Frequently Asked Questions of the Queer

Do you have a literary agent?

I’m represented by Kaitlyn Katsoupis of Belcastro Agency!

Have you published anything?

My horror standalone, The Other Face of Sympathy, was published with Renaissance Press. Sadly, the press is closing at the end of 2026, and so I’m selling the last copies of the book myself. If you’re interested in buying one, follow my blog for news of events I’m vending at, or contact me about shipping one!

I’ve also self-published a novelette called As Thick as Water, and will be publishing a memoir in poetry called You Will Be Happy One Day, coming October 30th, 2026. Learn more about these by checking out the page dedicated to works I’ve published!

Lastly, I had two novels that were formerly available as e-books, but have since taken down due to Amazon’s AI scraping works available on Kindle. I’ve been releasing chapters of these unavailable titles via my monthly newsletter as of April 2026!

Who does your artwork?

Assuming you’re talking about the stuff on my art page, everything I’ve ever commissioned or been given to me as a gift is credited to the artist below the image! For things like my banner image, credit goes to my graphic designer and friend, icedmako. I also had artist Trace Goldfarb create the chapter illustrations for my novel, Games Children Play. I can recommend every artist I’ve worked with highly, and if you happen to be looking to work with any one of them, let them know I sent you!

What are you currently working on?

I impulsively wrote a slasher novel over the summer, and now I’m playing with a novella about my take on genAI, through a horror lens. I also have a poetry chapbook I’m working on self-publishing!

Why ‘theirritablequeer’?

My URL came at the recommendation of a friend, when I signed off a Facebook post as ‘the irritable queer’. In truth, I’m not a particularly irritable person, but I do get ornery when it comes to social issues and treating others with compassion.

The ‘queer’ part of the URL is probably self-explanatory.

Isn’t ‘queer’ a slur?

Like the words ‘gay’ and ‘lesbian’, it used to be! The term ‘queer’ is a blanket term adopted by many (not all) of the LGBTQ+ community. Not everyone is comfortable using that term for themselves, but ‘queer’ tends to encapsulate a lot of ideas in one simple word, so it’s been widely reclaimed by the community. The only people I know of still really pounding away at the ‘queer is a slur’ argument are TERFs (trans-exclusionary radical feminists), who are a hate group I don’t want anything to do with.

How long have you wanted to be a writer?

It’s a token answer, but I’ve always been a writer — ‘want’ didn’t even factor into it. I learned to read and write early, and started writing fairy tales in a big notebook when I was about three. I never stopped writing once I’d started. It’s who I am.

What sort of stories do you write?

I love writing fantasy (I’m a sucker for developing worlds and cultures) but my heart will always be with horror. I gravitate towards the macabre and occasionally have to do some heavy editing to lighten up my non-horror works. Outside of genre, I like to write about characters forming bonds stronger than family, the exploration of power and what people do with what they’re given, and diversity.

Do you have a favourite character you’ve written? Who is it?

I can’t even choose a favourite character per book, let alone an overall fave. If you’ve ever read my stuff and have a preference, though, I’d love to hear about it.

How much research do you do for your stories?

Anything rooted in the real world involves research! I do weeks (sometimes months) worth of falling down rabbit hole after rabbit hole of information, in an attempt to make my portrayals realistic. The stuff that doesn’t require research that’s 100% rooted in my imagination takes even longer. I also try to hire sensitivity/authenticity readers for my works whenever I can!

What are some of your favourite books/movies/media?

I’ve watched the first three ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movies more times than I should probably admit, but unsurprisingly, I love a lot of horror. ‘Obsession’, ‘El Orfanato’, ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’… I like things dark and psychological. With books, I recently read ‘The Book Eaters’ by Sunyi Dean, ‘My Heart is a Chainsaw’ by Stephen Graham Jones, and Murder Bimbo by Rebecca Novack, and I freaking adored them.

Do you listen to music when you write?

I have Spotify playlists for almost every novel I write, for inspiration. And procrastination. If you’re ever interested in grabbing those links, contact me and I’ll happily share!

Any childhood inspirations?

Trauma! A lot of trauma!

Are you okay?

No, but thank you for asking!