How did “Spaceship Joyride” originate? What inspirations did you draw on?

In the last semester of my BA, I took a writing seminar on taking risks. Our assignments were completely open ended—we were allowed and encouraged to write whatever we wanted, as long as we could point to some sort of risk that we took. I nebulously knew that I wanted to write something in second person, and I started toying with the opening line of “Spaceship Joyride.”

I ultimately didn’t write the story during the seminar, but I kept going back to that opening line—I really loved the sound of it, and I knew I wanted to build a story that would justify it.

How does this story fit into the pattern of your writing process and your work’s themes and process? Did “Spaceship Joyride” fit the pattern?

I usually have an idea while half-asleep, write a few lines or some bullet points on my phone, and then wander away from it for long enough to get frustrated that I’m not writing. Right about when I accept that the story needs more time on the back burner, with my brain passively making connections and pondering all the ways it could go, things start to shift and make sense. From there, getting words to the page goes pretty quickly—most of my writing time is actually thinking time, and most of my thinking time is actually time spent being angry that I’m not writing.

“Spaceship Joyride” definitely fit that pattern! About six months passed between coming up with the opening line and actually writing the rest of the story. Once I was ready to sit down to write, I think I nailed it in one draft.

What trends in speculative fiction would you like to see gain popularity?

I want to read about queer people being unlikeable and messy! I want Black anti-heroes, and I want stories about trans people where their transness isn’t the main conflict. Which isn’t to say that people aren’t writing these types of stories, but that I’d like to see more support put behind them.

What are you reading lately? What writers inspire you?

I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction lately, because learning how other people think is a great way to generate ideas. My favorite book in the past month or so has been Body Work by Melissa Febos.

What are you working on lately? Where else can fans look for your work?

I’m currently revising a novel about cyberization, agency, and trauma recovery. I’ve got a short story—also written in second person!—forthcoming in Lightspeed, as well as a novelette. My tabletop roleplaying game Plant Girl Game, about a family of plant children working to prevent ecological disaster in their small town, is available to purchase from Indie Press Revolution. As for the rest of my work, you can find it at dominiquedickey.com.