In this contributor interview, Kathy Hess discusses her short story “First Drink” and her poetry featured in Beautiful and Terrifying: Tales and Visions from the Edge of the Uncanny, along with the influences and writing practices that shape her work.
Kathy Hess writes with a sense of devotion to both story and craft, weaving together fiction and poetry that linger in memory long after they’re read. Her short story “First Drink” and three accompanying poems in Beautiful and Terrifying reflect her fascination with the supernatural, the emotional depth of relationships, and the quiet rituals that shape a creative life. In this interview, she shares the literary works that first sparked her imagination, the discipline behind her daily writing practice, and the ways in which memory, family, and imagination continue to guide her work across forms.
Q: What/who were your early literary influences, and how do you think their writing has shaped you as a storyteller today?
A: One early literary influence that has stuck with me was when I read Les Misérables in high school. It was the summer project, and I loved it. I bought a copy myself and read it so much the following years that the cover broke off and the binding split in half. I would keep the two halves of the book tied up with a ribbon. I have other copies of the book now, but I still have the crumpled, warped, coverless version with the pink ribbon holding it together.
Q: What’s a memory of a story or book that made you realize you wanted to be a writer?
A: When I was younger, I read Inkheart by Cornelia Funke for the first time, and it inspired me to be a writer. It has a character who can read a book aloud and the characters come out of the book. It left me obsessed with the idea of creating my own characters-characters I would love to meet for myself!
Q: Who are some of your favorite authors that you feel were influential in your work? What impact have they had on your writing?
A: Some of the most influential authors for me are Louisa May Alcott, Clive Barker, Charles Portis, Edgar Allen Poe, and the list could go on and on. All of it has impacted my writing, from Louisa May Alcott’s deep familial relationships, Clive Barker’s explosively wild worlds, Charles Portis’s story crafting, and Edgar Allen Poe’s goosebump-inducing prose. I cry every time I read Little Women; I feel inspired to write my own fantasy after reading Abarat; I wish I was a cowboy every time I finish True Grit; and I jump at small noises after reading The Black Cat.
Q: What’s been the most unexpected lesson you’ve learned about yourself through writing?
A: The most unexpected lesson I’ve learned through writing is that it has a lot to do with discipline-taking the time each day to write, whether it’s ten minutes or most of the day. For me, it isn’t just about when creativity strikes but having scheduled time in my day to actually get the words written.
Q: How do you nurture your creativity when life gets busy or overwhelming?
A: I nurture my creativity by writing every day, good or bad, short or long. Even if it’s scribbling on a receipt for ten minutes in a parking lot before continuing a busy day or if I wake up knowing I will write the entire day. The more I write it out, the more my brain can bring more ideas to the surface.
Q: What’s one writing habit you can’t live without and one you wish you could break?
A: I feel the need to write pen to paper, no computer, when I first have an idea. Something about writing in my journal when I have an idea, makes it so I can start mapping out scenes or create small snippets of dialogue. So beginning every story by writing about it with pen and paper is a habit I will always keep. I even began writing exclusively in cursive because I heard it makes your brain process what you are writing more. A habit I wish I could break is the hesitation I have before starting the editing process. I will start trying to distract myself in every way possible because I know how frustrated I will be when editing. If I could cut that week out where I end up avoiding that printed out draft, I would save some time.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice another writer has given you about storytelling?
A: The best piece of advice I’ve ever received is that when writing a first draft, if you hit a block and don’t know how to write the next scene, then don’t. Write a bullet point about what you think you want to happen and then keep going. It just means you aren’t meant to write that part at this exact time. There’s no reason to freeze and get frustrated because you aren’t sure how to move to the next part of the story. It will come to you in time, in editing, in revision.
Q: Do you find inspiration in other art forms (music, film, visual art)? If so, how does it shape your work?
A: I love movies. My best friend of ten years, Sean, and I will watch any movie that is recommended to us and find ourselves breaking down the plot, characters, and cinematography afterwards. It shapes my own writing because it always pushes me to work on character development and setting.
Q: If you could collaborate with any writer, past or present, who would it be, and what would you create together?
A: I love Dracula and I would love to collaborate with Bram Stoker. The idea of creating an epistolary novel has always been in the back of my mind and to work with him to create it, I feel like it could become a classic like Dracula!
Q: What themes do you find yourself returning to again and again in your work?
A: I tend to return to themes of family as well as friends that become like family. I think these relationships can have so much depth, be surprising, and become essential to survive even the hardest of circumstances.
Q: How do you approach writing characters with experiences different from your own?
A: I do everything I can to take on their perspective. I love to do writing exercises to get to know that character, from how I imagine their childhood memories to how they would order ice cream. Then, when I approach where they are in my story, I have a better grasp of their emotions and thoughts.
Q: Do you ever feel pressure to include (or avoid) certain topics in your writing? Why or why not?
A: Yes, in all honesty. Our society today places a huge necessity to turn every piece of fiction into political metaphor or to address a current political issue no matter the concern of the prose. If the character’s story calls for it, I would never hesitate to include political issues. But I don’t feel the same desire to turn every story into current political topics. I follow where the characters go, no more, no less.
Q: What’s your go-to snack or drink while writing?
A: My classic drink when writing is blueberry tea, Celestial Seasonings brand. I also add honey that I get from my aunt and uncle’s farm where they have beehives. Making the tea is the most relaxing ritual to put me in the mindset to write.
Q: What’s a quirky or unexpected detail about your writing space?
