We love learning more about our contributors, and an interview seemed like a fun way to hear more about the writers and artists we publish, so we gave them a choice of questions to answer. We hope you also enjoy hearing more about the artists and their works. Read on and check out issue 28 for "Compulsions of the Earth" from Mae S. Ladle.


What was the inspiration for the piece published in the issue?
Compulsions of the Earth is loosely inspired by obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) -the disorder can feel very physical, take over your life in a way that can feel shameful, whilst being associated with something apparently innocuous.


Who or what inspires your work generally?
All sorts of things - books that I wished had ended differently, books with brilliant prose, stray thoughts (lots of those; they all go into a big document that I can go to when I need inspiration), little moments, and sensory experiences. My current WIP novel was inspired by a dream my
partner had. Travelling works wonders on my creativity, so much newness to eat up.


What is your #1 advice for other writers?
Write before you self-edit. Don't nip your ideas at the bud; let them grow a little until you examine their leaves.


What are your 3-5 favorite and 3-5 least favorite words and why?
I have a big long list for my favourite words - here's five, for the way they sound: Lore, Capricious, Somnambulist, Coscuvilhice [Portuguese - gossip], Sternschnuppe [German - shooting star]. I don't keep track of the ones I don't like.