Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole M. Wolverton.
Hi Nicole, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Being able to entertain myself as a kid never seemed like something that would pay off as an adult, yet that’s exactly what happened. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania–a place where there wasn’t much to do except fantasize about all the extraordinary things that definitely were NOT happening in my very quiet life. My imagination was strong, perhaps owing to all the Alfred Hitchcock and Fantasy Island my grandmother consumed while babysitting me on the weekends when I was little, but the first stories I remember making up are about my imaginary friend: a curly-haired redhead named Mona, who had knives for fingers. I used to draw our adventures.
My skills as an artist never progressed beyond stick figures, but my writing skills did. Throughout junior high and high school, I worked on the school newspaper and creative writing magazine, but I never considered focusing on my creative work–it didn’t seem practical, and I was acutely aware even as a kid that I’d need to do something as an adult to earn enough money to make a living. I knew I wanted to write as a career, though. I was good at it, and it brought me joy. Majoring in journalism in college was my solution, though I ended up with a B.A. in English–and my writing skills ended up being put to use as a nonprofit fundraising professional.
Creative writing was something I did as an adult, but just for fun. Something changed in my thirties, though. I couldn’t exactly say what, but I wondered what would happen if I tried to get published. I started submitting my short stories to magazines and anthologies. I started putting in the time to write novel-length work. I listened to the voices in my head, which is usually not the kind of thing you want to do! But my voices demanded to appear on the page–whether hero or villain, horror or not, having something to say about the state of the world through fiction never drove me.
There are moments that people remember in their lives–and I’ll always remember that first accepted short story. It was a piece of flash fiction inspired by a conversation I’ve had a million times about my decision not to have children. It wasn’t dark or horror-tinged. I didn’t even get paid for it. But I was published, and that felt great.
I’ve had almost fifty short stories published since then. My work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. My stories have been honorably mentioned or called noteworthy in The Best Horror of the Year volumes twice. I’ve had two novels published, including my most recent–a young adult horror novel titled A Misfortune of Lake Monsters. It still feels great to know I’ve got something to say, and that people are interested in hearing it. Or reading it, as the case may be.
Right now I’m in the midst of a 15-event book tour for A Misfortune of Lake Monsters, which (at least right now) ends in Iceland at the end of November–I’ve been invited to be a participating author at IcelandNoir. The publishing industry is a strange place that can shake your confidence and make you question what you want as a writer. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’m having in the months after my book has come out… and I’m also being mindful that I don’t have to have a typical traditional author career if it’s not bringing me immense joy. I can chart my own course, and in some ways it makes me think back to when I was a kid, using my imagination to keep myself amused… only this time, I can entertain others as well, all on my own terms.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Writers hear NO a lot–at least most of us. I don’t mind the rejections because each rejection for a story or a novel is just one step closer to finding the right home for the work. And, of course, I think many of us believe that once you acquire an agent, it’s smooth sailing to the publishing deal of your dreams. Publishing is generally not a straight line, though. I’ve had books die on submission to publishing houses, I’ve parted ways with agents. Short stories I thought would get snapped up lingered unacquired for years, while stories that felt like nothing special to me got snapped up immediately. The publishing industry changes, what readers want changes. Maybe you get incredible marketing support for your book, or maybe you don’t.
Through it all, the thing that I keep coming back to (regardless of the challenges) is how I’ve come to view myself as a writer–resilient. Competent. Determined. And yes, successful. My definition of success is my own, just as I’ve defined what happiness looks like for me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a fear enthusiast, first and foremost. I enjoy being scared for fun. And so when I write, I do tend to gravitate toward dark subjects and emotions. Whether it’s horror or thrillers, or whether it’s creative nonfiction, there’s something delicious about exploring terror, grief, hatred, and death. A good friend told me once that nearly all of my writing features an element of fear or suspicious about rural and suburban spaces, particularly those that are isolated or sparsely populated. I hadn’t realized until that moment, but it is true–fear finds you in the quietest places.
For the last several years I’ve focused on writing horror more than anything else, and I’m very proud of how much I’ve accomplished and how much I’ve published in the genre. So much of my work is about carving out a space for humor in those dark spaces. The horror genre is a wide category, and much of it really is very serious–but there’s room for a wide variety of subgenres and genre mash-ups. Horror feels like a natural fit for humor, at least for me. Every time I’ve been truly afraid, or truly in danger, the situation just seems so ridiculous, whether it’s in the moment or reflecting on it later. Humor helps us feel less alone in our fear, and that’s a good thing. We can still be scared even as we’re laughing.
My most recent novel, A Misfortune of Lake Monsters, mixes horror and humor–and romance. I consider it cozy horror, the kind of scariness that simultaneously feels comforting and warm. It’s aimed at young adult audiences (and adults who are younger at heart), and the real world is horrifying enough for teens right now. They’re faced with an uncertain future of disastrous climate change, widening gaps between the haves and have nots, bodily autonomy being stripped away, friends who exist in minority populations having fewer rights, war… it’s frightening. Then there’s the hideousness inherent to being a teenager at all–the lack of agency, the weight of parental/family expectations, the pressure of an unknown adult future. Reading horror that takes those concerns into account is great for teens because it helps build resilience, and I’m excited to have a hand in that.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I’ve always enjoyed the horror genre because it is very easy to know that things can always be worse. However, in the era of COVID-19, another reason to like horror became very apparent. The Recreational Fear Lab in Denmark did a study during the earliest part of the pandemic that demonstrated people who watch horror movies or read horror books, etc, displayed greater coping skills than those who are partial to other genres. The idea is that you may be experiencing horror from a safe place, but you are still regularly exercising your fight or flight muscles–and by working out regularly, so to speak, you are calmer in a real-life scary situation. I ended up writing my masters thesis about horror, using this research–and it was cathartic since I ended up hospitalized with double pneumonia from a COVID infection toward the end of 2020 (in the pre-vaccination days). Since then, I’ve been very grateful to the horror genre and grateful for my predisposition to enjoying horror (both as a writer and a reader/watcher).
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