Translating the Chaos: an Interview with Caite Sajwaj

Caite Sajwaj’s story "Rules of the River" ferries readers on a guided rafting tour of the underworld full of grief, loss, and ultimately love. Below, she shares some of her thoughts on purple prose, The Book of Revelations, and what it means to be weird.

What is weird?

There are no established rules for “weird,” which is why it’s so fun. “Weird” can mean odd or creepy or serendipitous or fascinating. Actually, writing this compelled me to look it up. “Weird” is derived from the Old English wyrd, which means “fate.” I don’t know what to make of that, except to say, “Huh. Weird.”  

What's your favorite underappreciated novel or short story (a work you rarely hear anyone else talking about)?

I’m forever singing the praises of Megan Whalen Turner’s Instead of Three Wishes, which I purchased (or, more accurately, my mother purchased) at an elementary school book fair nearly three decades ago. I still have that same copy, which I started reading to my son this year, and, y’all, it holds up! These stories are so good. I can’t believe six-year-old me had such good taste. 

Best unlikely piece of advice you’ve received that’s helped you continue writing?

The best unlikely piece of advice I’ve received was to stop listening to advice. Write 500 words a day. Write 2000 words a day. Write every day. Plan everything out. Don’t plan anything and just write. Write every morning, like Ernest Hemingway. Write in a hotel room, like Maya Angelou. Write while under the influence of copious amounts of drugs, like Hunter S. Thompson. Whatever works for you, great, but there’s no magic bullet.   

Do you plan on writing a novel, or have you started and/or completed one (or more)? No wrong answers.

Why, yes, I have written one, which went nowhere. So, now I’m writing another, which may also go nowhere. And, of course, I have a treasure trove of ideas, mostly just notes that say things like “Horror Western Hallmark Movie” or “Sapphic Jumanji.”  

Is there a genre or style of writing you haven’t tried, but want to someday? 

Science fiction! Specifically, space opera or space horror. Unfortunately, the Mass Effect trilogy rotted my brain. I’d spend too much time on hot aliens, versus, you know, the actual plot.   

Do you write by hand or at the keyboard? Why do you prefer one or the other?

Keyboard. There’s something charming about writing by hand, and I sometimes do it when I’m stuck, or when I’m just starting out. But I make way too many revisions as I go to write by hand. It’d look like the ravings of a lunatic. 

What is a word or phrase you find yourself using too much? Why do you think that is the case?

Hahahaha. “Fuck.” I had to edit so many “fucks” out my novel. It’s not forced, though, I swear (forgive me). I just love the word, in real life and on the page—it’s so flexible.

Why write?

At the end of the day, I'm an aesthete. I love words, and I take an immense amount of pleasure in fiddling with them until they feel just right. Right tone, right cadence, right word choice. There is an art to translating the chaos of thought into something others can understand and, hopefully, appreciate.

My husband said this sounded pretentious, but I left it in anyway 🤷‍♀️♀️

What other lit journals are you into right now (and what do you like about them)? We like to spread the love.

Well, I have to shout out Luna Station Quarterly, where I’m a short fiction editor. I like to think we’re pretty approachable and we publish some amazing pieces. It’s always such a pleasure to discover one of those pieces and champion it. “The Alliance” by T.M Conway (Issue 062, June 2025) is one of my recent favorites.

Uncanny and Kaleidotrope are always putting out great, experimental fantasy. When I’m craving something darker, Nightmare never lets me down. Their editorial team isn’t afraid to take a risk, and it really pays off. There’s so much variety in their archive. Lately, “Rest Stop” by Pedro Iniguez really got under my skin in the best way.

Advice on creating you have learned the hard way?

BACK UP YOUR WORK. And I don’t mean just keeping a backup copy. I started a “graveyard” document of cut content and it has helped me immensely. So many beautiful sentences, all waiting for their forever homes. 

One sentence soapbox:

The Midwest is really COOL and FUN, you guys. 

Is cereal soup?

Eww. Absolutely not. 

When did you realize you were weird?

Probably when ten-year-old me, over the course of weeks, perhaps even months, ignored the pastor during church service to instead read the entirety of Revelations. Because that was “the good part.” There are monsters in there. And dragons. And flaming swords. Very exciting stuff. I was like, “This is epic.” 

Tell us a secret. 

If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret, now would it? 

What is your favorite museum or gallery?

I love the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The Hall of Mammals is absolutely stunning. 

Favorite book title (regardless of content)?

The Last Stardog, which is a children’s book. It evokes the nostalgia of “The Last Unicorn,” with an added touch of celestial whimsy and the weight that comes with being “the last” of anything. I just love it.  

Weirdest search query you’ve written while researching a story?

Probably “Can you butcher a roadkill deer?” Then, “How to butcher a roadkill deer.” 

Two truths and a lie, please.

I . . . 

. . . collect rocks.

. . . have helped (legally) move a dead body.

. . . won a grade school spelling bee.  

Thoughts about sea cucumbers?

I don’t like them. Ecologically, I’m sure they serve a very important purpose or whatever, but I don’t want to be near them, and I certainly don’t want to touch one. They look like they would squelch, don’t they? Like you would touch it and it would just go, “Pffffft,” and, worst-case scenario, splooge it’s disgusting sea cucumber innards all over you. They do that, you know?

I didn’t realize I felt so strongly about this until you asked.

What’s the point of all this, really?

There’s no point and that’s the point. You will never “get there.” You will never fulfill your “purpose.” It’s miraculous that any of us are here at all. I find this equally intimidating and liberating.

Unpopular opinion, go:

I like purple prose, and will happily read whole paragraphs about landscapes and weather and bathroom tile and what everyone is wearing if—IF—they’re vivid and tactile and pleasant to read. Like, whatever the literary equivalent of good “mouthfeel” is, I want that. 

What would you tell another weird writer or artist to help them continue the practice? 

Read widely, watch widely, explore widely, and just embrace that you have weird taste, which, by definition, means most other people won’t share that taste. Example. I recommended the movie “Nope” to my best friend. It’s not even that weird of a movie, right? At this point, Jordan Peele is pretty mainstream. Anyway, I kind of figured she wouldn’t like it, but I wanted her to like it. I thought, If she watches this, it could open up the whole world of weird media to her! So, I presented it as a horse movie (she likes horses). I was like, “You’ll love this movie. It has horses.” Aaaaaand, she hated it. Hahaha.

My point is, weirdness is not for everyone. It’s not even for most people, not even half of people, but in the whole, wide world, weirdness IS appreciated. Weird movies and shows and books are absolutely loved and acclaimed. So, go on and do your weird shit. 

Caite Sajwaj (she/her) grew up on a small farm, where she spent most of her time trudging through fields, reading to her father’s cows, and writing her own stories—which she then read to her father’s cows. Caite is a short fiction editor for speculative fiction magazine Luna Station Quarterly. Her own stories have appeared in The NoSleep Podcast, The Arcanist, Metaphorosis Magazine, and elsewhere. She lives with her husband and son in Lawrence, Kansas. Find her on Instagram: @caitesajwaj