Sweetbitter: On Hauntings and Monster Romances

Or, The Sweetness of Loving Darkness and the Magic of October.

Welcome to Sweetbitter, the haunted October edition. I missed you in September! Though the break from Sweetbitter (and social media) was well-needed as I began my first semester of graduate school—which has gone well so far. I’m enthralled by the dedication of my classmates and I’ve been reconnecting with my own ambition as I consider the passage of my career and academic pursuits. Writing is still at the forefront, but connecting my interests and sharing in the joys of literature with people who get it has been so nice.

Once upon a time, I thought I was going to move to Brooklyn, NYC and build an editorial career in publishing. Now, I live near Atlanta and I’m still not an editor. But I’m in grad school and I’m still writing—and so many other small joys I could mention. That’s just to say that life never turns out the way we plan. But I’m not unhappy about it. In the last six years, I’ve had so many experiences, learning opportunities, and changes that I don’t know if I was ever meant to follow the path I once set for myself. My dreams are still manifesting, but they’ve changed shape. I’ve sharpened them and they’ve become more clear to me than ever before. And that in itself is a gift, one that makes me grateful for unexpected change. But for all the changes that happened by chance or without choice, there have been a dozen more that I’ve made that have shaped my life, too. Like starting this newsletter. So here I present a quote by Amy Tan:

“We dream to give ourselves hope. To stop dreaming—well, that’s like saying you can never change your fate.” —Amy Tan.

Let yourself dream of your fate, and work toward the fate you want the most. Embrace change and the tumultuous revolution that is life. Remember what is at your core. And don’t be afraid of the monsters change might ask you to confront.

#SaintWIP & Querying
Okay, so there’s not much of a querying update to provide…yet. I’m still in the trenches. But I’m still querying agents and awaiting responses, so there’s hope as long as I’m trying. Plus, we all know how slow every step of the publishing journey is, so I’m not despairing at this point.

What I am excited about, though, is my current WIP. While I still don’t want to share too many details, I do want to share this sneak peak:

This WIP is near and dear to my heart. It’s a commentary of a number of things, but most importantly on womanhood. Adelaide is an angry, passionate, dedicated, determined, hellfire of a woman and she demands to take up room. She’s probably going to be “an unlikeable female MC” to some and that’s okay. When she’s changed against her will, she embarks on a journey to reclaim her agency and her strength, refusing to submit to her fate. I hope that when you all get to meet her, she inspires you to remember your own power.

I’ve spent the last month or so working through the plot. Adelaide did not cooperate easily, stark in contrast to my querying manuscript—a manuscript in which the plot came easily to me even when I needed to change it. I don’t know if I’d call this process writer’s block, but nonetheless it’s been a different journey than what I’ve been on before. In a way, I’m grateful for that. Figuring out the plot of #SaintWIP has taught me much about the writing process and challenged me to become better at my craft.

#SaintWIP is also the perfect novel to write during the fantastic fall season. Neither Adelaide or her love interest are human. The plot takes place in a city-state and features a magical forest central to the conflict. And, not to give anything away, but it’s rather fitting to read while listening to Hozier’s Unreal Unearth album.

On Hauntings & Monster Romance(s)
“The monstrous act by definition demands a monster.” — Rick Yancey

In the last few years or so, I’ve noticed an uptick in attention being brought to “monster romances”—that is, works that explore monsters as love interests ranging from vampires, ghosts, and orcs all the way to cryptids. What captivates audiences seeking out these romances, I think, is partially the fabulist elements and the sense of forbidden lust. We have always been captivated by immortality and the nuanced questions it sparks especially in the context of romance with a mortal person. The earliest evidence of this I can remember in my own literary consumption is Twilight as I’m sure that’s the prime example for many of us. The other captivating part is the subversive way monstrosity allows us to examine nuanced topics and issues. A ghost story is just a ghost story until we think about what a haunting represents or manifests. A vampire is only a vampire until we realize they had no choice in their monstrosity. What does the creation of a monster say about humanity, its creator? What does monstrosity say about trauma and it's “acceptable or unacceptable” forms in a sociopolitical context? What does it say about diaspora issues, feminism, queer theory, otherness? All the lenses of which we can view monstrosity through provide us with new light to examine the commentary such works try to elicit on the page. Monstrosity is only an echo of something else, something we have to bite and scratch at until it comes to light.

For more reading on this phenomenon, I recommend this article (although there are dozens more to read!): https://medium.com/the-pitch-of-discontent/the-monster-is-never-the-monster-gothic-monstrosity-and-otherness-8b54c3a5b9ee

But what does romance have to do with this, you may ask? Romance is another layer to add to the nuance. My personal philosophy is that monster romances are a commentary on loving that which is deemed “unlovable.” When characters—human ones—commit atrocious acts or crimes, and yet are later presented as sympathetic, we consider the ways in which good people can do bad things and what makes one worthy of love. Monster romances work in a similar fashion. They ask this question: What does it take to love darkness? And, in turn, what darkness in us is worthy of love?

This examination of “humanness”, otherness, and what makes a monster is central to the plot of my current WIP. I’ve always found monsters fascinated, partially due to my fascination with magic and anything fantastical. On a broader scale, monsters and monster romances are elements I think will continue to persevere through literature.

October Book Recommendations (Which May or May Not Feature Monsters):

October is the perfect time for reading those novels that may leave you looking for monsters under your bed (or falling in love with a ghost). Above are six novels that capture the essence of the fantastical and perhaps the monstrous. For October, I particularly recommend The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Okay, actually, I recommend it for any season as I adore it that much, but the fact still stands: you should read it!

A Playlist for October:
On a final note, please enjoy this short, but sweet playlist I’ve curated for October. If you feel so inclined, I hope you write a poem or a short story (or whatever else your heart desire) inspired by it. Consider it a parting writing prompt.

I hope that your October is filled with magic, spookiness (the good natured kind), love, and joy. Until next time.

With love,
Kaitlin <3