Does “The Tugwort” borrow from, or is inspired by, any other myths in particular? I was personally wrapped up in the lore as it unraveled throughout the story.

Thank you. Like many horror writers, I’m drawn to strange myths, weird legends, and dark fairy tales. I grew up obsessed with them. There are many interesting tales of shape-shifting creatures, changelings, and the like that were in the back of my mind. That said, I intentionally didn’t base the story on any specific tale. I didn’t want it to feel fixed to a specific culture or fable, but rather to have the general atmosphere and logic of a myth. The inspiration was more in the “vibe,” so to speak, and archetypal elements like a connection between cats and the supernatural.

The creature’s name and gist of the story came to me in a dream. And I connected it, in my own mind, to a few other weird fiction stories I’ve written about invented entities (often cosmic or faux-mythical) that I hope one day will be a collection.

I love your portrayal of the creature inside Carla and its correlation with panic attacks. How were you able to draw that parallel? It describes the feeling so closely (in my opinion), from feeling it welling up to it seeming uncontrollable.

I’m not sure I have a smart answer here, although I’m very glad it felt realistic, except that I try to always prioritize the body in fiction. A lot of contemporary fiction feels removed from the body. The characters seem to float like vapor. Probably less of a problem in horror than other genres but I try to remember to tie everything I write in every genre to flesh, sensations, touch.

What other authors or stories do you draw inspiration from? This story certainly felt right at home with other weird fiction many of us readers have grown to adore.

In the realm of weird fiction and strange stories, some authors who loom large for me are Franz Kafka, Shirley Jackson, Kobo Abe, Silvina Ocampo, Angela Carter, and E.T.A. Hoffmann. I think we are in an exciting time for horror literature right now. I’m an avid reader of Brian Evenson, Victor LaValle, Stephen Graham Jones, and Kelly Link, among other English-language contemporaries. And there is so much great international horror these days that I love, such as Samanta Schweblin, Mariana Enriquez, Junji Ito, Yoko Ogawa, and Karin Tidbeck, to name but a few.

You were able to write a really believable and relatable dynamic in a rocky relationship. It really elevated the connection readers have with your characters. I felt so invested in them both. What made you want to portray this complicated relationship over any other dynamic?

The honest answer here is a lot of this story is personal, though in a very inverted / funhouse mirror sort of way. First, I should say that my wife read and approved this story! But the origins were a trip we took before our wedding. The story was perhaps a way to work through some of my own anxieties and my imagined fears about her anxieties. In the real world, it was a nice trip, we didn’t fight, and we’re now happily married. But many of the specific details—the ruddy faced “captain,” the cats lounging everywhere, the strange screeching sound in the distance—are plucked from that trip. Though now that I think of it, there was a moment when I followed some odd-looking man down into the caves . . . I can’t quite remember what happened . . .

I loved the twist at the end that was briefly hinted at before. What is your writing process like? Did you know you wanted the story to lead up to that moment, or did you start writing and let it come to you?

I tend to let a story lurk a bit in the corners of my mind, ideas glomming onto other ideas and elements trickling together, before I really get writing. Maybe I will write some notes or sentences down. But by the time I’m really drafting the story, I tend to know the overall shape of the story. Then it is just a matter of writing, editing, tweaking, and honing. A lot of the revision process for this sort of “weird fiction” for me involves threading odd echoes and tweaked repetitions through a story, allowing images and phrases to accrue meaning and mystery.

What is next for you? What can your readers look forward to seeing in the near future?

I have a new novel coming out this year, actually: Metallic Realms from Atria Books. It’s a satirical novel about a science fiction writing collective, so it’s quite different from this story. Though there are some creepy cosmic horror moments here and there. But if you like weird comic novels about space adventures and also interpersonal drama, it will be out in May!

Otherwise, I write a weekly newsletter about books, publishing, and fiction called Counter Craft.