Holly Payne-Strange is a Strange and Twisted Thing

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

Sure, I am originally from the UK but I live in NYC now, and absolutely love it!  It’s such a vibrant city, there’s always something to do or be inspired by here.  I live with my wife and three cats, and am very lucky to have their support. A lot of what I write is inspired by them, and by the adventures we’ve taken together.  Apart from that, I love learning languages, and am pretty good at italian, and studying norwegian. There’s just something fascinating about languages. 

Which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life?

I actually like all of my characters! As long as we are on the same side, they are passionate, feisty and generally a lot of fun. Now, that assumes they like me.  If they didn’t… I wouldn’t want to go against Violet, a Victorian woman inStrange And Twisted Things.  She knows how to fight and has a deeply vindictive streak. If she wants to hurt you…watch out! She’ll figure out how to twist the knife, and she will enjoy it while she does it. 

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?

My loved ones. I work closely with my aunt and my mother who help a lot with the editing process.They know just how to give feedback, when to encourage me, or to tell me if something really isn’t working, which really isn’t easy. 

Also, my wife. I’ve written so much about my wife! Everything from podcast episodes, to novels and love poetry. She is endlessly fascinating to me. And finally, I have a shadowy and mysterious figure in my life, who I will only refer to as my muse. A lot of what I write is inspired by him, I don’t think I would write half as much as I do if I didn’t know him. He certainly adds a sense of joy and yet suspense to my life. It’s good for writers to have unpredictable people around, I think. People that you know you can trust, but you don’t have any idea what they will do next. It adds a sense of adventure. 

The term horror, especially when applied to fiction, always carries such heavy connotations.  What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?

I quite like the assumptions. The word is so evocative! Just say it and you’re already immersed in shadows and cobwebs, hearing creaking floorboards and drawing the covers closer. Of course, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t experiment or try new things, but I appreciate the weight of the word. It has a history and a prestige I think we should be proud of. 

A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world where do you see horror going in the next few years? 

Certainly more plague related things. I have some great ideas of stories that could only take place during a nation wide lock down and a global pandemic. I’m excited to see more come out about this topic, it’s going to feel so much more visceral! 

Given the dark, violent and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre why do you think so many people enjoy reading it? 

I think it’s cathartic. People have these dark desires, these primal thoughts. We know we shouldn’t act on them, but we still have them. I think horror is a great way to examine the darker side of who we are.  And I think that is a very important part of being human- acknowledging the beast within.  I know that within my  writing, that’s the tack I take. Even with supernatural beings, it’s still about being human in some sense, about the fears and angers we all have. 

What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre?

Gay stuff! Ha, I’m sure I’m just projecting, but I’m sick of LGBT+ issues being ‘used’. I want to see ghosts hunters that just happen to be non-binary, or two badass monster hunter chicks that happen to be dating. Not everything about being part of this community has to be incredibly dramatic and I’d like to see it normalize a bit more. You don’t see a ton of characters that are coincidentally gay. 

Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative, that have stayed with you?

Oh gosh. Well, I actually have quite a few reviews that I’m proud of, which is a really humbling thing to say. I was recently in USA today and LA weekly.  But the one that stayed with me is actually from a prison guard. I know his views are very different to mine (being extremely conservative and anti-lgbt+) but after listening to an episode of my podcast, Echoes, which featured two lesbians, he said it “really made him think” and that he “liked it more than he thought he would”. Which is a win in my book! 

What aspects of writing do you find the most difficult?

Editing. I get so excited to get the story out that it sometimes ends up as just a jumble on the page. It’s so bad, I’m often the only one that can read it! When the story is actually out there, and you have to start looking at the fine details, sentence structure and such, I find that to be a little harder. It’s not new and exciting, so if I’m not careful it can feel a little like a to do list. 

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? 

I would never kill a pet in a story. It’s just too genuinely depressing. Horror is, of course, very dark but there’s still something magical about it. A sense of non reality.  I don’t find that killing pets adds any real horror, it just makes things sad and I personally would not read it. 

Writing is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years?

I’ve hopped around a lot from various mediums and genres, and that’s been so much fun.  I started out with short stories, but quickly jumped to writing for the stage. This helped a lot with writing dialogue and understanding unique voices. After that, it was novels for a while, where I focused on description. Then podcasts, which gave me a real sense of how to incorporate various senses even when writing something like a novel. And I write poetry, which really makes you examine rhythm and imagery. I find that they all feed into each other, which is great. 

What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing?

Just dont stop. I know it’s cliched and not exactly helpful, but it’s true.  Writing is a craft and you have to practice it. 

Which of your characters is your favourite?

Oh, probably Greta from Strange and Twisted Things! I relate to her a lot. There’s something very sweet about her. She’s genuinely humble, and isn’t afraid of hard work. She’d certainly be a Hufflepuff for sure! But she’s also very passionate.  She uses patience as a weapon and is often underestimated. I like characters like that, who use their faults as strengths. 

Which of your books best represents you? 

