Horror Author Katrina Monroe Interview

Katrina Monroe Interview 

1.  Congratulations on your upcoming release They Drown Our Daughters! Without giving away any spoilers, could you please tell us a little about this book?

 Thank you! I’m so excited for July!

 On the surface, They Drown Our Daughters is about a curse that follows a line of women along several generations, which lures them into the murky water that surrounds their small town of Cape Disappointment. But at its core, the book is about the complex nature of mother/daughter relationships. It’s about how hard it is to be a mother, how frustrating it is to be a daughter, and the harm that can manifest when we think we’re protecting each other. 

2.  What inspired this story?

 It all started with a setting. I went to visit my brother when he was still living in Seattle, and I asked him to show me the west coast. Growing up in Florida, I’d had this preconceived notion that all beaches are sunshine, white sand, and palm trees. But then we visited a beach in northern Washington, and it was just… gray. Gray sand, gray water… the place was practically deserted, and scattered along the shore were dozens of dead, dismembered crabs. It felt haunted. And then I thought, well, what if it was?

3.  How would you describe your writing/brand as an author?

 My CP and I have this joke that my work, in the beginning, is “all vibes, no plot.” I’m an atmospheric writer. I love to center the reader in a sense of place, to really ground them in the story while I pull them along. As a brand, though, I would describe it as feminist horror. There’s something particular about female fear. It’s subtle. It lingers. It unsettles. It lends nicely to my writing style.

4.  For writers trying to break into publishing, could you please explain how you went about getting your agent?

 Like most writers I know, I was plucked from the slush pile. At the time, I thought that was the biggest hurdle crossed (spoiler: it wasn’t). I’d been querying for several years, and the manuscript my agent signed me with wasn’t the first (or the second or third) manuscript I’d sent out. It’s a daunting process but, as cliché as it sounds, it only takes one “yes.” As an aside, They Drown Our Daughters wasn’t the book my agent signed. It was the second manuscript I delivered to her, and then it was initially rejected by the editor who ended up signing it almost a year to the day after. This business is likely to give you whiplash if you let it.

5.  How long does it take you to write a book?

 After the first couple of false starts (heartbreaking and imperative to my process, as my CP likes to remind me), I usually complete a first draft within 4-5 months. The dreaming stage before writing can last days or weeks. After the first draft, I let it sit for at least a couple of weeks before diving in for edits. When all is said and done, I think it’s a 9 month gestation for a book baby.

6.  When did you first decide you wanted to be an author?

Author Katrina Monroe

 I’ve been writing stories since I was probably seven or eight. I remember a babysitter teaching me how to use quotation marks for dialogue when I showed her a story I’d written about a little girl and a leprechaun. I don’t think I ever decided to be an author. It just kind of… happened. My first full-length manuscript was a disaster, written just for the sake of writing it, but I’m a perfectionist so I sought out writing groups to help me bash it into shape. The rest, as they say, is history.

7.    What is your favorite horror trope?

 There’s something wrong with the house.

 I adore a good haunting, especially when there’s intricate back-story involved. Give me bleeding walls and whispering pipes or give me death.

8.  Thank you for joining me! Could you please tell readers where they can find you online?

 Thank you! I’m on Twitter and on Instagram at @authorkatm. My website is www.katrinamonroe.com.