Drive-bys and Circuses: Felicity Dowker

Felicity Dowker won a Ditmar Award and a Chronos Award. She’s a member of the AHWA, has been a finalist for the Aurealis Awards, had an honorable mention from Ellen Datlow and from Writers of the Future. Bread and Circuses in Scary Kisses is one of the scariest love stories you’re likely to read. The House on Juniper Road is set to appear in FableCroft’s Worlds Next Door, and she also has stories coming out in ASIM and Aurealis Magazine. She has a long and impressive publication list and she also writes reviews for The Specusphere. She is one of those rare and talented writers of horror who can creep you out while still making you admire the graceful construction of her prose. AND! She has a collection of short stories out with Ticonderoga Publications in 2012.

1. You get to be a fictional character for a day, with no consequences attached – who do you choose and what do you do?
I can’t decide whether I’d be Rorschach and clean the world or be Doc Manhattan and end the world. (Yes, it’s a scary place inside my head.)

2. The story I am most embarrassed by is…
All of them. They all expose me, particularly since I’m only just learning my craft…and always will be.

3. What was your first big sale and how did you celebrate?
I’m not sure I’ve really had a big sale yet. Actually, I don’t even know what would constitute a big sale. It’s subjective, I guess. For instance, Random House haven’t beaten my door down and demanded I hand over my unpublished novel manuscript, but I sold a story to Aurealis a while back, which was pretty cool. And I’m starting to get solicited for invitation-only projects by some great editors and publishers, which is very pleasant. How do I celebrate? Hmmn. I brag to my inner circle of writer-type-folk (because they will a) tolerate it and b) tell me to STFU when they’re done tolerating it), I smile, I feel chuffed, and sometimes I eat chocolate. (God, I’m quite boring, aren’t I?)

4. What do you always delete when you finish a story? Or wish you’d deleted?
All the embarrassing entry-level rubbish. People snarling and grating and scoffing instead of just saying. Weak adverbs. Unnecessary wordage that distances the characters from the reader and the reader from the story. Flowery self-indulgent over-writing. Er…most of the story.

5. Donuts or danishes?
Donuts. They’re soft and cuddly and sweet. Danishes are thin and brittle and have that weird gelatinous sticky glaze. Ugh.

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