Erin Carini is a Defiant Scribe staff writer. She’s also a singular talent. She’s written thirteen pieces for us, a mix of both fictional stories and nonfiction blog articles. Unique is a good way to describe her work, as is funny and unexpected. Her stories are strikingly strange, off-kilter tales—unlike anything you’ve read before. They perfectly blend silliness with somberness, as well as outré plots with relatable characters and dialogue that feels so realistic, it could be ripped from your own life. Whether first- or third-person, her narration always bursts with personality and a wry, crackling sense of humor. Defiant Scribe has long sought to publish original, quirky writers who have something to say, and an offbeat way of saying it. Erin Carini has got that in spades. 

Erin was gracious enough to answer some of our questions about writing, reading, Defiant Scribe, et al. Here’s what she had to say. 

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Defiant Scribe: Favorite book and/or author?
Erin Carini: Joyce Carol Oates, Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Clive Barker, and a whole bunch more! 

DS: What’s one book or author that you think is overrated and/or lousy?
EC: It’s okay to like a book. 🙂 If you’re reading something and enjoying it then that’s great, except for anything by Ann Coulter. Stuff that grackle into a garbage disposal. 

DS: Fuck, marry, kill: Typewriter, computer, notepad.
EC: F: Typewriter (But seems painful), M: Notepad, and I frequently threaten to kill my computer. 

DS: Do you have a favorite storytelling medium (e.g., novel, short story, film, TV show, et cetera)? If you do, what is it and why is it your favorite?
EC: I consume a LOT of graphic novels and film, but I also read, watch a ton of TV, and enjoy narrative video games. 

DS: If someone asked you to name one person or thing that has influenced/inspired you the most, what—or who—would that be?
EC: The combination of my grandparents, my high school drama teacher, and Lucy Grealy’s autobiography. 

DS: Is there anything (genre, topic, storyline, etc) you won’t write or won’t write about?
EC: It’s hard for me to write memoir or even stories with subject matter too close to my own personal experience, by I try anyway so I can grow more as a person and a writer. 

DS: If you were going to recommend someone read your Defiant Scribe stories, which would you tell them to read first?
EC: My hot takes on Halloween are pretty good if people are interested. 

DS: What sucks the most about being a writer?
EC: Creative blocks and crushing rejection… writing is fun! 

DS: What’s one piece of writing advice that you’d give to your younger self?
EC: Keep practicing! Also, no one is going out of their way to recognize themselves in your work, so write where a piece takes you. 

DS: What is your favorite Defiant Scribe edition and/or Defiant Scribe story (written by somebody else)?
EC: The Cookie Girl and the Christmas Party by Zofia and I Am Schrödinger’s Cat by Robin Bullard are two of my favorite pieces. 

DS: Where else can people find you and/or your work? 

EC: Keep an eye out?? I’m open to all possibilities.