Jordan Taylor grew up in a small town in the American South, where she was raised on equal parts Jesus and fairy tales. She is a recent graduate from North Carolina State University, where she received her bachelor’s in Creative Writing. When not writing or working as a librarian, she can usually be found in the bathtub with a fantasy novel and a cup of tea. Her story “The Desire Of All Things” was published in Issue #17.

Tell us how “The Desire of All Things” came about.
This story began years ago, and I’ve been working on it on and off ever since. When I brought the first draft, which was narrated by the character who became Candie, to workshop, my classmates informed me that Jesse was a douche, and the romance was sappy. They were right! Making cynical Piper the story’s narrator changed it completely.

Why fairies?
I confess. I love fairies. I love stories about fairies, even the silly kid ones. But in my favorite fairy stories, fairies are much  more than winged sprites at the bottom of the garden – they’re ancient and strange and sometimes scary.

What’s your normal process for writing—or is there a “normal”? Do you strive for a certain page or word count every day?
When I’m working on a new story, I first sit down and write out my plans for it in my journal, and sometimes even add sketches of characters or scenes. When I actually begin writing, I work on the story like a maniac every day until I have a first draft, then I let it sit for a while. My later drafts usually come a lot slower.

What is currently in your cd player/iTunes/Spotify/8 Track?
“The Wolves” by Bon Iver. I heard it first on the credits of “The Place Beyond the Pines,” and now I can’t get enough of it.

What is your favorite Bradbury story/novel?
Fahrenheit 451. I’m a librarian, so I know the power of books!