An interview with T.L. Crum, author of Bloodsuckers.

Fringe: What was the inspiration for this piece?

I’m writing a short story collection about people living ordinary lives in the face of extraordinary physical conditions – everything from face-blindness and cystic fibrosis to the more common (but no less extraordinary) alcoholism or depression – so that’s initially why I latched onto the idea of writing about leech therapy. Oh man, that’s a terrible pun.

Fringe: How often do you write? Do you do it on a schedule?

Because my husband wins the Most Supportive Husband/Best Daddy award, I’m able to write about six out of seven days per week. Since I started my novel, my goal is to write 2,000 words per day, minimum 1,000. Some days, that’s a lot to ask of my carpal tunnel, though.

Fringe: How did you get into writing? How long have you been writing?

I started off writing screenplays in college (incidentally, I majored in business). I wrote six mediocre features before I decided that I wanted to try my hand at a short story. As soon as I set my very first scene – a mother on a boat holding a dissolvable urn – I was addicted. Finally, I could write what my characters were thinking, really get inside their heads. It was like tasting chocolate for the first time.

Fringe: Is this piece typical of your work?

I think so. It’s a little more raw than usual, but considering that it fits well into my short story collection, I wouldn’t say it’s deviant.

Fringe: Is Fringe your first publication?

Yes, it is. Thanks, Fringe! I’ve placed in a couple of contests, but this is my first real publication.

Fringe: What do you like to read? Who are your influences?

This changes pretty regularly, but my go-to authors, my Who-Would-You-Want-To-Read-If-You-Were-Stranded-On-A-Desert-Island authors, are always Andre Dubus, Tobias Wolff, and John Cheever. Having just re-read Lolita, I’m also pretty enamored with Nabokov right now, too. I’m pretty sure the vocabulary section of the GRE was based entirely on the first 100 pages of that novel.

Fringe: What do you hope readers get out of this story?

I hope people see leeches for the adorable, enchanting creatures they really are. Ultimately, though, I want to write a story that people will think about long after they’ve read the last line. Oh, heck, who am I kidding? I just want people to read. Period. Reading is the new television, didn’t you know?