Get ready to learn more about the book Mewing in this discussion with sapphic author Chloe Spencer.
Join us for an exclusive peek behind the scenes as we quiz Chloe Spencer about Mewing, writing, reading, and more.
This book is part of the Insta-Love category in the 2024 IHS Reading Challenge.
Why did you write Mewing?
MEWING is a body horror novella which centers on a naive Instagram model who joins an influencer co-op led by a mysterious supermodel in order to advance her career. I started writing this book after I finished my MFA thesis film, Serotonin, which was also in the body horror genre. I wanted to write Mewing to explore ideas of body dysmorphia in the digital age, parasocial relationships, and the contradictory messages we see in beauty/fashion circles.
Who is your favorite character in the book?
Dharlyn is my favorite character. This is because I think she’s the only actually good character in the story, hence the name, Dharlyn. Dharlyn is different from me in many ways, but I think her and I share the same level of ambition, career-wise. She makes decisions less based on emotion, and is more rational and logical in terms of how she approaches conflict, but that doesn’t mean that she’s devoid of empathy.
What was the biggest challenge writing this book?
Addressing beauty and influencer culture! I mention this in the acknowledgements of the book, but there are SO many different ways that you can explore this topic, and I’ll be blunt, Mewing does this from a white, queer cisgender woman’s perspective. There are people who will feel represented by this book, and there will be even more who don’t. My challenge was trying to write to the experiences of those who more closely aligned with me. How do the beauty and fashion industries impact our psyche? How do influencers compound these effects, making them better or worse? These were things I had to explore within the novella, and it’s a lot within a short amount of time!
What part of Mewing was the most fun to write?
Definitely the “Eat the Burger” scene. A lot of people have mentioned that that was one of the hardest, most uncomfortable scenes for them to read through, and it definitely made me squeamish when I was writing it.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
Mewing is based on the body trend where you place your tongue on the roof of your mouth, just behind your teeth, and smile. It’s supposed to give you a smoother jawline. Vixen not only engages in this practice/trend, but she goes to some extremes with it–and you’ll have to read the book to figure out what I mean by that.
Where do you usually write, and what do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?
I usually write in my room, beside my cats. I tend to have a really good work ethic and when I’m in the writing zone I don’t get distracted easily, but if I need to improve my focus, I’ll turn on some lofi hiphop, or jazz. And by jazz, I mean one of those YouTube videos like “It’s midnight and you’re at a coffee shop in the woods” sort of deals.
If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose?
I really want to spend a day with I.S. Belle! She’s a friend of mine (and I guess an author sibling because we both have books with Tiny Ghost Press!) and she’s based in New Zealand. She’s written a lot of YA horror novels and novellas, including Zombabe and the Babylove series, but she’s got another book coming out in April called Girls Night.
What’s your favorite writing snack or drink?
I have an emotional support water bottle. It’s a half gallon size, and in my house, it goes where I go.
What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing, and by whom?
Make friends with other writers! I’m an introvert and to be honest, I miss a lot of social cues, so it can be difficult for me to make friends, but I think that it’s essential in this business to have people you can rely on for emotional support or ask them for help with things. The author friendships that I’ve made have been important for the development of my career, but more importantly, my emotional wellbeing.
What has helped or hindered you most when writing a book?
Oh this is so going to be controversial but I’m going to say it. Have you ever been in a situation where you’re writing something, and you have lost the plot in some way or think it’s bad? Maybe not that you’re experiencing writer’s block, but you just don’t think what you’re GOING to write will be any good? I know a LOT of writers give advice saying, “Just power through and get to a finished draft,” but trying to push through has actually HINDERED me from completing a draft because I just don’t want to write things that I’ll have to delete later!
I was working on finishing a novel recently, and I was revisiting it after taking a break for a couple months. And I read it and I was like “Wow, I could end this right now, but I don’t think that the ending is going to serve the overall story.” So instead of taking that advice and rushing to get to the ending, I went back and re-read my entire draft from the start. And this was actually SO important for me, because I was able to reconnect with what themes I was trying to address, so that by the time I got to the ending, I felt far more confident.
When you’re writing an emotional or difficult scene, how do you set the mood?
I try to find a song or a playlist that will allow me to explore the emotions of the character as they’re going through that scene. During the early stages of writing Mewing, I remember listening to a lot of Olivia Rodrigo’s first album, Sour.
Do you feel bad putting your characters through the wringer?
No, some of my characters deserve it, to be honest. Not all of my characters are “likable” people, in fact, I actively try to write morally gray or likable gray characters because those are more interesting to me. Some of my characters suffer from self esteem issues, or have emotional dependency problems, and these are things that lead them to their downfall. But the girls in my YA horror novel, Monstersona, I feel bad for them every day. They already had preexisting mental health issues which were then exacerbated by them being forced to run for their lives.
Have you ever hated one of your characters?
HAHAHA!!! Yes! Actually, I hate Margo. I have a whole manifesto on my personal TikTok and Instagram talking about why I hate Margo, for which, there are many reasons. Margo’s hot, she’s sexy, she’s smart, but she’s also incredibly evil, often in a covert way. Margo is based on the worst traits of some of my exes, so she’s kind of this amalgamation of the bad parts of every relationship I’ve been apart of, wrapped up in one supermodel-esque bow.
I recently finished another novel with a character that I possibly hate even MORE than Margo, but I can’t talk about that right now, hehehe.
Have you ever fallen in love with one of your characters?
This is an excellent question! There are two that come to mind.
1) This first person, I will say, I’m not in love with them because that would be incredibly inappropriate as she’s a teenager, but she’s endlessly charming and I adore her. Her name is Cyrus, and she’s the love interest of my upcoming paranormal mystery romantasy, Haunting Melody, releasing on October 1st. She’s butch, she’s a ghost, and she’s a plus-sized character who is super confident in herself. She has an AMAZING sense of humor and is mega-talented, playing a variety of instruments. Every time she’s on the page, she’s a delight.
2) A spider lady from one of an upcoming adult horror novella of mine. Sorry that I can’t say more.
What type of books do you enjoy reading the most?
I often joke that I only have two moods: romcoms and horror novels. I love the cozy comedy that comes from romcoms, and I love the thrill and often magical prose that I find in horror novels. I don’t think my reading tastes used to be this rigid–when I was younger I read across a variety of genres–but I found my niches, and I love them, and I’m super content.
Are there any books or authors that inspired you to become a writer?
Michelle Paver absolutely inspired me to become a writer. I loved her Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series when I was a kid. It was this dark, often gruesome fantasy story set during the Stone Age, and so you got to learn a lot about history while the characters were battling magical monsters or going through some pretty dramatic family problems.
What books did you grow up reading?
The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness by Michelle Paver, Warriors by Erin Hunter, The Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray, and any book by Ruth White. I also think that Julie Ann Peters (Luna, Keeping You a Secret) and Kendare Blake inspired me to an extent. As a writer, I tend to do a lot of genre blending, and explore complicated relationships with morally gray characters, which is often what’s reflected in those stories.
What books have you read more than once in your life?
I’ve read Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise graphic novel series cover to cover multiple times. I love Terry Moore; I think he has this absolute mastery of dialogue, and his character expressions are incredible. The issues of SiP range from dark crime dramas to tenderhearted romances, and I really loved this balance. He never committed to one side versus the other, and I think that’s to the betterment of keeping the series interesting. I am NEVER bored when reading SiP.
