If you’re looking for quality speculative fiction, look no further. Chandra Snicker has your number. 

Chandra, our 3rd Place Grand Prize Winner and 2nd Place People’s Choice Winner, has made speculative fiction her bread and butter. Her award-winning story, a reimagining of the Grimms Brothers’ “The Pied Piper of Stars”, was overwhelmingly popular with our literary team as well as with Fictionate’s readers. 

Chandra takes the classic fairy tale, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, and gives it a sci-fi, apocalyptic feel, making it modern, relatable, and realistic. 

And another fun fact? Chandra is the sister of our 2nd Place Grand Prize Winner, Kelsey Josephson! The writing gene in this family is strong indeed. 

The Pied Piper of Stars

In “The Pied Piper of Stars”, the plot plays out through the eyes of seven-year-old named Alma. Chandra begins sowing the seeds of tension and unrest from the first scene, which begins happily enough with Alma and her brother playing in the front yard on a nice, warm afternoon. But the happiness quickly fades when her father returns home at the end of the day. Alma feels the tension between her parents and sees tears in her mother’s eyes, but she thinks it’s just because she scraped her knee.

The action unfolds throughout the story from bits and pieces we glean from Alma listening in on her parents’ conversations, or snippets from the TV that drift into her consciousness. This is what is so brilliant about this story—we get most of the information we need from this adult conversation about her parents’ moods. We take these bits and start to form them together, the same way Alma’s young mind does.

Alma’s father, who works for a mysterious, unnamed government agency, tells her that humanity owes a debt to an enigmatic “Piper”, who promised Earth technology beyond our wildest dreams. And now that humans have this tech, it’s time to pay up—but the government can’t pay. Like in the original story, humanity must pay with their greatest currency of all—the lives of their children. Watching the action unfold through the eyes of a child, instead of the adults, like in the original tale, makes it even more haunting.

The doom, gloom, and suspense hang heavily over the reader from the first page, and it only builds as you read further, propelling us to a heartbreaking, apocalyptic finale. Chandra keeps enough of the original tale to keep it grounded while adding imaginative, immersive sci-fi elements that keep readers glued to the page until the very end.

Author Biography

Chandra Snicker is a multi-genre author who loves to use fiction and poetry to explore human nature through unusual circumstances. In particular, she enjoys sci-fi, fantasy, and a small amount of horror. She has three incredibly wonderful, silly children, a husband who encourages her, a cat who thinks she's her editor, and a dog who makes a wonderful foot warmer on cold writing days.

Author Interview

How/When did you start writing?

I have loved writing and telling stories for a long while. When I was around nine or ten, I read the book, The Sight, by David Clement-Davies. It’s about a pack of wolves and one of them is magical, so I thought it was the most amazing story. I wanted to tell a story like that, so I started writing my own version with horses in a similar type of story with prophecies and magic, and animal kingdoms.  

Around that same time, I also started reading Emily Dickinson and began to write poetry. My fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Parks, as well as my parents, were highly encouraging of my writing. Mrs. Parks made extra time for me at school and even had one of my poems about my school hung in the hallway, with the whole fifth-grade class there for a little ceremony. I was so proud at the time, but I also wanted to melt into the floor from the attention I was getting.

As the years went by, I joined writers' clubs, came up with stories with my sister, and had ebbs and flows of just how much I would write. Last school year, I left my teaching career to spend full-time with my family, and I decided that it was time to get serious about my writing once more. 

Who are the biggest influences on your writing and why?

There are many people who influence my writing, both in my personal life, as well as authors whose works I’ve read. I’ll focus on the authors for now, but the people in my personal life have been instrumental, and I hope they all know who they are.

The authors whose works most influenced my own, are Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury, Terry Pratchett, and among many other fantasy authors, Tamora Pierce. For poetry, Emily Dickinson was my gateway into this field, and I still credit her as far as beginning to write poetry, specifically.

Neil Gaiman and Ray Bradbury both write tales that are so unique and leave you thinking about the story for long after you finish reading it. In particular, Bradbury’s short stories have a knack for haunting the reader. Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller, and I just love how he takes some known idea, like The Jungle Book for example, and completely flips your idea of it, such as in The Graveyard Book.

