Women in Horror: Interview with Hailey Piper
Hailey Piper is the author of The Worm and His Kings, Queen of Teeth, Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy, and Benny Rose the Cannibal King. She is an active member of the HWA, with short stories appearing in Pseudopod, Vastarien, Cast of Wonders, Daily Science Fiction, and other publications. She lives with her wife in Maryland, where their paranormal research is classified. Find Hailey at www.haileypiper.com or on Twitter via @HaileyPiperSays.
What inspired you to start writing?
I’ve gravitated to telling stories since I was little, going on and on about all kinds of strange ideas, and eventually, early books showed me I wanted to write them down. There have been patches of non-writing, but I always longed for it, and being in the middle of writing is when I’m most myself.
What was it about the horror genre that drew you to it?
I’ve always gravitated to dark fiction, often leaning into the fantastic side of monsters, vampires, and so on. Often identifying with them, too. Horror is healing, helps walk through pieces of myself, and I love the honesty core to the genre.
Do you make a conscious effort to include female characters and themes in your writing and if so, what do you want to portray?
Not consciously; I pretty much write what I please, and women characters are where I gravitate. Feminist themes feel only natural, which is thankfully what I want.
What has writing horror taught you about the world and yourself?
Inside, I’ve learned so much about myself, what I’m willing to dig into, and outside I’ve met so many wonderful people.
How have you seen the horror genre change over the years? And how do you think it will continue to evolve?
We go through trends and phases, so it’s always hard to say. I think there’s a greater openness to stories that prod the status quo over ones that reinforce it, and I hope to see more of that.
How do you feel women have been represented thus far in the genre and what hopes do you have for representation in the genre going forward?
In all kinds of ways. We’ve had varying stereotypes and cliches as damsels, warriors, monsters. We still do. Sometimes we can enjoy a role, but what’s been welcoming lately and I hope to see more of, is the presence of us as well-rounded characters on a more regular basis than decades past.
Who are some of your favorite female characters in horror?
I’m going to avoid movies since they’re too easy, so: Evelyn from The Echo Wife, Ore from White Is for Witching, Andi from To Be Devoured, Kris from We Sold Our Souls, Eleanor from The Haunting of Hill House. But there are really so many.
Who are some women who write horror you recommend our audience check out?
Nadia Bulkin, Sara Tantlinger, Laurel Hightower, Donyae Coles, Samantha Kolesnik, Eden Royce, V. Castro, Lisa Quigley, Larissa Glasser, Cynthia Pelayo, J.A.W. McCarthy, Jessica Guess … I could really go on forever.
What is one piece of advice you would give horror authors today?
Write everything down. Teach your brain that you’re willing to go anywhere and it’ll be willing to come up with anything.
And to the women who write horror out there who are just getting started, what advice would you give them?
Find your people, your community. We’re looked over or sometimes we’re considered elusive and enigmatic despite how damn many of us there are, and we need to boost each other, cheer each other, help each other.
