Merry meet all,
Welcome everyone! Today we’re chatting with Dev Solovey, who has just released his debut horror novella Fever Dreams.
Why horror? Do you have a favorite subgenre in horror?
I like writing stories that really dig into the human experience and that have something to say, and I think a genre like horror – which relies on cultural taboos and primal fears – is the perfect genre for transgressive art. I do also enjoy fun pulpy horror, but I find I do my best writing when I have a message or theme in mind. My favorite horror subgenre is horror/splatterpunk comedy, but I’m not really the kind of person who cares so much what genre something is. I care more about what the story has to say, and how the story says it. It’s why I can enjoy The Texas Chainsaw Massacre just as much as I can enjoy Pride and Prejudice – both are strong critics of the status quo during the times they were penned, and whatever Mr Wickham does to Lydia Bennett is just as disgusting to me as anything Drayton Sawyer cooks up.
Which other horror authors influenced you the most and why?
I read a lot of comics as a kid, so my biggest horror influences are probably Jhonen Vasquez, Clive Barker and Jason Pargin (previously under his pen name of David Wong). Johnny the Homicidal Maniac was my first exposure to splatterpunk, as well as Lenore by Roman Dirge. I read a lot of the Hellraiser comics as a kid, which weren’t always written by Barker himself but which built on the Hellraiser canon, and I kept all of those comics to this day. And of course, Jason Pargin wrote the John Dies at the End books, the most recent of which inspired me to start writing my debut novella, Fever Dreams. My first ever exposure to horror was most likely Coraline, although Neil Gaiman is more low fantasy than horror.
Tell me about your writing/ editing process
I usually start by brainstorming and typing up some notes. If I have a particular theme in mind, character attributes, or a particular scene I want to include, I’ll write that down, and then just kind of type whatever comes to mind. Once I have a clear enough idea, I’ll write an outline, but I usually view my outlines as loose guidelines – inevitably, I’ll come up with a better idea midway through the manuscript, and I’d rather let the story evolve naturally than strictly follow the plans I made at the beginning.
When I edit for myself, I usually look for ways I could word something better. It’s often harder to see what the larger structural problems are in a story when it’s your own writing, so I usually take a break from it for a while, then come back to it with fresh eyes, and that usually helps me see things that I didn’t notice before. From there I can make larger structural changes where they’re needed, with a primary focus on doing justice to the characters and themes.
When I edit for others, my goal is to find what makes a story good and bring that out by any means necessary. So while I’ll still mark down all of the standard style guide stuff (passive voice, adverbs, cliches, etc) I care more about finding the best elements, and then seeing how the author can make those elements shine.
My big editing hot take is that not all plot holes are bad. I think if you’re approaching something like a fantasy or scifi story expecting 100% realism, you’re approaching it wrong. There’s a reason why villains have monologues, it’s because they’re cool and entertaining! The goal is to entertain, and so long as the plot hole doesn’t break the suspension of disbelief, I don’t think it matters.
What inspires you to write horror?
I could answer this question a lot of ways, but if I’m being 100% honest – I’ve just got anxiety! It’s easy for me to call up feelings of fear and start catastrophizing, and when I write about what makes me afraid, it becomes a healthy outlet. When I finished writing one of the chapters in Fever Dreams, I was actually in tears, and I felt so much better after getting it on paper. There’s something about it that’s a little like exposure therapy, and even if it gets too intense, you can always walk away from it.
What do you love about indie publishing?
It feels collaborative instead of competitive. If I submit a manuscript to a McMillan imprint, the other thousands of manuscripts they get every year are going to drown me out. But with indie publishing and small presses, there’s more of a culture of collaboration and lifting each other up. I’ve never been a competitive person, so being forced to compete with other artists and constantly compare myself to them just makes me miserable.
Which is your favorite horror movie or book? Which movie or book impressed and inspired you the most?
I’ve mentioned it already, but definitely John Dies at the End. It was just so unlike anything I had ever read at the time, and I wanted to emulate David Wong’s morbid sense of humor.
Is there any music that helps you to write?
Music actually distracts me, actually – so does every sound. I do sometimes run across a song that reminds me of a character I have, but I can’t actually write without silence.
Do you have any special projects you want readers to know about?
My debut horror novella, Fever Dreams! It started as a collection of weird nightmares I’ve had, but the thing that made me want to fully develop it was a desire for better representation. As a transgender guy, I get upset with a lot of the trans characters I see in media – a lot of them are very “dysphoric,” they always seem miserable and talk about hating their bodies a lot. It’s depressing and I’m so tired of seeing it, so I wrote this story with a transmasc main character who’s OVERLY confident. He’s the kind of guy who would fight a god without hesitating, and fully believes he could win.
There’s also my longest running project, the webcomic Devil Went Down to Vegas. It’s a horror-comedy/low fantasy webcomic on webtoon about a demon who gets fired from his job in hell, and decides to move to Las Vegas. It’s returning from hiatus this October, so you’ll have plenty of time to catch up!
Where can readers find you on social media?
I’m on twitter @DevSolovey, Tumblr @dev-solovey, BlueSky @devsolovey.bsky.social and instagram @dev.draws. You can find links to all my socials in my linktree, along with links to Fever Dreams and Devil Went Down to Vegas.
Thank you again for interviewing me!
Most welcome!
Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(
John Dies at the End is hilarious! LOL And Barker’s artwork is astounding. I have one of his art books I bought used. So expensive. I traded a line drawing of his for a tattoo once.
I like that you’re giving a positive voice to trans people in your writing too.
Have you read Sumiko Saulson’s work? They are good. Zir work is wonderful. Known them for a few years. Very talented. They give a positive voice in the LGBT community too.