Contributor Interview: Ani King

Ani King's "Deer Run" appeared in the Winter 2026 issue of Broad Ripple Review.

What is your favorite punctuation and a literary hot take you have?

My favorite punctuation is actually no punctuation or wrong punctuation for the effect. I just love seeing what disregarding the rules can do to bring another layer to the narrative, how it can affect pacing, of course, but also what it does for the personality of the story, how it can be an element of characterization on its own. And I think it can have this terrific sense of blurring the lines between poetry and prose. 

Hot/spicy literary take: Grammar doesn’t matter that much when it comes to telling a good story, and most of the time it’s just gatekeeping and good old fashioned classism. 

What inspired you to write “Deer Run”?

I had the first few lines in my head for the longest time, and then finally it just sort of all came out at once. For backstory though, I’m a little bit obsessed with deer. I think some of the obsession comes from living in Michigan, where the White Tailed deer is literally the most dangerous animal in the state, thanks to over population and car accidents. But also, deer are so beautiful, and skittish, and surprising. Deer imagery lends itself so well to represent queerness, and in this story, I think it helps capture the feeling of that first uncertain queer love, the layer of danger that can come with it, that nervous rush of energy. 

What’s one change you wish to see in the writing/publishing industry for 2026? 

The sum total eradication of AI being taken seriously in creative work, period. Seeing publishers and publishing-related organizations, magazines, awards, individuals try to find some way to capitalize on AI (translation work, how to use it “ethically” in writing) exposes how disingenuous the industry itself can be at its core, and how deeply contempt for creative work really runs within the collections of industries that are supposed to be getting our work out there. I’d love to see more and more support for the small presses out there doing human work to publish our work and bring the stories we write to life. 

Have you ever dabbled in long-form stories? Or do you prefer flash? If so, why?

I’ve abandoned a novel or two, and for sure have done some proper short stories. I’m working on short stories now actually, but I think my literary heart beats hardest for writing flash. I love how much you can mess around and find out with flash, it lends itself to rule breaking and to finding an emotional core in a way that’s so satisfying. I especially love the challenge: can I break your heart in three sentences, can I make you see yourself in less than a thousand words, can I give you a complete character and satisfying narrative in one page? 

What unique experiences/obstacles have you faced as a queer and trans writer? How do you go about facing them?

It’s funny, I had this moment of extreme resistance to this question, and I think that’s because a lot of how I face challenges that are based on my identity as a queer and trans writer involves a sort of “fuck you, you’re dead to me” compartmentalization. For example, I’ve had places I’ve published promote me with she/her, even though I use they/them in my bio, and sometimes I just don’t have the capacity for a fight, or to do the emotional labor of reassuring someone I’ve confronted. So I’ll never submit there again, and I make sure people know that the publication isn’t really safe if that’s a concern. The other very recent thing is having editors ask for permission to nominate my work for queer awards, as a safety thing. And at first it really threw me, like um, sure, why would I not want to be nominated, and then I had to really confront the fact that no matter how secure my personal bubble of chosen family and friends may be, there’s this low hum of fear of being known. And that’s very at odds with how much I love being myself, very at odds with how much I want to love putting my work out there. 

Now that “Deer Run” has wrapped up, what’s next on the writing docket?

More stories in the “Deer Run” universe! As well, I have my first collection (Family Night: Stories) coming out with Mason Jar Press in Fall 2026, so I’m embracing the sense of freedom that’s come with calling those stories done, and turning to new work. I’d like to see a collection of magical realism stories centered around the narrator in “Deer Run” come together, I’ve also got a set of short stories that I’d love to see to completion, but ultimately I’m letting myself be open to the stories that want me to tell them, and I find if I try to plan my writing too much, my brain will revolt and go in a completely different direction.  

Do you have any advice for upcoming writers looking to get their work published?

Find community. Be vulnerable in your writing. Seek and be open to feedback. I think when drafting or working through feedback, it’s so important to pay attention to what makes you uncomfortable, and sometimes sit back and just let your reactions exist, give yourself time to walk around in them, see what “why” comes to the surface. I find sometimes that I have the most negative to reactions to feedback that can help my work break through, because it makes something in me feel exposed, but a lot of incredible writing has so much power because it feels like swallowing with a sword blade resting on your throat. 

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About the Author

Ani King (they/them) is a queer, gender non-compliant writer, artist, and activist from Michigan. They can be found at aniking.net, or trying to find somewhere to quietly finish reading a book without interruptions.

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About the Interviewer

Ollie Sikes (they/them) is an evolving queer writer, editor, and creator based in Dallas, TX. They completed a double BA in Creative Writing and Theatre at Butler University. Besides volunteering with Broad Ripple Review, they also serve as Content Creator for the little things literary magazine. Their poetry has been published with Synchronized Chaos. You can follow them on Instagram @ollie.sikes.