Publishing Diaries: Reneé Bibby & Lilian D. Vercauteren

On their co-written fiction story “We Drown the Night,” published in Halfway Down the Stairs

Welcome to Publishing Diaries! In each diary, you’ll meet a writer who has had a piece published in a literary magazine in the last year or so. They’ll share insights about writing, revising, submitting, and ultimately getting the piece published. Interested in sharing your journey? Let me know by filling out this form.

This week we’ve got something a little different for Publishing Diaries. This Q&A is with two writers — Reneé Bibby and Lilian D. Vercauteren — about a fiction story they co-wrote together.

Reneé Bibby (she/her) is a writer based in Tucson, Arizona. She teaches at The Writers Studio and reads for Brink. Her work has appeared in Fractured Lit, Luna Station Quarterly, Taco Bell Quarterly, The Worcester Review, and Wildness. Her stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best of the Net, and Best Small Fictions. www.reneebibby.com

Reneé has 20+ publications and would rate her experience level with submitting as Advanced.

Lilian D. Vercauteren is a writer from The Netherlands who roamed strange lands for almost 20 years before recently returning to her tulip-y roots. She started writing at The Writers Studio in Tucson and left a piece of her heart buried somewhere in the wide-open spaces of the American West. Her work has appeared in Lowestoft Chronicle, Ghost Parachute, Maudlin House, The Brussels Review, Little Old Lady Comedy, and more. www.ldvercauteren.com

Lilian has 10+ publications and would rate her experience level with submitting as Intermediate.

This Q&A with Reneé and Lilian will focus on their fiction story “We Drown the Night,” (read it here) published in Halfway Down the Stairs in December 2025.

How did you first get the idea to write together?

Lilian: Reneé had seen a submission call for co-written flash fiction and suggested we send something. It was supposed to be 1K words, and we submitted a very early incarnation of “We Drown The Night,” which was not even close to being what it should be. It got – rightfully so – rejected. But that kicked us off to start writing together.

What was the inspiration for this story?

Lilian: I was living in Cork, Ireland, at the time and wanted to write a story set in a misty harbor town with a tavern. But that was all I knew! So, the entire thing grew from there into something we were both excited about. It felt only natural to write a story about two characters who were good friends, despite their differences.

Reneé: Then I made it spooky.

When did you start writing it?

July 2023

What did your writing process look like?

Lilian: I kicked us off by writing the opening scenes of two very different stories. I sent them to Reneé and for a while we wrote on both. What later turned into “We Drown the Night” was the one that was easiest to adapt into a short story, whereas the other idea, well, more to come on that down the line!

We took it from there like a game of tennis, taking turns writing the next scene, always surprising the other as we crafted the arc since we’re both pantsers, not outliners. Once we figured out the story, we had many discussions on characters and logistics – and the ending! It took us a bit to hash it out, each with very different ideas.

What are the best parts about co-writing?

Reneé: It’s a great way to write a story that you could not write on your own. In an earlier version of the piece, I wrote a way darker ending, and Lilian, who does not skew as dark as me, argued for a more optimistic note to end on. The joy of collaborative work is that you’re pushed into literary arenas that you might not pursue on your own. There’s a version of this story that is almost grimdark (me) and one that is a buddy comedy (Lilian), but the more interesting story is the one that we created together.

Lilian: To me it felt like a great big adventure, like jumping from an airplane, but fully trusting the parachute. I felt more willing to take bigger risks with the writing, because we had each other’s backs. I like to be surprised by my own writing but doing that with a friend takes it to the next level. When things are coming together from unexpected angles, it’s even better when you share that excitement with someone who is just as excited. And I think that’s what’s most important: you have to be equally committed.

What are the most challenging parts about co-writing?

Lilian: I think I am less flexible once I have a certain idea in my head for how a story “should be,” and sometimes you have to know when to fight for that or when it’s best to let it go for the sake of the story. The story has to come first, in a way.

Reneé: I’m surprised that Lilian said she’s not flexible, as I think I’m the less flexible one; we did write a horror story, after all. Lilian is fixed on characters and setting, and I’m less flexible on themes and world building. We sometimes sparred on those dimensions, but Lilian is right that we both figured out what to “fight for.” Fortunately, we had a good sense of when something mattered more to the other person and would flex to the other.

How long did you work on this story for?

We finished it in December 2024, and took some breaks in between when life (and other projects) got in the way, so about a year.

How many drafts did you do?

11

What was your revision process like?

Reneé: We made a decision to not discuss plot points or themes as we were building the story. It’s a lot of fun to see where the other person takes it from where you left it off. We took 12 turns back and forth to get to that first flash version.

Once everything was on paper, we agreed all elements of the story were up for discussion. We basically moved into a writer-room scenario where we pitched edits back and forth – often doing a sort of “yes, and …” until we brainstormed solutions or plot points for the story. Then, one of us would volunteer to re-write or expand the piece.

The other would review what was added to see if it aligned with our shared vision. There’s a lot of writing between us, but probably as much conversation.

Lilian: Those conversations were fun; they always reinvigorated my enthusiasm for the story.

How did you know it was ready to submit?

Reneé: Basically, we got to a point where both of us saw what we wanted in the story. By the end, Lilian felt like the characters had suffered but were also somewhat redeemed, and I felt like the horror had a strong arc. We were like, “Anything you want to change?” And the other was like, “Nope!” So, it was good to go.

How did you decide which publications to submit to?

Reneé: We both use Chill Subs and Duotrope for leads on places. The piece was dark, and long, so that naturally narrowed the field. After that, we factored in a lot of things, like acceptance rates, themes, simultaneous subs or not, but also looks and vibes, and with that data in play, sorted journals into loose tiers.

I created an Airtable (of course) where we could track potential publications. We talked each week about the plan for when to submit and where. Lilian did the actual submitting and tracking.

How many rejections did you get before the story was accepted?

19

What advice do you have for other writers submitting their work?

Sounds cliché but find the right market for your work. Don’t send your epic fairy-tale sci-fi saga to The Paris Review. But do start with the higher tiers and then work your way down. Have patience (note to self).

What have you learned from co-writing together?

Writing does not have to be a solo experience. You can be in it with someone and can create something magical that would not be in the world otherwise.

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You Could Be Next!

Thanks for reading the latest installment of Publishing Diaries! I’m currently looking for more writers who want to share their publishing journeys. If you’ve had a piece published in a literary journal within the last year or so, and it’s available online for people to read for free, please fill out this form and I’ll be in touch!