Every Friday, we meet a member of the BFS and peer deep into their soul (or, at least, a form they filled out). Want to be featured? Email us: online@britishfantasysociety.org
Name:
Heide Goody (she/her)
Which region are you based in?
Midlands (North of Birmingham)
If you write, which genre:
Sci-fi / Fantasy / Horror – I’ve dabbled in all of them!
Are you drawn to any specific SFFH sub-genres?
I’m very fond of writing comedy. Writing (and reading) in subgenres that are closest to here and now (both in terms of time and space) is something I’m more drawn to, because it can help to make comedy more accessible. You take people out on a limb with comedy. It’s a teeny bit risky. If you’ve already asked the reader to take risks by stepping away from what they know, sometimes the combination can be too much. That’s a convoluted way of saying urban fantasy / modern day horror and near-future science fiction!
Your influences
Tell us about the book/film/thing that got you into SFFH: What was it? How old were you? What impact did it have on you?
Terry Pratchett’s books came into my life when I was in my early twenties and made me long to write something as good. I also dipped into the horror pool during the eighties, although I didn’t have a ton of money so I read what I could easily find.
I do remember Legion by William Peter Blatty being one of those books. I don’t think I even knew that it was a sequel to the Exorcist, but it blew me away with the breadth of subject matter that it covered. I felt wiser for having read it, which is a neat trick for a book to pull.
F Paul Wilson is a favourite of mine, and I also have him to thank for drawing me into the world of conventions. When I saw that he was coming to the UK for World Horror in 2010, I knew that I had to go, and I kept up the habit ever since!
How does that early influence show up for you (in life/writing/agenting/publishing/editing/reading) now?
Interesting questions. The books themselves are a heavy influence.
I also realise (looking back) that I was always hungry for detail about collaborations. They fascinated me, and I loved when people would describe how they worked. Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman talked about their working model and so did F Paul Wilson, Joe Konrath, Jeff Strand and Blake Crouch when they worked on Draculas.
Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?
Well, collaboration is where it’s at! I work with Iain Grant for most of my writing life, and we draw ideas and inspiration from everything. There have been many moments in my life where I’ve been horrified by something that’s happened, but in equal measure I’m secretly pleased because I know that it will find its way into a book. We’ve written books that have been based on dreams (both of us have been dream donors) and we have a folder full of ideas that we’ve not yet used.
It’s actually pretty fun to develop ideas with other people: we ran a workshop at EdgeLit last year to do exactly that, and share some ideas for techniques that we use. Those techniques could mostly be described as “smashing together a bunch of pre-existing ideas and seeing what happens” in the form of a game…
Who do you look to as a genre hero? Why?
I think I would point to Catriona Ward. She’s done such a magnificent job of making genre fiction mainstream, and she’s a lovely person too.
Your Work
You’re stuck in an elevator for 60 seconds with that hero, and they want you to describe your work. Give us the pitch.
Generally: Books that blend high concepts with comedy.
Specifically, I’ll go with Clovenhoof, as it’s our longest-running series: Clovenhoof is Satan, made redundant from Hell and sent to live in the Midlands.
What are you working on right now?
We always have multiple projects on the go, but as it happens, we’re writing Clovenhoof book 10.
Thinking about all the stories/work you’ve done, what sticks out most in your mind? Why?
Memorable research is perhaps where I might go with that. We’ve written some crime books, and we were lucky enough to be invited to visit the Marine Police Unit, who are the ones who run patrols on the River Thames. They took us out on a boat, we were there when they answered a call and we got to ride down that iconic stretch of water with the sirens and blue lights on. It doesn’t get any better than that!
Where and when do you create/are you at your most creative?
Mornings, definitely. I can write anywhere that I don’t have people actively pestering me.
What’s the best advice you’ve received about creativity?
I enjoy (and subscribe to) the idea that creativity is a broad thing, and that you can encourage it by doing it. That doesn’t mean just writing. I like to sew as a hobby, and, actually, I like all sorts of goofing around in the name of book promo. It all feeds into the same part of my inner self that likes to play. (Pictured: Heide “goofing around” on Instagram)
What’s your writing soundtrack?
I use Brain.fm, which will play tunes that encourage productivity. It works well for me, especially if I set a timer and write in a sprint.
The Quick-fire Round
Sci-fi, fantasy or horror?
Horror
Quiet or loud?
Loud
Dark or light?
Light
Strict lines or genre blend?
I enjoy blends, but they can be tough to market
Awards or bestseller?
Depends on the project. Iain and I are doing a ramp-up to a comedy Christmas trilogy and we’re planning a ton of activity during the autumn. We have set a very specific goal of selling lots of copies. We’ve even made a film that we’re very excited about…
Fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction on the kindle; non-fiction in hard copy
Poetry or prose?
Prose
Plotter or pantser?
I am a pantser, Iain is a plotter. We work well together in a semi-structured way that keeps us both happy
Reading or listening?
Reading
Notebook or computer?
Computer
Favourite SFFH book of all time?
The Tomb by F Paul Wilson
Last book you read?
Just reading The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
Any SFFH author on auto-buy?
Cat Ward (pictured)
Favourite podcast?
I’m not great with audio…
The Home Stretch
What’s the best thing about being part of the SFFH community?
I love that it’s so very inclusive. Seeing friendly faces at events, and on writing sprints
Time to plug your stuff! Where can we find you and your work? What have you got coming up? Consider this your advertising space.
Our work is currently available on Amazon BUT we’re in the middle of setting up our own shop. If you’d like to stay updated on that, we’d love it if you signed up for our newsletter.
Buy the Clovenhoof series here.
The Oddjobs series is a cross between Lovecraftian Horror and The Office
How about a werewolf roadtrip horror novel?
Do watch out for our Christmas trilogy in the autumn and give us a boost on social media if you catch any of our antics. The series is called The Festive and the Furious. Think Diehard happening in a garden centre grotto…
Leave a Reply