Strange And Twisted Things represents a very particular time in my life. I wrote it during a very chaotic and difficult eight day period (that was just the messy first draft though! The full edit took much longer). I don’t want to say it represents me, but it is a very realistic portrait of where I was at that time. 

Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us? 

Oh gosh! It feels so odd to brag about my own work like that. Yes actually,  here is a line from my podcast, Echoes. It is the ending monologue by the villain, Ishani.  

“It is only when we take great risks that we have great rewards. Epic stories are not told from easy choices. If you want…something more. Something big and grand and beautiful, then you have to accept that this is the price. And I do want that. The risk, the cost, it’s part of it… it’s beautiful. The point is not to succeed, the point is to do something fucking crazy” 

I like it because I relate so much, to be honest. Sometimes things being scary, or pointless or insane is the point! Adventures are rarely logical.

Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

My first book, Strange and Twisted Things was just released, and I’m really pleased with it. Here’s the blurb; 

“In a quiet village nestled deep within the heart of Italy, an elderly woman finds herself abandoned by her family, the depth of her loneliness almost overwhelming. Seeking solace in a decaying house, Greta clings onto the memories of her estranged husband, whose absence haunts her every waking moment.

As she steps over the threshold of her new home, the house awakens with an ominous energy, enveloping her in its unsettling embrace. Strange occurrences plague Greta’s days, while chilling whispers echo through its dilapidated hallways. Only one fact cheers her- she is clearly not alone.

Caught between the longing for companionship and the terrifying consequences of embracing darkness, Greta must make a harrowing choice. Will she succumb to the allure of the house’s sinister inhabitants, finally gaining the company she so desperately craves, or will she break free from their clutches and confront the horrors that lurk within?”

Right now, I’m also working on a dark Horror/ Sci-Fi novel.  It’s called All Of Us Alone,and is now on pre-order.  I’m almost done with the second edit, and I think it’s coming along well. 

It’s about an alien family who crashes into earth. They are refugees who have only just escaped a planet wide catastrophe when they arrive on Earth.  They are soon pursued by the US Government, desperate to get their hands on their ship, stranding the family on earth.  I watch a lot of ghost hunter shows and it occurred to me how scary it would be if you were the one being hunted, so I wanted to work with that. 

If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice?

 I’m really not a fan of the final girl trope. I’m glad to see it subverted, like in The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix, but overall I just think it’s over done. And it can be so predictable, it really takes the suspense out of things. 

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?

The last great  book I read was actually non fiction. It was  Messalina: Empress, Adulteress, Libertine: The Story of the Most Notorious Woman of the Roman World by Honor Cargill-Martin. 

I loved it!! So much blood and gore, the Roman Empire is an amazing source of inspiration. Those guys really had an imagination when it came to killing people! 

What’s the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?  And what would be the answer?

Wow, what a good question! I’d love to talk more about language in general. I just think words are so magical. It’s astonishing to me that I can have this one idea or thought or emotion inside me, and with the right concoction of words, inspire that in someone else too. It’s almost magic, honestly! Just the way that language works. That’s one of the main reasons I love writing, I love painting with words, and creating entire worlds from just a few pages. Honestly I think the fact that we are able to read and write at all is a marvel. 

Strange And Twisted Things by Holly Payne-Strange

In a quiet village nestled deep within the heart of Italy, an elderly woman finds herself abandoned by her family, the depth of her loneliness almost overwhelming. Seeking solace in a decaying house, Greta clings onto the memories of her estranged husband, whose absence haunts her every waking moment.

As she steps over the threshold of her new home, the house awakens with an ominous energy, enveloping her in its unsettling embrace. Strange occurrences plague Greta’s days, while chilling whispers echo through its dilapidated hallways. Only one fact cheers her- she is clearly not alone.

Caught between the longing for companionship and the terrifying consequences of embracing darkness, Greta must make a harrowing choice. Will she succumb to the allure of the house’s sinister inhabitants, finally gaining the company she so desperately craves, or will she break free from their clutches and confront the horrors that lurk within?

“Strange and Twisted Things” is a chilling tale set against the scenic backdrop of Italy, where Greta’s unwavering love battles against the very essence of evil itself.

Holly Payne-Strange

Holly Payne-Strange is a poet, novelist and podcast creator. Her writing has been described as “genuinely captivating” by LA Weekly and “profound and sincerely engaging” by USA Today. She was also a writer for Fireside Mystery Theater, a classically spooky podcast that The New York Times called “one of the top ten podcasts to bring drama into your home”. Her current Podcast Echoes features Broadway stars and Emmy Award winning actors. 

Her poetry has been published by various publications including Curating Athena and Door Is A Jar magazines, as well as featured in a live installation by Rising Sun Productions, among others.  She was also a panelist on dramatic writing at Fordham university and will be giving a talk on podcasting at The Players Club this October.  Her next book will be coming out in December 2023. 

https://instagram.com/hollypaynestrange_author?igshid=NzZlODBkYWE4Ng==

https://www.echoesshow.com

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CGMMV1QX/about

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