Interview with KC Grifant

KC Grifant is an award-winning author based in Southern California, renowned for her works in horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the weird west genres. Her debut supernatural western novel, "Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger" (Brigids Gate Press, Feb 2023), has garnered acclaim worldwide, praised as a "fun, fast-paced, monster-filled joy ride" and a "massive crowd-pleaser." Grifant's diverse body of work includes short stories featured in prominent magazines such as Andromeda Spaceways Magazine, Unnerving Magazine, and Aurealis Magazine. It also includes numerous anthologies like the Stoker-nominated "Fright Mare: Women Write Horror." She is the co-founder of the Horror Writers Association San Diego Chapter and an active member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association.

Where are you from and how did you end up where you’re at? (logistically)

I grew up on the east coast, moving progressively north (New York, then Boston) until the harsh New England winters prompted me to seek warmer climates. I landed in San Diego, where I founded the Horror Writer Association’s San Diego Chapter in 2016. 

My adventures in those east coast cities inspired many of my short horror stories. It wasn’t until I settled into a day job I enjoyed (science communications) and started a family that I was able to commit to writing more regularly. I published short stories in anthologies, card games, magazines and podcasts, eventually culminating into my first book, MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER, which came out in February 2023 from Brigids Gate Press to positive international reviews.

Weird western is such a specific, wild and somewhat arcane genre. What led you to start writing it? Also, was Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger your first foray into weird west or had you paved the way with short stories?

In Southern California, my partner and I became involved in the local board game community and began to competitively play a collectible card game called Doomtown. Doomtown features magic, outlaws and gunslingers. It really captured my imagination, particularly to see so many diverse and women characters portrayed in a variety of roles. I wrote several official game stories for Doomtown. It piqued my appetite for weird westerns, so I began to brainstorm my own weird western world and characters, creating a stoic gunslinger, Melinda West, and her charismatic partner Lance Putnam, who exterminate monsters in an alternate version of the Old West. 

I wrote one-off short stories featuring the duo’s adventures. These were well received by anthologies and magazines (one made the cover of Andromeda Spaceways Magazine). I decided to write a novel-length adventure, which came out to positive international reviews last year. The book was a standalone but I’m writing more in the series. The second one, MELINDA WEST AND THE GREMLIN QUEEN, comes out in May 2025, and features higher stakes and more disturbing monsters.

Is gaming something you have always been interested in?

Like a lot of 80/90s kids, I gravitated to the escapism and world-building in video games and played countless hours of console games. But my husband, who played Magic The Gathering competitively, introduced me to the expansive world of board gaming. This is a great segue to share that we’ve put our expertise together and will be releasing a weird western-themed card game, MONSTER GUNSLINGERS (R), next year! It features a fast-paced party game take on Texas Hold ‘Em and will showcase beautiful, original artwork for the cards, based on the characters in my books. (More details and updates at MonsterGunslingers.com.) 

In 2023, Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger ranked #1 in Amazon New Releases for Western Horrors, and ranked in the top 100 bestsellers in dark fantasy releases and new horror releases. This is a place many authors aspire to hold. Was the sales and notoriety impact as noticeable as we all hope in that situation?

I am so grateful to everyone who made that happen. For a first book, it was quite an honor and I have to thank the indie horror community for their enthusiastic support, as well as friends and colleagues. Sales were definitely good, but not to the level of “Booktok viral,” if you know what I mean. I’m not going to be able to retire from my day job anytime soon.  

You write several more genres than weird west, such as horror, scifi, fantasy, etc. Do you have a favorite and what about each genre do you find compelling?

My favorite is a bit of a blend; I like fantasy or scifi mixed with horror elements (like in the movies Legend, Prey or Aliens). I love the intellectual demands and creativity of sci-fi; the bleak shadow that horror imparts; and the escapism and wonder you find in fantasy. Because I enjoy blending genres, I find the Weird West especially appealing, as it offers the freedom to combine history and various speculative elements.

What was the first thing you remember reading that truly inspired you in either life or as a creative?

Growing up, I obsessively wrote from the moment I learned how to pencil stories. I also read any book I could get my hands on. When I discovered horror, fantasy and sci-fi, a whole new world opened up. Being a shy kid who didn’t fit in, books offered a life-changing escape. Fantastical stories, including series from R.L. Stine and L.J. Smith, were particularly inspiring for their ability to deliver true page turners. 

What writers/books have been most influential to you? This is an especially interesting question to me seeing how weird west is so niche or esoteric. I’m interested in what stories and ideas wdrew you into the weird west.

