Horror Author Steve Stred #Interview
Steve Stred Interview
Horror Author Steve Stred
1. Congratulations on your recent publication Piece of Me! Can you tell us a little about what inspired this plot?
Thank you! Piece of Me actually started back in 2016 when I worked on the short story For Balder Walks. I created this frozen world, where it snows a lot and life is hard. I realized I could walk the line between fable/horror and fantasy so I decided to tackle this new world, which will be turning into a full trilogy. The plot follows Kari, as she searches for her husband and son. They’ve left for a hunt and not returned. Years pass, she holds out hope. One day a stranger shows up and says that her family is still alive. So begins the journey to find them!
2. You’ve released three novels (Piece of Me, The Stranger and Invisible) since 2018. That’s a lot of work! How long from conception to final edit does it take you to finish a story? Are you a plotter or a pansters?
And that’s not taking into consideration four collections and like six novellas haha! Invisible is the outlier of those. I started that in 2004 or 2006. I can’t remember anymore. I started it and wanted to try and write something and make it very much claustrophobic but also emotional. It’s about 60% autobiographical, so there’s a lot of pretty dark moments in it. My battles with severe depression and losing family to horrific diseases. So that one was abandoned a few times and picked back up. As for Piece of Me and The Stranger, I pretty much have 90% of the story laid out in my mind before I ever start writing anything. I’ll have bits and pieces emailed to myself or jotted down on my phone, but for the most part I sprint out a draft, taking a week or two to get down the 30K-50K of the bare bones then I’ll let it sit, then revisit, send to beta readers, edit and then off to copy editor! I’m not much of a physical laying things out plotter, but mentally almost every piece is in place before I open a word doc.
3. You’ve also released six novellas since 2018, which makes me convinced that you don’t sleep. With all your experience as a writer and insomniac, what tips would you give a newbie trying to break into the industry?
Hah! I actually do 99% of my writing at work. My work breaks and my lunch. If I have some extra time I’ll get some words down but usually it’s all done on work breaks. I don’t have any word count goals or anything. I just try and write when I can. My advice would be to do what you can. If it’s fifty words a day, that’s fifty more than zero! Find what works. Pantser, plotter, whatever. Just do what you can, when you can.
4. Okay, you have to pick one of your publications and turn it into a movie. Who plays the lead roles?
I’ll go with Piece of Me, as it’s the latest. For Kari – Kira Sedgewick. No brainer. She’s pretty much who I used as a mental model when I was writing it. As for Fritjof and Aatto, those are harder. I’d really have to think about those haha!
5. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your dedication to grow diversity within the horror genre. Your second collection of dark poetry and drabbles The Night Crawls In was released in September 2019 and helped fund the 1st Annual LOHF Writings Grant. Tell us a little about that partnership. How did it come about?
Thank you so much! What an amazing thing that became! The Ladies of Horror Fiction crew killed it with making forms and then the super tough choice of picking a winner. As for its beginnings, it came down to the simple fact – a lot of people kept tweeting and making statements about equality and barriers and opportunities, and I finally had enough and thought “why doesn’t someone then do something?” Why not be the change? I try and support and build people up. I came from a very ruthless world in athletics, where everyone is clamoring to take your spot, so I always was friendly and supportive. I carried that to writing, and so I thought – let’s do something! I initially was going to try and partner with an after school project or something to bring awareness, but after messaging with my sister a bit, she said to try and find something that was tangible. I realized, there’s nothing more tangible than cash in hand, yeah? So, I reached out to Toni from Ladies of Horror Fiction, she asked the group and they said yes! I was so happy. I still am. It’s just amazing that this is even happening. For year one, I wanted to lessen the hit from my wallet with The Night Crawls In, but now for year two, I want it to be solely focused on the grant and awarding a deserving person. I won’t be releasing a book related to it, simply because I don’t want my work or my name being propped up at all from this award. All money from the sales of The Night Crawls In will still be going towards further grants still, but I want this to be as little about me and as much about LOHF and the amazing authors/creators out there as possible. It should be about the community and growing and awarding deserving people. I’m hoping to find a way to have more money and more than one recipient this year! So stay tuned for details!
6. What changes in the horror world would you like to see within the next ten years?
Oh god, what a question. More acceptance. More diversity both in releases but also being celebrated. Less cringing when you say you write ‘horror.’ Less me/I people and more us/community people, if that makes sense.
7. How autobiographical is your work? Do you draw off real events?
Other than Invisible and a few tidbits in short stories, not a lot. I’ve incorporated real places, woods and buildings I’ve been in and stuff, and sometimes I’ll use friends names for characters, but for the most part it’s all mainly fiction.
8. What is next for you? Anything in the works?
Always haha! Piece of Me was Part I of the Sermons of Sorrow Trilogy. So working on Part II and III currently. I need to finish the sequel to Wagon Buddy, called Scott: A Wagon Buddy Tale. Then I have the novella The Window in the Ground to tighten and finish. As well I have my YA release The Boy Whose Room Was Outside. And theeeeennn I have a limited release I’m trying to work out called 456 Blatchford Drive, which is a haunted house/folklore story. Plus two others I’m not going to mention at the moment haha!
9. Where can people find you online?
I try to be pretty interactive! So, I’m on Twitter or Instagram or Facebook Friend request me! I have a website/blog where I try and do a Friday post each week, and has a bunch of links etc!
10. Thank you so much! This is your chance to say anything that wasn’t asked. Closing thoughts?
Thank you so much for having me! I was so glad you sent me the questions! I’m really excited for your Rewind or Die! Release from Unnerving. I’ve only read Hailey Piper’s so far, but the lineup is stellar and it’s so amazing to see Food Fright out in March!
BUY PIECE OF ME HERE
