Cadence Mandybura’s story may be one of my favorites in this collection. Yvonne is an employee at a center that transforms humans into trees. There are as many reasons for people to become trees: some do so as a final resting place, some commute their prison sentences to become trees, some commit to being trees early, too tired of being human. But when a senseless act of violence reignites protests and harassment of the center, Yvonne is swept into an all too familiar storm of anger and frustration with her fellow humans. Tormented by her own rage, Yvonne must come to terms with the world as it is, with people as they are, and with herself. This story captures a beautifully strange idea in the best imaginative way that hits the reader right in the heart.
Read it in Metaphorosis: Best of 2023 now available on Amazon!
1. The Writing Question: Do you have any favorite exercises or writing practices that you feel help you develop your craft skills?
I like to start my day with a handwritten fifteen-minute free write. It isn’t quite like Julia Cameron’s morning pages, as my entries usually aren’t stream-of-consciousness, but rather little fiction experiments. There’s no pressure and no stakes, and I can try out writing techniques or perspectives as the mood strikes me. Most importantly, it gets my hand and brain moving, and helps sustain the writing momentum from day to day. Occasionally I will revisit these “daily randoms” and find one to turn into a proper story.
2. The Spec Fic Question: What draws you to writing speculative fiction? Do you lean more towards one genre (science fiction/fantasy/horror) more than others, or do you like to mix them together?
Anything can happen in fiction, so why not imagine a world that’s a little more wondrous than the one that surrounds us? I lean towards softly fantastical stories—usually only a degree or two away from a realist world. Perhaps I find the magic more enchanting when it’s embedded in the mundane.
3. The Oddball Question: Any life hacks you’ve learned that you couldn’t live without?
Using a physical visual timer to help keep me on task. (Like this.) Being able to see how much time I have left for whatever activity I’m currently doing—whether it’s eating breakfast, working on writing, or doing housework—helps me focus and frees me from having to check the time.
Cadence Mandybura’s fiction has been published in Pulp Literature, Tales & Feathers, Orca, and FreeFall. Cadence is a graduate of the Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University and past associate producer for the fiction anthology podcast, The Truth. She likes to drum. CadenceMandybura.com