A little background of the author!
Lucy Rumble is a writer from Essex. Her work has been published in Crow & Cross Keys, Rust and Moth, and Needle Poetry, among others. Find her on Instagram @lucyrumble.writes, X @rumblewrites or read her blog at https://rumblewrites.substack.com/
Here are the questions!
Claudia: What’s your story? How did you get where you are today?
Lucy Rumble: “When I was 10, I had my first short story published in an anthology of child fiction entitled: ‘Bone Shakers: A Collection of Ghost Stories’. The story was submitted by my mum without my knowledge in an attempt to raise my confidence. Unfortunately, while I did continue writing in some guise, I largely focused on advancing my academic style from this point forward. But after completing my undergraduate degree in 2022, I decided to give fiction writing another shot. Since then, my short stories and poems have been published in over 50 literary magazines, both online and in print. I tend toward darker themes, and generally write in the genres of crime, sci-fi and Gothic.”
Claudia: What do you consider your achievements? If any!
Lucy Rumble: “Ooh, this is a good question. I suppose every publication is an achievement in itself. Even if I no longer like the piece, or it isn’t published in a big journal, the fact that I poured my heart and soul into a piece of writing and had the confidence to send it out into the world is achievement enough. If I’m more specific though, there are 2 publications of which I am particularly proud. First is my short story ‘The Clootie’, which was published in Crow and Cross Keys in 2023. It was one of the first pieces I wrote when I first decided to start submitting to magazines, and my first acceptance by a big journal. I still love this piece and being recognised by a well-renowned lit mag (with an acceptance rate of only 6%!) really gave me the confidence to continue writing and submitting. I’d also like to mention Rust and Moth, another big lit mag which has been publishing poetry in print since 2008. I’m still very proud of my piece: ‘To the boy I met at the cathedral in Year 1’, and it was surreal seeing it in print!”
Claudia: What are the best qualities of your writing/art style?
Lucy Rumble: “An editor at 7th-Circle Pyrite said of me: ‘you have a writing style that is unique in the literary community to such an extent that a Lucy Rumble work could easily be identified among a collection of stories. […] you have the ability to construct a somewhat understated narrative voice that contains a high degree of emotionality but is presented in a subdued, occasionally dispassionate way’. I think the best quality of my writing is its introspection. I tend to focus on characters more than plot and I lavish in writing rich inner worlds.“
Claudia: How has your writing/art affected yourself and/or others?
Lucy Rumble: “Writing allows me to explore aspects of myself which I usually keep hidden in my everyday life. As an introvert, I rarely express myself in a public way. But writing allows me to do so in a more controlled way. It’s a creative outlet which gives me the opportunity to dive right into myself, explore my opinions, process my emotions, and better myself. Starting my Instagram and X accounts have also connected me to an excellent community of other writers online, and I’ve made several friends through sharing and reading each other’s stories.”
Claudia: Have there been any drawbacks in your art/writing journey? How has that affected you?
Lucy Rumble: “Honestly, I’d say no. Aside from trying to resist the online trends and fearmongering, my writing journey has been a pretty positive experience for me. And I feel very fortunate.”
Claudia: What are your aspirations for future publication and/or plans, if any!
Lucy Rumble: “I’m currently working on the first draft of a sci-fi thriller novel entitled VESPERVORE. This will be my debut novel, and I’m hoping to start querying it with agents next year. The aim, as always, is to be traditionally published. But I’ve been working on this draft for over a year now so honestly, I’d just like to get it out into the world eventually, somehow. Besides that, I’m going to keep going with my weekly blog and maybe churn out some more poems and short stories, if I find inspiration.”
Sorry! Zine thanks Lucy Rumble so much for the time to talk to us about such a wonderful writing journey. We are so honoured to have you here!
Sorry! Zine 
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