiar Voice,” was published in the Folk Horror issue of Weird Fiction Quarterly. I’m currently working on a few short stories that may actually grow into novelettes, as well as a southern gothic-spec-lit story about my time working as prison librarian on the grounds of Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, GA.
Q: Who is your favorite character from any of your stories and why? If you had to choose a popular author to continue writing this character in another book, who would you choose and why?
A: I have spent so much time with my female protagonist in my short story Quickening and she has grown and changed so much over the years. I’d say she would be my favorite so far. This is one of the stories I’m currently revamping because it’s begging to be at novelette length. As for a popular author to continue her legacy, that’s a tough one. There are so many diverse authors out there who I would be honored for them to continue her story.
Q: Where can your readers find you on social media?
A: I can be found on IG [@mellucille1] and my website: www.MelanieCrew.com
MELANIE CREW is a weirdling, a mother of one killer–yet oh so lovely–adult spawn, and a writer of stories, mostly creepy. She was born in the Midwest, moved many times during her early childhood and landed near Chattanooga, TN. She currently resides in Atlanta, GA with her two weirdo rescue companions, a.k.a. The Misfit Creatures (Sprocket and Poly Styrene). She is a Weird wrangler with The Outer Dark Symposia [Assistant Director/Chapbook Editor] and Managing Editor of ATLRetro. She loves monsters and has a love/hate relationship with birds–they clearly want her dead.
She Writes Fast 