AUTHOR INTERVIEW: STEPHEN HOWARD

We wanted to know more about our anthology authors so we asked if we could pick their brains and scoop out the delicious brilliance.

Next up is Stephen Howard, bringing incredible world building to his story, "We Calculate Great Things in Your Future.":

IP: Would you survive one of your stories in real life? Which one and how would you last? 

S: I doubt it! There’s a story in my collection, Ophelia in the Underworld and Other Melancholy Tales, called The Potential of Strangers, that I’d certainly die in. It’s an epistolary story, told partly through MSN Messenger conversations, about nefarious folkloric spirits that have moved online and essentially entrap teenage boys who believe they’re talking to a girl their age. No way 15-year-old Stephen isn’t

dying there, sadly.

IP: What is the most unconventional piece of inspiration you’ve had?

 S: I did write some pretty fun poetry on a holiday to Magaluf, inspired by the carnage and decadence. Had a bit of a John Cooper Clarke acerbic wit to it. In terms of horror (though some might insist Magaluf inspired poetry IS horror!), I wrote a flash piece titled Fantasy Football is a Serious Business, about someone going to fairly extreme lengths to win their fantasy league!

IP: How do you write? What does your ‘routine’/‘set up’ look like? Do you have a playlist?

S: I probably don’t have a regular routine, as such. I tend to have indeterminate periods of dormancy, then I’ll decide to work on something. I write a lot using the Word app on my phone these days, so I

tend to then squeeze writing in wherever I can using that. My daughter Flo is now sleeping alone in her own bed though, so I’m going to have more time for writing post her bedtime routine, which will be beneficial. And I prefer to write in silence. Music distracts me, especially vocals and lyrics.

IP: What are you currently working on? If you're not working on anything at the moment, what work are you most proud of? (Big yourself up!)

S: I’m currently planning to dive back into a novel project I’d shelved for a while, a kind of high concept piece with a similar framework to Ryu Murakami’s Audition. In terms of proudest, probably the novella I have coming out next year with Wild Hunt Books as part of their Northern

Weird Project. It’s arguably the deepest I’ve had to dig into my own fears, so I’m proud of that one.

IP: What are your favourite things about the horror/writing community at the moment? 

S: I think, despite the occasional outlier, the community is diverse and supportive. There’s generally an attitude of ‘the more horror, the better’, eschewing the idea of competing with one another. There’s always

room at the table, basically.

IP: Who would you say is the biggest supporter of your writing? 

S: My wife, Rachel, is my biggest supporter. She reads most of

what I write and always gives me honest feedback (even when I just want mindless praise!). Her advice is often invaluable.

IP: Why do you write?

S: Probably a bit cliché, but I was always a big reader for as long as I can

remember. Eventually, it felt a natural progression to give it a go myself. From there, I never looked back. Now, writing is that outlet I need when my brain is full, where I communicate best, where I get to escape to. It also makes people who haven’t yet read my work thing I’m clever, so

writing is my favourite illusion, too.

IP: Name a writer that inspires you and why?

S: Stephen Graham Jones is probably up there. He inspires me

not only because he’s a wildly talented and inventive writer, but because he’s hard-working, is always quick to thank readers, and always thanks and cite his own inspirations. But, also, seems to be the nicest guy in horror.

IP: What would be the worst superpower to have? 

S: Being able to breathe underwater. I hate swimming and I’m terrified of open water and sharks, so I’d never use it!

IP: And because we have to ask - favourite horror movie?

S: Probably the original Alien. It’s just the perfect horror film.

IP: Where can we find you, and your work?

S: The biggest thing I’ve got coming up (outside of this fabulous anthology!) is the novella I mentioned earlier coming out through Wild Hunt Books as part of their Northern Weird Project. Mine is a haunted house story with a twist, where a grieving couple are renovating an old

cottage out towards the Yorkshire Moors, only to find nothing is as it seems. It’s titled This House Isn’t Haunted But We Are.

You’ll otherwise find all of my writing, from short stories to my collections and my novel, at my website: www.stephenhowardblog.wordpress.com

I can be found lingering on Twitter @ SteJHoward and post on TikTok under the same username. I’m on Instagram @ steh917.