Unlike a lot of Weird Western authors I know, I didn’t grow up watching or reading Westerns, and have been catching up on the classics the last few years since diving into this genre (L’Armour, Lansdale, etc.). 

As far as most influential in those formative years, William Gibson’s work introduced me to cyberpunk–and scifi more broadly–that I found deeply appealing. Margaret Atwood, Philip K. Dick and Toni Morrison’s works also blew my mind and left a lingering impression. Their ways with language is so incredibly unique and beautiful; it’s something to constantly strive for.

Also, the X-Men animated series from the 90s kicked off my love of comic books and a deeper appreciation about how pulpy stories can have profound meaning. I became a fairly dedicated collector of the X-Men comics and action figures since.

I realize this is a broad question, but what are your methods for creating a story or novel? Are you all in with structure or do you start ripping through paragraphs? Or possibly some combination?

The way I write a novel is embarrassingly messy, with fragmented notetaking throughout the day on my phone and disjointed first drafts. I wish I was more of a plotter but I end up being a pantser most of the time (writing by the “seat of my pants”). As someone who does a lot of project management in my day job, it took me a while to accept the unstructured way I do creative writing. For the life of me I have never been able to follow a novel outline.

What have you written that you are most proud of?

Stories are sort of like children, I can’t pick a favorite. But Melinda West will always have a place for being my first novel and a blend of genres. I’ve written a number of short stories ranging from creature features to weird and cosmic horror, which I’ve gathered into my first collection called SHROUDED HORROR: TALES OF THE UNCANNY (July 2024, Dragon’s Roost Press). This includes some of my favorite strange little stories, all centered around the idea of horrors lying just out of sight, looming at the edges of reality. 

You’ve published a lot of short stories in a lot of magazines. What is your process of connecting with and getting stories published in magazines? Is short story publishing lucrative or more of a way for writers to get their name out to wider audiences? Or both?

I found that submitting short stories to magazines and anthologies is a wonderful way to learn about trends and publishers in the indie horror community. You get to meet fellow authors through shared TOCs, and get to know the styles and preferences of various editors and publishers.

For new writers, short story publications can be a valuable way to build up a writing “resume.” And for pro writers, publication in anthologies and magazines can help to reach a new and untapped audience for other work. Creatively, it’s also incredibly fun to write short stories. Because it’s less of a commitment than a novel, it frees you up to be more experimental and follow those especially weird ideas.

As the co-founder of the Horror Writers Association San Diego Chapter can you tell us more about the organization and how it can help other writers in the area?

HWA is a nonprofit organization with chapters all over the world dedicated to supporting horror literature. Some chapters organize workshops, publish stories together, coordinate local events, sell books, start book clubs and more. The HWA offers a wonderful camaraderie in what can be a lonely endeavor. It is empowering to connect with horror writers and share achievements and frustrations with like-minded colleagues.

I co-founded the HWA San Diego chapter shortly after I moved to San Diego. I was looking for a writers’ group and didn’t want to drive up to LA every month to the closest HWA chapter. In the process, I found that the city is full of talented horror writers, whose focuses span from YA, to poetry, to games, to film, to comics. Connecting with the local and national horror community helped me to discover newfound motivation in writing prolifically and publishing. Horror writers are some of the kindest and most supportive people you can find.

In fact, I am the co-chair for this year’s annual conference offered by HWA, called Stokercon, taking place in San Diego. While it’s a big endeavor to organize a conference like this (600+ people over several days), I’m happy to volunteer for an organization that means a lot to me.

As a member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association, you served as an SFWA mentor in 2023, what did that entail? Was it an opportunity to give back and inspire? Also, when you were up and coming, was there a person that either officially, or unofficially, mentored you?

It was a privilege to be a mentor through SFWA. For the 2023 mentorship, I helped my mentee re-evaluate her short story and sharpen it to be submission-ready, and shared my tips for submitting. Being a mentor doesn’t just allow you the opportunity to give back and help another writer find their way; it also helps you reflect on your own writing and approach. 

Earlier in my writing career, I benefited from having several writing instructors, mentors and colleagues, largely through HWA, who helped me improve and learn the ins and outs of publishing. That type of mentorship and community is invaluable in growing as a professional.

What projects are you working on now?

In addition to the second weird west novel, MELINDA WEST AND THE GREMLIN QUEEN, and MONSTER GUNSLINGER THE GAME next year, I also have a yet-to-be-announced weird west project coming together. Readers can visit my website for more information or sign up for my newsletter: https://scifiwri.com/contact/