I’m of the mindset that a lot of what we think of as “dark” is actually normal and fundamentally human (anger, depression, violent emotions, etc.), and dark fiction is an effective way to bring them into the open for consideration and, hopefully, reconsideration, despite the socially constructed taboos.
Coffin Bell: Introduce yourself.
Amy Kotthaus: Amy Kotthaus is a writer and photographer. Her written work has been published in Glass: A Journal of Poetry, Yellow Chair Review, Occulum, and others. Her photography has been published in Storm Cellar, Typehouse Literary Magazine, Moonchild Magazine, Crab Fat Magazine, and others. She currently lives in Maine with her husband and children.
CB: What got you started writing?
AK: I really didn’t start writing fiction until taking a creative writing class for my undergrad. I wrote in starts and fits after that, and then went a long time without doing any creative writing at all. I started up again a couple years ago to stave off the boredom of being a stay-at-home-mom and had my first few pieces of poetry published. That was the first real validation I received for my creative work, and I’ve been writing consistently since.
CB: What is the most rewarding aspect of writing?
AK: Being able to write a piece, whether it be poetry, fiction, essay, etc. that merges philosophy, experience, emotion, and aesthetic in a way that both expresses who you are and how you feel while simultaneously transcending the personal to connect with an audience is very cathartic. It’s a deeper sort of connection to the world.
CB: Do you have a designated space for writing? Tell us about it.
AK: Technically, I have a desk in my bedroom for writing, but in practice I have two toddlers running around, so I end up writing wherever they happen to be most of the time. When I’m able to get some time to myself, I either write at my desk or in bed.
CB: Are you a planner or a pantser? Tell us a bit about your writing practices.
AK: I’m an obsessive planner when writing something academic. For creative writing, I like to work more organically. I usually start with a phrase or an image that pops into my mind and work from there. I always end up doing a lot of editing. Rounds and rounds of editing.
CB: What advice to new and emerging writers could you give?
AK: Rejection is going to happen way more than acceptance. Try not to take it personally (easy to say, I know). Use a rejection as an opportunity to go back to the piece and see if there’s anything to revise. There may not be, but I have found revision after a rejection to be helpful on many occasions.
CB: Who are your influences?
AK: I’ve always been interested in and influenced by Greek and Roman mythology and the Bible in terms of subject matter and/or metaphor, although “Let Us Say Grace” was inspired by Freudian theory. I also love the lyricism in the work of poets like Ace Boggess and Ashley Mares.
CB: Physical books or e-readers?
AK: Physical books for anything I’m going to read repeatedly, e-readers for everything else.
CB: If you could give a PSA to journal editors, what would it be?
AK: “Simultaneous submissions are discouraged” is way too vague. Accept them or don’t.
CB: Taphophobia is the fear of being buried alive. Tell us about your fears.
My two biggest fears are screwing up my kids (I’m pretty sure all parents think this) and having too many regrets in my old age about things I didn’t do.
CB: What draws you to dark fiction?
I’m of the mindset that a lot of what we think of as “dark” is actually normal and fundamentally human (anger, depression, violent emotions, etc.), and dark fiction is an effective way to bring them into the open for consideration and, hopefully, reconsideration, despite the socially constructed taboos.
CB: How does the darkness in your piece enhance the work?
Addressing issues of child abuse, mental illness, and toxic family dynamics head on and clinically is important, but it can also cause a lot people to view it too clinically, from a removed place, or to tune out in order to avoid the pain. Fiction can step in here to present the material in a way that puts the emotion and contemplation of the human cost back into it while also presenting a narrative that compels the audience to keep reading and engaging. The darkness and ambiguity in my piece, I hope, enhances that pull to keep reading and engaging with the material.
CB: Tell us about your book / publication / web site / promotion.
AK: Find me on Twitter @amy_kotthaus, and on Instagram @amy_kotthaus.
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Amy Kotthaus is a writer and photographer. Her written work has been published in Glass: A Journal of Poetry, Yellow Chair Review, Occulum, and others. Her photography has been published in Storm Cellar, Typehouse Literary Magazine, Moonchild Magazine, Crab Fat Magazine, and others. She currently lives in Maine with her husband and children.
You can read Amy Kotthaus’s “Let Us Say Grace” in Volume 1, Issue No. 3 of Coffin Bell!