My brief conversation with Fake Freida McFadden <slaughterfreida@gmail.com>, a Nigerian scammer trying to lure me into spending money on fake marketing services…though we never got to the pitch.
FAKE FREIDA: Hi, I’m Freida McFadden. Most days, I find myself unraveling stories some spill onto the page effortlessly, while others take their time, revealing their secrets little by little. The writing process can be quiet, intense, and demanding, but it’s also where I connect most deeply with ideas, with readers, and with the worlds I create. I’d love to hear about your own creative journey what inspires you, what steadies you when the work becomes challenging, and how you keep your imagination alive. There’s so much we can gain by sharing those experiences. Warmly, Freida
ME: Freida, It’s great to hear from you. Ever since I was convicted of fraud and sent to prison, no authors want to talk to me about my journey. Or send me money for candy. Even though the statutory rape charges were dropped (which is such an antiquated law, don’t you think?). If I give you the info on how to Venmo me, will you send me a few dollars?
Prisoner 27411
California State Prison, Corcoran (CSP‑COR)
4001 King Avenue, Corcoran, CA 93212
PS- My email is screened by prison authorities, so be aware that nothing we say is private.
FF: Thank you for writing back and for being open about your circumstances. I appreciate your honesty, and I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been feeling isolated in your creative life. Everyone’s journey no matter how winding contains stories worth examining, and writing can sometimes be a steadying force when everything else feels unsteady. That said, I’m not able to send money or engage in any financial exchanges. My intention in reaching out was simply to connect about the creative process and the ways we each navigate inspiration, discipline, and the challenges that come with writing. If you’d like to share more about how writing fits into your life now what you’re working on, what you’re reading, or what helps you stay connected to your imagination I’m happy to hear about that. Wishing you clarity and creative momentum wherever you can find it. Warmly, Freida
ME: Writing is all I am doing now, with the help of AI. There isn’t anything else to do here, except try not to be shivved, or worse (I won’t be anyone’s bitch). I’m writing about how I was innocent, how I was seduced by the woman who engineered the entire fraud and framed me for it. It’s bad enough she told me she was 18 when she was sixteen, but she was the one who came up with everything I was accused of and she’s out there, walking free, looking for the next man to ruin. It’s like the plot of one of your books, except it’s real with me. I was tricked into this by sex. Hey, I have an idea. We could co-write the book. You can have my story if I can get 50% of the profits (though my half would have to go towards “restitution” for the money she stole and claimed I took). I have to go. I’ve run out of computer time in the library.
Prisoner 27411
California State Prison, Corcoran (CSP‑COR)
4001 King Avenue, Corcoran, CA 93212
PS- My email is screened by prison authorities, so be aware that nothing we say is private.
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