A: One of my hobbies is letter writing. I take writing letters by hand very seriously. I have been in pen pal groups, and I have become a collector of all things to do with letter writing. I collect ink, papers, wax seals, stamps, pens, etc. So, my writing space is filled with ink bottles, glass dip pens, fountain pens, blotter pads, specialty envelopes, calligraphy, antique wax seals, etc. It’s the desk of a mad scientist who was determined to discover the perfect letter. Then, in all the chaos, are my drafts, journals, and laptop.
Q: Do you have any rituals or routines to help you transition into “writer mode”?
A: Music. I almost always play one or two songs while I make tea and sit down to write. I then turn it off or leave it playing depending on if I think I need a playlist to keep going to keep me in-tune with the writing.
Q: What’s the most rewarding feedback you’ve ever received from a reader?
A: “I read that a couple years ago and I remember how…” Having my writing in any way stick with someone for any period of time is the most flattering. There’s so much media, entertainment, and stories out there. Having something I created take up even the tiniest part of a memory for someone is amazing.
Q: What’s a challenge you’ve faced in your writing career, and how did you overcome it?
A: One challenge is the burn-out from everyday life. It CAN hurt your creative self. If you have to give all of yourself to survive the day, you have no energy left in your body to dedicate to your art. I had a job that was relentless and tiring. I was a shell and even when I carved out evenings to write, I sat at my desk and cried instead. I walked away from that job years ago now and it was the best choice for my writing and my life.
Q: How do you define success as an author? Has that definition evolved over time?
A: When writing is a habit, you have become a successful writer. No amount of showing or selling your writing makes you a writer. Only the act of writing makes you a writer. I have studied writings of women during medieval times. Some of them did not share their writing with a single other person. But now, hundreds and hundreds of years later, we get to see their beautiful collections and appreciate them. It was never worth a cent in their lifetime, and it was only seen by themselves. But they were writers and I consider them successful ones.
Q: What have you written that you found to be the most fun to write?
A: Haikus! Haikus are probably my favorite poetic form, and I think they are the most fun! I think my love of them began when I watched Avatar: The Last Airbender as a kid. In one episode, the character Sokka challenges a group of poets to create haikus on the spot. It’s one of my favorite episodes and definitely started my love of haikus.
Q: What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
A: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. It isn’t talked about as much these days because it has been years since it was published. But it is one of my favorite novels. I loved it so much that when I was in college and Erin Morgenstern was doing her book tour for her latest novel, The Starless Sea, I was determined to go to one of her stops. I worked my eight-hour day, then drove in the pouring rain for nearly three hours to arrive right before she spoke at 8pm. I heard her speak, got my book signed, and drove the three hours home that night. I couldn’t afford to pay for a hotel. I was broke at the time and I could only afford to buy her new book and fill my gas tank for the drive back! It was a long day and so worth it.
Q: If you could live in the world of one of your books for a day, which would it be and why?
A: I’d actually have to pick the play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I want to run through an enchanted forest full of fairies and love potion and maybe wander out with the love of my life!
Q: If your life were a novel, what would the title be?
A: “Miles to Write Before I Sleep” A variation of “Miles to Go Before I Sleep” the line from Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” For me, it’s not a blanket of snow before me but a blank paper or screen. I always let the writing take as long as it needs to into the night, usually sacrificing a lot of needed rest for the next day.
Q: What’s a surprising or unusual skill you have that might make its way into a story one day?
A: Baking. I love baking and I can definitely see a character in the future who bakes to think through her problems. Taking the time to bake a fresh loaf of bread is all I need to do to figure out my next step in writing or in life.
Q: What’s a new genre or style you’d love to experiment with in the future?
A: Westerns. I love Westerns and I would love to capture the gumption, setting, and themes of a Western one day.
Q: What’s one thing you hope readers take away from your latest book?
A: I hope that the story in Beautiful and Terrifying, “First Drink,” as well as the poems inspire people to write their own supernatural tales. I hope someone tries writing a “Horror Haiku” as I call them or a story that has their favorite supernatural creature.
Q: What do you think the future of storytelling looks like in a world of evolving technology?
A: I am not as worried as maybe I should be. I think the market of people who love paper books and hearing real people’s stories will always be there. There will always be people who won’t want AI books or quick summaries or instant gratification. People who want to dive deeply into a character’s story filled with meaning and nuance. I don’t think AI could ever truly replace that.
Q: What projects are you working on at the present?
A: I have just completed the latest draft of a collection of poetry that deals with the ups and downs I experienced throughout my twenties.
Q: What do your plans for future projects include?
A: My plans currently include attending an MFA program for the next two years to work on my manuscript for a book about women living in northern Ohio.
Author Bio
Kathy Hess is a writer published in Ohio State’s Hog Creek Hardin Literary Journal, Winter Edition 2025/26 and Spring Edition 2026, and Ohio Northern’s Polaris Literary Journal, Annual Edition 2026. She earned an associate degree in creative writing from Sinclair Community College. She then went on to earn a bachelor’s degree at Ohio State University and graduated in May 2026. She majored in English – creative writing. She is an incoming student at the University of Southern Maine’s MFA program in fiction, expecting to graduate in 2028. She also self-publishes as Kit Casper, with a poetry collection called A Life in Poems.
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Book Summary
When Jack Utley loses his daughter just as his business is about to soar, it seems he’s traded financial gain for Callie’s life. After an encounter with a mysterious woman on the eve of Callie’s funeral, Jack wakes up to find that time has somehow rewound to the morning of Callie’s accident. Jack gets an opportunity that most grieving parents can only dream of – he saves his daughter’s life.
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