Terry Pratchett’s sense of humor, which has made me laugh out loud on several occasions, is something I love. You get the feeling when reading his work that he didn’t take himself so seriously. And while I haven’t released this story yet, one of the most fun stories I’ve written so far was largely influenced by his work.

And finally, Tamora Pierce. Her writing captured me as a child. While my sister adored the Lioness Quartet series, I was an avid reader of The Immortals, Protector of the Small, and Trickster series. In each of these, I felt the characters so relatable and fascinating that I was instantly drawn in.

Tell us about the inspiration behind your grand prize-winning story, “The Pied Piper of Stars,” which was an imaginative and immersive sci-fi take on the classic Grimms Brothers fairy tale.

Thank you for saying so. The idea came about after a long process of making lists of fairy tales and deciding that “The Pied Piper” has always been one of my favorites. I’m no stranger to putting twists on fairy tales, as when I taught drama, one of our units was to have students take a classic tale and put a twist on it to act out. It was fun to get to do this myself in a story, and one of the stories I would have students explore was “The Pied Piper”. It was always a favorite with its haunting undertones.

After I settled on which story to tell, I made a list of ways to put a speculative twist on it. I circled the idea of an alien invasion because I thought how similar the idea of the Piper stealing children was to the idea of aliens invading. Next, I plotted out the story, settling on the idea that I wanted to follow an individual family to bring the reader closer to the circumstances in the story. I wanted to think about what it would be like to be a child in this situation since the original tale mostly focuses on the overall idea of the Piper coming, and the adults’ reactions, rather than what the children experience.

You won 3rd place Grand Prize in our short fiction contest. How do you craft an award-winning story?

Thank you, I am honored it was chosen for 3rd place Grand Prize. I think there are a few factors in creating an award-winning story.

The first is to clearly know your idea. Explore it through whatever process works best for you. Whether it be journaling, making lists, or talking to a trusted person. Whatever it takes for you to know what your idea is, then flesh it out.

The next is to get out of your own way—set your doubts aside, and write. Get the idea down. It can be fixed later.

After that, fix it. Then fix it again and again. Have others read it. Listen to feedback, and perfect your writing. This process is one of the hardest parts. You may feel defensive about your work. You may even cry through it because you just thought you had it right before someone gave you feedback. Press on and do the editing.

You also won 2nd place in the People’s Choice category, voted on by readers. How do you build an audience that engages with and supports your work the way yours does?

I feel honored that I won 2nd place for People’s Choice. I talked with my sister about marketing techniques, and it was so beneficial. I’m incredibly thankful to her for her support of my writing. I also invested in Canva, which has been so fun to use to create marketing materials for my work. I highly suggest it, or another similar program to create what you need to sell your work. 

I also think that supporting other artists/creators is crucial and be genuine in your support. Building connections with others is foundational to your work as a writer. 

Finally, I think that just writing an interesting concept that will grab your audience's attention, and is interesting to read, is also part of it. Without this, your marketing and connections will amount to some help, but not as much.

Your sister Kelsey is also a talented writer, and you both won Grand Prize and People’s Choice awards. How have you two inspired and influenced each other over the years?

She is absolutely talented. I really look up to Kelsey. We grew up coming up with so many games and stories we would tell each other. When we played, we played hard, creating complex worlds and ideas. As we grew older and began to play video games together, we even created “Game Girl,” an alternate version of “Game Boy”, which was popular at the time. We came up with designs and ideas for games to play on it. We watched anime together, and just never stopped dreaming up stories.

I’ve edited pieces of [Kelsey’s writing] and she’s edited some of mine. Kelsey and I have different writing styles, but that doesn’t stop us from supporting each other. She has helped me put my work out there and has given me advice, shared resources, and I have done the same for her. It’s because of Kelsey that I have done some indie publishing, while also pursuing traditional routes. I’m thankful for the push and listening ear I have in my sister.

Your writing is mainly sci-fi and fantasy. What draws you most to speculative fiction?

A lot of this has to do with what I enjoy. I have read fantasy and sci-fi for almost as long as I can remember. It has always been a part of my life. I think this has a lot to do with my parents, who always made sure we were in no short supply of books, whether it was a bookstore or library run.

