BANNISTER PRESS

And when I was the age where my Shedding every month filled me with roof shingles instead of beautiful windows, I believed them.

“Becoming A Home” by Camden Rose. Now of the age when she should be Becoming, a woman returns home to figure out what she wants, what she needs, and who she is expected to be.

Camden Rose is a queer author who loves seeking out magic beneath the everyday world. She can often be found at the ocean’s edge taking notes on the local mermaid population. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her spouse, black cat, and collection of books and board games. You can find her online at www.camdenscorner.com.

How did you come up with the idea for your story? 

There are a few reasons I came up with the idea for “Becoming a Home”. One is that I’m a woman who doesn’t have children. Writing is a way for me to process the world around me, and this piece was my exploration of being asked when I’ll have kids every time I go home. I also find feminist literature fascinating and have been wanting to write a piece like Carmen Maria Machado’s “Real Women Have Bodies” for a while. Once I went to a workshop where someone told me to make the metaphor literal, and this is what started the first seeds of the story. Stories are strange things that are a collection of random pieces of life and this story was no different. 

How does your story relate to the theme of “feeling other”? 

Society has a funny way of othering anything and anyone that is different, which I’ve learned is essentially anyone not in power. This story is about being other because it is about not having power in a situation in which you should. Women should have control over their bodies and what they do with them, and yet, everything in society screams that women should get married and have children before 30, whether they want to or not.

How do you keep your creative spark alive?

In addition to being in nature, I make myself write every day and surround myself with writing communities. I must write if my writing group asks me how my writing is going every week. Got to use that people-pleasing part of myself to my advantage. 

Do you have any advice for someone looking for a writing community?

Writing groups are everywhere if you know where to look. To find local writing groups, I’d suggest going to local conventions, attending conferences in your area, and keeping your eyes peeled for writers at coffee shops. If you don’t see anyone meeting to write frequently, start your own group! You can also look for writing groups online by joining Discord servers for magazines and publishers you enjoy. I’ve found some of my favorite writing critique partners through Discord servers. When I first moved to the Pacific Northwest, I found groups through local meet ups, Discord servers, and conventions. 

What’s next for you? Do you have any stories coming out in 2025?

I have a couple of great stories coming out next year. A few horror feminist stories, of course, but also a few hopeful ones. All of those are posted on my website as soon as they’re released: www.camdenscorner.com. I also, periodically, post cat photos and videos there. 

Thank you, Camden!

“Becoming A Home” is in OTHER: the 2024 speculative fiction anthology, which can be found at Amazon.