What Do Ya Know! It’s Caitlin Marceau!

Caitlin Marceau is a queer author and lecturer based in Montreal. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing, is an Active Member of the Horror Writers Association, and has spoken about genre literature at several Canadian conventions. She spends most of her time writing horror and experimental fiction, but has also been published for poetry as well as creative non-fiction.

Hi, Caitlin. Thanks for joining us.

Thanks so much for having me! I really appreciate this opportunity!

You’re too kind. The honor is all mine. I enjoyed reading your novella, This Is Where We Talk Things Out. How long did it take you to write that story from first to final draft?

Oh man, This Is Where We Talk Things Out is admittedly a bit of an anomaly for me! Although I’m generally a pretty fast writer, I have to admit that this project flew by unusually quickly. So from start to finish—including edits and proofreading—it took me roughly two weeks to hammer out. I was really inspired at the time, so I think that’s why I was able to blow through this novella at such break-neck speeds!

I see you have another novella, I’m Having Regrets. I’m super interested. What’s it about?

I’m Having Regrets is a novella about grief, religious trauma, and finding community—though not necessarily a safe one—after loss. It follows the journey of two sisters following a house fire and how their shared trauma and unforeseen circumstances bring them together but also force them apart. It’s fun and messy and (hopefully) really upsetting, and I can’t wait for people to get their hands on this book. It’s not out yet, but it’s tentatively slated for release later this year through Hear Us Scream Press!

What are some of your favorite books you’ve read?

Beast from Lindz McLeod is such a fun and genuinely upsetting take on Beauty and the Beast. Pretty much everything and anything written by Tim McGregor is guaranteed to be a hit in my eyes. (I’m still not over his emotionally devastating Lure.) And I can’t get enough of Rae Wilde’s Merciless Waters (originally published under the name Rae Knowles).

How many short stories have you written?

Oh God, I have no idea! Dozens. I’ve been in over thirty anthologies and have three short story collections out, so I’ve sincerely lost count. Short stories have always had such a special place in my heart so I suspect I’ll be writing them until the day I die.

Is there anything that helps get the creative juices flowing when you’re feeling uninspired, such as places you go, food you like to eat, or music you put on?

Not really. At least not anymore. When I was younger, I’d go for a walk, hang out with friends, or visit a few local bookstores in the hopes of getting my creativity flowing. I used to be someone who would only write when I was feeling inspired, but this ended up putting a lot of pressure on me to feel motivated and “artistic” 24/7. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve really moved away from this idea that I need to feel inspired in order to write. Instead, I’ve started taking a really pragmatic approach to my writing where I force myself to write each and every day, whether or not I’m motivated to. It definitely takes some of the romance away, but it’s also taught me how to turn my creativity on and off without feeling like I need to chase inspiration all the time! 

I, myself, have been writing on and off for a long time, but life has been a wild ride, and I haven’t accomplished my goals just yet. When I see a woman as talented as yourself, who is out there making it happen, it inspires me to push forward. Was there ever a point when you felt discouraged, like you weren’t getting anywhere?

Oh, absolutely. I don’t talk about it all that often, but I actually considered giving up on my writing when I was studying in university. I felt really discouraged about my work and I was worried that I would never make a name for myself in publishing. I ended up dropping all of my university courses except for one creative writing class that I was attending in the evenings and attended nursing school by day. Hilariously, I ended up dropping out of nursing and returned to university only a few months later after I received a handful of back-to-back acceptances for some short stories.

Does your daily life affect your fiction?

Without a doubt! I’m a really anxious person, so there’s a weird katharsis that I get when I explore a fear through my work. It gives me a chance to work through my own panic and insecurities and, in a way, helps me take my power back from these sources of fear. I also love writing about negative experiences most women have lived through, so my daily life definitely helps inform my writing when it comes to that kind of content.

Is it a goal of yours to represent the LGBTQ+ community in your work?

Yes and no. I mean, no person is a monolith, so I know that the experiences I write about and the characters I create can’t possibly represent an entire community. It’s just not possible. But I really want my work to help normalize queerness in horror literature. Like, most of my characters are queer but their queerness isn’t central to the plot. It’s part of who they are, not the entirety of it. And it’s this normalization that I really strive for.

Are there any projects you’re currently working on?

Arguably, there are too many projects that I’m currently working on! Although I can’t share all the details of everything just yet, I can tell you that readers can look forward to my debut novel, It Wasn’t Supposed To Go Like This, coming out this fall from DarkLit Press along with another novella, The Space Between My Thighs, releasing with them in 2025. I also have a few books coming out soon from Hear Us Scream Press including I’m Having Regrets and But A Dream. Not to mention a dark erotica and romance series, Olympus Lost, from Eerie River’s spicier imprint! So there’s lots going on!

Where can we find you on the web?

I mostly lurk (and sh*t post) on social media with the handle @CaitlinMarceau. You can also find me on my website at CaitlinMarceau.ca (assuming I ever finish updating it)!

Thank you to all the readers who have showed support during Women’s History Month / Women In Horror Month! Please continue to show your support by sharing this post! Thank you!