Manny comments:
What inspired you to write this story?
Edd and I had been working on collaborations for some time. I was working on a novel involving Irish deities, so I had fairies in mind a lot of the time. Occupy Wall Street demonstration had happened several years earlier but still felt relevant in light of Donald Trump's administration.
Did the story develop in any surprising ways as you wrote it?
We work differently when writing separately, so I can only say for myself, but writing first drafts my stories always arise organically, and this was no exception. Edd was familiar with "Trap Streets," nonexistent streets add to a map to catch plagiarists. I think I dug up the legend of the foot race to claim the Fairy Throne.
Is this story similar to your other writing, or were you trying out something different?
I have to say it was similar, at least from my end. We had already written other stories set in the secondary world of fairy lands. I think this was our first fantasy collaboration that took place in both the real world and the secondary one.
Would you like to dedicate the story to anyone in particular?
I'll defer to Edd on that.
Edd comments:
What inspired you to write this story?
Manny and I usually take turns offering a seed, and the idea of combining fairies with modern protests was his. Manny lived in New York for some time, so he helped ground the story in its location. We’ve both taken part in protests, and consider them a vital and necessary part of encouraging political improvement.
Did the story develop in any surprising ways as you wrote it?
This was our 26th collaboration, so by this time we had cemented our way of developing and writing a story. We now live in separate cities, but when this was written we would sit across from each other at the Burien, Washington public library and trade scenes. Often the stories would take several sessions, but this one came together quickly.
Is this story similar to your other writing, or were you trying out something different?
We definitely try our hand at a different approach for each story. I keep a spreadsheet of our collaborations, breaking each story out by location, genre, and setting. Our previous few stories had been SF and mythologically based, so we were ready to tackle a fantasy. One thing I like about our shared stories is that they are different from what I’d choose to write on my own. It’s often a challenge to pick out which parts Manny wrote and which I wrote.
Would you like to dedicate the story to anyone in particular?
No one springs to mind, but thanks for asking.
Interesting! Thanks, Edd and Manny! Be sure to check out "Occupy Underhill" and the rest of the August 2026 stories!
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