Cara Dossett
(she/they) I am a fiction writer and avid diarist, with over thirty-five journals filled cover to cover. My creative work has ranged from novels to short stories to occasional poetry, with my favorite genres to write in being a blend of literary horror sci-fi and fantasy. I completed my first full book in 2022, which was co-plotted by my best friend and roommate, and am working on two more currently.
When it comes to writing, the weirder, more surreal, and more deeply emotional the work, the better for me! Bonus points if it's something eerie and thrilling too. I have a deep love for working in symbolic themes of grief, fear, morality or other emotions through literary devices like magical realism, ghosts, and even the novel's setting itself.
Writing and reading are my life, so please feel free to reach out to and talk with me about books, stories, or authors! I'm also a freelance developmental fiction editor and getting to work with books as my day job has been an absolute dream. My favorite authors include Haruki Murakami, Jeff VanderMeer, Shirley Jackson, Becky Chambers, C.S. Pacat, Sarah Waters, and Margaret Atwood.
Spotlight
Frontier
"Frontier" is a short literary story which won the Fondulac Library's Write for the Win! contest in 2016. These days, I consider the piece a bit rough, but am honored to have been able to participate in and be selected as winner of the library's contest.
In "Frontier," a man named Charlie has become severely reclusive, not leaving his house voluntarily in years. The short story follows Charlie's struggle to embark on a new journey in the wondrous but frightening outside world, one small step at a time.
Burning Questions
What are your favorite words? And why?
Primordial
Primeval
Mesopelagic
All these words invoke a certain natural poetry. They tumble off the tongue in strange ways and announce themselves to the world like a curse draped in delicate lace—at once terrifying but delicately beautiful. "Primordial" and "primeval" have similar meanings—the earliest ages, an aeon long since forgotten and passed by in time. "Mesopelagic" refers to the murky depths of the deepest ocean, where blind fishes and enigmatic creatures slip through lightless waters.
If you were stuck on a deserted island and only had one book with you, which book would it be and why?
"We Have Always Lived in the Castle" by Shirley Jackson. The book is delightfully horrifying and enthralling. It mixes magical realism with madness, incantations and buried charms where a life of social "normalcy" and expectation is the enemy, always encroaching. It makes my autistic, weird heart happy despite it being a very dark story.
What's something you're really good at?
Cats love me! I'm like the cat whisperer. I speak their secret language. (I may or may not also be three cats in a trench coat myself, occasionally trying to write stories for human enjoyment.)
Connect
Twitter: @bookeditorcara
Editorial Freelancers Association Profile: Cara Dossett, Developmental Editor
Website: Read the Stars Editing