Droids & Dragons Author, M. Weigel

M. Weigel

Pub 518 would like to welcome M. Weigel to the Droids & Dragons team. She is from Nevada.

M. loves fairy tales and mythology and reads as much fantasy and science fiction as possible.

M. Weigel returned to speculative writing in 2022, began publishing in 2023 and writes and publishes short stories and poems. 

"I had postponed some of my writing for years, thinking "when I have time" or "someday" like so many of us, and then, during a high stress event, a poem showed up, and I wrote it down. A few months later, another one followed, and then a short story joined them. I stopped fighting my brain and let writing have a larger space in my life."

Everything M. Weigel reads influences her writing in some form. "Since I love to write on folklore and mythology, I would be remiss if I did not name Angela Carter, Tanith Lee, T. Kingfisher, and Joanne Harris." 

Three of M. Weigel's poems, 'An Outlaw for the Ages', 'Learning About Hoards in the Nursery', and 'Apex Predators' will be featured in Droids & Dragons.

"I let myself think about dragons as a correcting force capable of pushing back on kings and queens when power is not used well. When working on "Learning About Hoards in the Nursery," I played with how our ancestors teach us through stories like myths and fairy tales. That let me think about dragons as a way to discuss those who take too much from others. When writing "Apex Predators," I focused on how much humanity and dragons have in common and how we use might use dragons in our fantasies to make ourselves smaller than we are. It lets us refuse our role as stewards of nature."

Here is a preview of M. Weigel's poems in the 'Droids & Dragons' anthology.

'An Outlaw for the Ages': "When a monarch would grow too cruel, too uninterested, or too blood thirsty, / my kind were to break the rules to save the realm." 

'Learning About Hoards in the Nursery': "They understood the monster / would ever evolve: king, politician, tech guru, or anyone too powerful." 

'For "Apex Predators': "One day, perhaps, we may / finally overcome our natures and take flight."

When asked what book was most loved, M's response was Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, but Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher is also a favorite.

M.'s superpower is forgetting that writing is work in the best ways. "I can start working on a poem and look up and realize that two hours have passed while I think through the lines. I can get impatient with myself when working on a story over many days, but I am always thrilled to see how the pieces come together as I draft and revise. Every late night or a day with sore wrists after a Sunday spent typing is worth the feeling I get when a line locks or when a story captures my ideas as I want. I write as often as I can, and writing can feel like a superpower for me."   

You can find more information about M. Weigel online @peronelle.bsky.social 

Droids & Dragons is available for preorder. The drop date is 9/25/2026.