Niteblade

Stephanie M. Wytovich is an Alumni to Seton Hill University where she was a double major in English Literature and Art History.  Amongst having numerous publications, the most recent being her poem “Body Suit,” she enjoys painting and playing the piano. She is currently attending graduate school to pursue her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction, and is a nominee for the Rhysling Award for her poem “The Cheater.” She plans to continue in academia to get her doctorate in Gothic Literature. Follow her on Twitter or stop by Stephanie’s blog to say hello.

When did you first recognize yourself as a poet?

I recognized myself as a poet when I got published with a magazine that wasn’t affiliated with my school, even though I had been writing poetry since I was about eight years old. When Eclectic Flash Literary Magazine published my piece “The Necklace,” it gave me the confidence that I needed to start looking at writing as a full time job, and a career that was now possible, instead of just a dream.

What draws you to speculative fiction?

Speculative fiction calls to me because it allows me to create worlds and situations and then manipulate them to my liking. I can visit faraway worlds, bring back the dead, or fall in love with an alien, and no one can tell me that it can’t happen. The possibilities are endless, and sometimes its good not to have boundaries because then your creativity can flow without fear. And while I love Fantasy and Science Fiction, Horror will always be my first true love because nothing gets my blood flowing like that feeling of pure, utter fear.

Is there a piece of writing advice you’ve never followed?

Write what you know. I hate that saying because why would I only want to focus on stuff that I’ve experienced or could relate too? There is a world of information and possibilities out there, and I want to explore every dark, mysterious corner that I can and sink my teeth into it until I figure it out.

In the December 2010 issue of Niteblade, Rhonda chose to publish your poem, “The Cheater“.  Is there a backstory on how it came about?

I’m a big believer of using writing as a means of catharsis, so as you can probably guess, this piece was inspired by infidelity. It’s ironic because while it was a really bad time in my life, I got a lot of great material out of it because I didn’t censor myself. I wrote what I was feeling no matter how angry or sad I was, and when “The Cheater” was finished, I felt like I could start to breathe again, because I had not only figuratively put an end to a bad situation through the poem, but literally shut the door on a very real and unhealthy relationship at the same time.

For those that have read it, the piece is about a character taking control of their situation after realizing that their partner was unfaithful. As a horror writer, I wanted to portray the confrontation scene with a level of high energy that matched the pain the narrator was feeling…so that’s why he/she was given the chainsaw as their weapon of choice; it’s loud, it’s deadly, and it can rip you to pieces just like a bad relationship can.

There were a lot of tears that went into this poem…from both myself and the character that my protagonist murdered, but in the end, I think we both came out better from it, ha.

What have you been working on lately?

I’m currently working on a poetry series based around dark fairy tales, as well as my first novel (that is currently untitled). If I were to describe it, I would say that it’s Rosemary’s Baby meets The Exorcist meets Paranormal Activity. It’s been a lot of fun to write, and I’ve met a lot of interesting characters along the way and I’m excited to see where it goes!

Is there anything else you’d like to share with Niteblade’s readers?

Don’t write what you know. Write what you want to know. Explore the nooks and crannies in the darkest places of your mind, and don’t be afraid of what you find there. Writing is meant to take you places, and even if you’re scared of where you’re going, don’t pass up the ride.