We were lucky to catch up with KC Grifant recently and have shared our conversation below.
KC, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
There are several tips I find very helpful when writing creatively. The first is to make it a habit of prioritizing writing. Whether it’s a little bit every day, or a weekend writing binge every few months, testing out different methods until I found what worked for me at various points in my life was extremely helpful.
Just like exercise, may people find success by writing a bit each day to strengthen the mental muscle until it’s easier to get words onto the page. Reading about the craft, finding inspiration, learning how to market one’s self as an author are all important, but nothing more so than getting a draft complete. Sometimes it takes cultivating a little bit of arrogance (but not too much), to feel that one’s words and ideas are worth putting to the page. And though the first draft is almost always terrible, one must have faith that a piece can evolve to something worth sharing.
A lot of writers don’t seem to give themselves permission to take the space and time they need to prioritize writing, especially if they are caretakers or are used to putting others first. This is the one time where artists need to be selfish to an extent in order to carve out writing time.
Another essential skill that helped me to write creatively is guarding my mental state. In particular, this is making sure bitterness, self-doubt, and other mental obstacles don’t gain dominance. It’s easy for this to happen when social media shows an endless stream of others’ successes. But the truth is, everyone has unique challenges, and comparing one’s successes to others’ is a fool’s game.
Similarly, it’s important to recognize imposter syndrome and realize it plagues everyone. Even writers who everyone else would deem undeniably successful—who’ve had their works made into movies and shows—still have imposter syndrome at various points. Some disguise it more than others or veer into bravado to hide it. The best tip I follow for this is to ignore it and get busy. There’s no time for insecurities when you have stories to write.
KC, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Pretty much as soon as I learned to write, I started creating stories. As a kid, I wrote mostly adventure and fantasy stories, and got into scifi and horror as a teen. In particular, I was drawn to the dramatic endings in stories like The Twilight Zone, Tales from the Crypt and Goosebumps. These tales depicted characters who, despite their best efforts, can’t escape the trap that is set for them (or the trap they inadvertently set for themselves). Those twist endings are a powerful reminder that the world isn’t a fair place, and that fate can come back to bite you. I try to emulate this effect in some of my writings.
Today, I write horror, science fiction and fantasy stories that have been published internationally in dozens of magazines, anthologies and podcasts. Publications include: Spaceways Magazine, Unnerving Magazine, Cosmic Horror Monthly, Dark Matter Magazine, the British SF Association’s Fission Magazine, Tales to Terrify, the Lovecraft eZine; Musings of the Muse; Dancing in the Shadows—A Tribute to Anne Rice; Field Notes from a Nightmare; The One That Got Away; Six Guns Straight From Hell; Shadowy Natures; Beyond the Infinite-Tales from the Outer Reaches; the Stoker-nominated Chromophobia; the Stoker-nominated Fright Mare: Women Write Horror, and many others.
My debut weird western novel, Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger (Brigids Gate Press, Feb 2023), described as a blend of Bonnie & Clyde meet The Witcher and Supernatural, has received positive reviews internationally. Readers and reviewers call the book “a fun, fast-paced, monster-filled joy ride,” “genre-blending,” “a story that is fascinating and irresistible,” and a “massive crowd-pleaser.”
In 2023, Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger ranked #1 in Amazon New Releases for Western Horrors, and ranked in the top 100 bestsellers in dark fantasy releases and new horror releases. Other recent accolades include my horror poem, “A Woman’s Weapon,” making the recommendations list for the prestigious Best Horror of the Year 2022, as well as my story “The U Train,” winning the Sley House podcast competition.
Today I lead panels, workshops and classes on speculative short story writing; the horror genre; and the “weird west” genre. I’m co-founder and chair of the San Diego chapter of the Horror Writers Association (HWA), as well as a member of numerous writing organizations, including the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I paused on creative writing for several years as I explored and grew a career in science. I kept attempting to write creatively but had unrelenting writer’s block for over 5 years. No matter what I tried—classes, workshops, writing groups—nothing helped. For a while I thought I’d never get over that writing hump.
I realized it was because my life was too turbulent to commit fully to creative writing. I was in my early-mid-twenties, moving a lot, and figuring out what I wanted to do. It wasn’t until my life was more in order that I found enough peace of mind to commit to imagining new worlds. It was like a door had opened: once drama had been reduced in my real life, I had the focus to manifest drama in fiction. It took work and commitment to get to a point of writing–and publishing–regularly after that long period of writer’s block.
This helped me realize you can always start—or return to—writing. I regularly meet people who are wistful about wanting to write a book, but feel it’s late for them. Unlike so many other things in life, though, it is never too late to write, no matter your age or situation.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish I had known about the fabulous resources offered through national speculative writing organizations earlier in my career. For example, the Horror Writers Association and the Science Fiction & Fantasy Association have a range of membership options so that even novice writers or fans of the genres can join. These organizations offer annual conferences, mentoring support, related business resources, and opportunities to connect and network with other members. Joining these helped me immensely to connect with other writers in my genres and find a community of like-minded authors.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.KCGrifant.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/kcgrifant/
- Facebook: facebook.com/kcgrifant
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kcgrifant
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kcgrifant Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8288519.K_C_Grifant Amazon: https://mybook.to/MelindaWest
Image Credits
Jason Liu