I was constantly watching fantasy and sci-fi things, such as Studio Ghibli movies, and Star Wars, among so many others.

I love the way that speculative fiction creates these interesting worlds. It can have subtle or huge elements of the genre in it, and can just draw you into a different world, where you can discuss contemporary, or very human issues through a different lens. Sometimes I think that sci-fi, fantasy, or even horror, as a lens, can help you discover something about the idea you’re exploring that you wouldn’t have otherwise thought of.

Describe your daily writing routine. What are some tips you have for new writers who want to create their own routine?

So, this has taken some time to figure out. I taught for eight years, and have many times found myself too exhausted and drained between regular work, directing plays, and being a mom to write. I’m not saying it wasn’t possible; I could have made a weekend routine or evening routine of some type, but it was much more difficult, for me, at least.

I am now at home taking care of my three young children, and my routine is that when I have a spare moment, I write. I know that isn’t a concrete answer, but it is what my writing looks like. I also make time to reserve at my local library, where I get uninterrupted work time. This isn’t always on a consistent basis, but it works out that one of my husband’s workdays is shorter than the others, and I try to make it for that time each week if I’m able.

My biggest piece of advice for new writers, is you have to do what works for you. If you know that Mondays are always going to be too busy to write, then change your writing schedule to fit into what time you do have. Stick with it. Even a little bit of writing is better than none. I also encourage you to find a place you can go every once in a while, that is uninterrupted and you can stay focused on your work.

You’ve been busy writing and publishing short stories lately, but you’ve mentioned you have a novel in the works. What is the premise? Do you plan on self-publishing it or going the traditional route?

I have enjoyed writing these short stories. They help me go through the creating and editing processes on a smaller scale, which gives me ideas for my novel that helps me draft what needs to be done.

I do have a novel I am working on, yes. I don’t want to share too many details yet, but I look forward to the day that I can. Without giving away too much, my novel is set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic America, using elements and tropes that I love with a twist. Think “What happens after the zombie apocalypse?”

Right now, the plan is to go the traditional route, but I have not ruled out self-publishing either.

So far, you have self-published your stories on our site. What is it about self-publishing you would recommend to other authors?

I am fairly new to the self-publishing game, but I do recommend it, especially for new writers. Setting deadlines and knowing you will have an audience will push you to do better writing. I also think the community of indie authors is absolutely amazing. I have made so many new friends in a short amount of time. While they all have their own styles and ways of doing things, I have learned so much and felt support on many levels. Self-publishing is work, but so is traditional publishing. I think having the creative freedom to do what you want to do, set your schedule, and connect with others are the biggest pieces of what make self-publishing amazing.

What are some writer tools you love to use that you would recommend to other authors (websites, blogs, research tools, generators, writing aids like ProWritingAid, etc.)?

Here are the tools I recommend:

1. ProWritingAid: It’s impossible to catch every typo and mistake, and ProWritingAid can save you from many errors you might not have caught. It is easy to use, and right now I just use the free version, but I have plans to invest in the full software.
2. Scrivener: I’m still learning the ropes of scrivener, but it has been a game-changer in plotting my novels. I love how you can write summaries, character cards, and move chapters around. It’s great for my novel.
3. Any book on writing you can get your hands on. My favorites have been The Conflict Thesaurus, The Emotion Thesaurus, Writing Horror from the Horror Writers Association, among many others.

Just for fun! Name your favorite:

Movies: This is so hard, because I love so many movies, but here are some. Fargo, The Shining, Lord of The Rings, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Little Shop of Horrors, Star Wars, Moulin Rouge, The Batman, and so, so many others.

TV Shows: The Office, Gilmore Girls, Our Flag Means Death, and Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Describe your perfect day: I sleep in until I’m rested, have a nice, big breakfast, go for a walk in the woods somewhere, spend time with family, read a good book, maybe garden some or get some new plants, take a nap, and end the day with a favorite movie or video game.

I’m definitely with Chandra on her perfect day! How about you?

We’d like to give Chandra a huge thank you for submitting to our contest, and taking the time to do this interview with us!

To read the rest of the winning entries, click here. Free for a limited time!

Stay tuned for more news and updates on the anthology, coming soon to Fictionate.Me and Amazon. 

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