9 Questions for Nicole Wolverton
Nicole, author of the suspenseful and tense story “Harvest” in our anthology The Wordsmiths, answered some some questions so we could get to know her a little better off the page.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Nicole: I’ve always been obsessed with isolated spaces, which is probably why I write horror. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania but spent my adulthood in urban and suburban cities (I live in the Philadelphia area)— but small town living and lore are far scarier! Of my two published novels and 50+ short stories and creative nonfiction, a significant portion are set in less populated settings. My upcoming novel Meat Sweats (August 2026, Horrorsmith Publishing) is no exception. When you’re a militant-vegetarian-turned-accidental-cannibal, coming to terms is much more terrifying when everyone is looking, you know?
I’m also an academic with a masters degree in horror and storytelling, and I’ve just started a masters of philosophy program having to do with gastrohorror. Starting in December I’ll be doing a monthly column at Macabre Daily on the topic of gastrohorror, which I’m very excited about! I also talk a lot about why and how ingesting a steady diet of horror media helps us build psychological resilience. Horror for everyone!
How do you find time to write?
Nicole: There’s something to be said for living in a DINK household (double income, no kids). I genuinely don’t know how people with kids and a full-time job manage to be successful writers! That said, it’s not like I lounge around my house in kitten heels and a fur-trimmed robe, eating bon bons and writing all the live-long day. I do have a full-time gig, plus school. The secret for me is that I’m an excellent project manager who is great with setting boundaries and compartmentalizing.
What does your writing space look like?
Nicole: Horrifying, of course! I’m lucky enough to have dedicated office space in my house. It is completely covered in macabre art, from illustrations to sculpture to cross stitch. The best things in my office are the haunted ragdoll found in a secondhand store, a life-sized anatomically correct heart that appears to be dripping blood, and a diorama involving an Indigenous lake monster (given to me by a friend with Mohawk ethnicity).
Tell us about your favorite story that you’ve written.
Nicole: What an incredibly difficult question! There’s a story I recently finished that I’m super excited about, but if we’re talking about something that’s been published there’s a story called “All This Water” that was published in the September 2023 issue of Not One of Us. It’s set in Venice, Italy and was inspired by a local ghost story. Venice is one of my favorite places to visit, so I get all nostalgic when I reread it.
What are you working on right now?
Nicole: Three different things! I’ve always got a new novel manuscript in the works, and my current WIP is a young adult horror novel set entirely in an organic grocery store. It’s sort of a long-term project that I’ve been picking up and putting down for a few years. A more active project is a novella I’ve been commissioned to write that will be published with an oracle card deck. I can’t say much about the project, but it is horror. The third project is more of an academic thing… still horror!
Do you read much? If so, what are you currently reading and what’s at the top of your TBR pile?
Nicole: I don’t think it’s controversial to say that writers SHOULD read a lot… and read widely. It’s part of how we become better and more interesting writers. So yeah, I read constantly. Fiction, memoir, research papers, etc. When my spouse and I were looking at houses to buy about 20-ish years ago, the requirement was that there needed to be space for a library. In the end, there are two library spaces in my house—and all the shelves are stuffed full of books.
I just started Just Desserts by NJ Gallegos, and on deck is Crafting For Sinners by Jenny Kiefer. I also have a huge pile of academic books about the psychology of food and food in literature sitting on a shelf, waiting for me to dive in.
What’s the most challenging thing about being a writer, and how do you manage it?
Nicole: Patience has never been my strength. All the waiting involved in writing has helped me with that, though. Sort of. Look, I’m never going to be all Zen and laid back… about anything… but I’ve found that if I can just keep writing and keep submitting and keep myself busy, it’s easier to forget that I’m waiting for something to happen, whether it’s word about a submission, developmental edits on a project, or something else. It harkens back to my ability to compartmentalize.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Nicole: I love to travel (although often travel is related to writing in some way—for instance, I was just in Prague and ended up visiting the Sedlec Ossuary in Kutná Hora… a place that figures into a plot bunny that’s been percolating in my head for a while) and have visited more than 25 countries. I’ve also been a knitter and a dragon boat paddler/steersperson for more than 20 years, and I’m also obsessed with perfume.
Where can readers find you?
Nicole: My digital home is nicolewolverton.com—but on social media you can find me at Instagram, Bluesky, and Tiktok.
