She's a dreamer. A doer. A Thinker. She sees possibility everywhere.
Kayla King is an author of fiction and poetry. Her debut micro-collection, These Are the Women We Write About, is published by The Poetry Annals.
She is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of three collectives. Pages Penned in Pandemic, The Elpis Pages, and The Elpis Letters are now available for purchase with all proceeds being donated.
Kayla’s next print collective, Second Chances: Adventures Beyond the Shelter will be opening for submissions April 2, 2024, and is forthcoming publication December 2024. A percentage of proceeds will be donated to the Friends of the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter.
Photos by Golden Rose Creative
Kayla’s short story, “In the Valley of Stars,” is included in Mistletoe & Magic: A YA Books Central Holiday Anthology.
As a companion to her current work-in-progress, Kayla’s short story “Here and Now,” is told from Niles’ POV and is published in the Meet Me at Midnight anthology.
Her poem, “Nothing Will Change Except Everything,” has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Analogies & Allegories Literary Magazine.
Kayla’s fiction and poetry has been published by or is forthcoming from One For One Thousand, Germ Magazine, Five 2 One Magazine, Plath Poetry Project, Cat on a Leash Review, MockingHeart Review, Figroot Press, Souvenir Lit Journal, Dear Damsels, The Mystic Blue Review, The Green Light, Ink In Thirds Magazine, Firewords Magazine, Sobotka Literary Magazine, Déraciné Magazine, Crooked Arrow Press, Fearsome Critters, Barren Magazine, Dear Movies Zine, Cauldron Anthology, Noble/ Gas Qtrly, Twist in Time Literary Magazine, Phemme Zine, Honey & Lime Literary Magazine, Impossible Task, Pink Plastic House, littledeathlit, Ghost City Review, Funicular Magazine, Capsule Stories, Pages Penned in Pandemic: A Collective, Tatterhood Review, Variety Pack, Analogies & Allegories Literary Magazine, Anser Journal, The Winnow Magazine, GLITCHWORDS, The Elpis Pages, Gutslut Press, Dreams in Hiding Anthology, The Elpis Letters, and Ghost Girls Zine .
Kayla is a graduate of the Mountainview MFA with her sights set on publishing the novel conceptualized during her graduate studies.
All too soon, she will be back in the query trenches with her YA sapphic speculative novel about dreams, seeking representation, and dreaming bigger than ever.
To learn more and catch a sneak peek of her first page, check out her conversation with agent Danielle Chiotti featured on the Manuscript Academy Podcast!
Kayla loves real books, her Classic 12 Smith Corona typewriter, her collection of antique teacups, and her muse/best friend/dog named Tux.
While there is darkness in the world, Kayla believes light can be found through telling stories.
As a character in her work-in-progress reminds:
We never know the people in stories. But that doesn’t make them any less real.
Most days, Kayla drinks too much coffee while championing the importance of words.
To discover more about how she got her start writing, what it was like getting an MFA, and the things that inspire Kayla, you can read her 1:1 interview. Want to know about Kayla’s process for editing two collectives? Check out her interview on the Conversations with Cait podcast. You can follow along with her writing journey over on Authortube.
Kayla loves connecting with both writers and readers via social media, so be sure to reach out!