The Horror Tree Presents… An Interview with Meredith Anderson

Stacey – Hi Meredith, it’s great to have you here! Tell us a little about yourself and where you’re from?

Meredith – Hi Stacey, great to be here. I’m a freelance editor and writer from Brisbane, Australia.

 

Stacey – When did you start writing?

Meredith – I’m not sure I’ve ever not been writing. It’s a part of who I am.

 

Stacey – What genres do you write in and what drew you to them?

Meredith – I’m most often drawn to dark fantasy and horror, with a side of science fiction—probably as a form of escapism from reality, but also because what’s not cool about fae and demons and other dark things?

 

Stacey – What do you enjoy most about writing?

Meredith – I love getting lost in a different world, especially when I’ve found the right flow and the right voice for whatever it is I’m writing.

 

Stacey – What scares you?

Meredith – People. Of everything I’ve encountered in this life, people are by far the scariest. They are unpredictable and oftentimes self-motivated, which can be a terrifying combination in the wrong (or right) situation.

 

Stacey – Where do you get your inspiration?

Meredith – Everywhere, really. Life, the universe, and everything else. Mythology. Wicca. The dark shapes creeping along the road at night. At the moment, I’m playing with the idea of using tarot cards as inspiration.

 

Stacey – Which authors have influenced your writing along the way?

Meredith – Every author I’ve read has in some way influenced me. A few that come to mind are Kim Wilkins, Tricia Sullivan, and Jeff Lindsay.

 

Stacey – What’s your writing process like?

Meredith – My process varies depending on what I’m working on. For short fiction, I might start with an image in my head or a single line or a line of dialogue and then just wing it. Other times, I’ll write down a few ideas in a rough structure and then go back to fill it in with words.

 

Stacey – What was the first story you had published?

Meredith – For flash fiction, Tree of Death at 101 words. For short stories, In the Grey at Centum Press.

 

Stacey – Do you have a favourite character from your own works?

Meredith – A few, mostly in longer work that I need to finish still. Often, it ends up being quirkier characters in the background that I love the most.

 

Stacey – Has there ever been a book you couldn’t finish? Why or why not?

Meredith – A few. As a freelance editor, sometimes it can be difficult turning off editor brain. Combine that with ARCs that still need a bit of polish and you’ve got the occasional DNF. A few other books didn’t mesh with my preferences at the time either; maybe they’ll be of more interest at a later time.

 

Stacey – What’s the last Horror movie/tv show you watched?

Meredith – I watched Pet Sematary the other day (and Us the week before that). It was an interesting experience as I usually try to read the book before seeing the movie, but I didn’t this time. I’ll have to track down the book and see how it tracks the other way around.

 

Stacey – If you could go back in time who would you go back in time to see?

Meredith – I’m a massive Browncoat, so definitely Ron Glass. I met him years ago at Supanova and he was amazing and so kind. His passing hit me like I’d lost family.

 

Stacey – What’s the best piece of advice you could give someone who is just getting started on their author journey?

Meredith – There’s no single piece of advice on writing that will fit everyone. So, have fun with it and see what works for you.

 

Stacey – Do you have an excerpt you’d like to share?

Meredith – Sure. The following is from Faetality, a dark fantasy short story I’ve recently had published in Spellbinding: An Anthology of Magic, which is available now on Amazon.

 

Off in the distance, someone giggled. It sounded almost like an echo, but nothing had come before, so it couldn’t have been. Then another giggle, accompanied by cold wind, rushed straight toward him and past his ear, making him dodge to the side. 

‘Is someone there?’

The giggle came again, and something plucked at his hair. 

‘Hey!’ He spun around, hitting out at the air with the sheet music still clutched in his hand, but nothing was there.

 

Thank you so much for your time Meredith! If you would like to find out more about Meredith and her writing endeavours, check out the links below.

 

Thanks, Stacey!

 

Goodreads

Writing & Editing

Ifs & Maybes (book reviews)