Hayden Robinson is an autistic British writer. He mainly writes stories in the horror genre. His themes often focus on overcoming trauma and neurodivergent characters. His work has appeared in various publications, including HNDL, Re-Route Magazine, Diverge Magazine, Colour Theory, HorrorScope: A Zodiac Anthology Volumes 3 and 4, and Divinations Magazine. He is set to be featured in the upcoming anthology Violent Advents: A Christmas Horror Anthology. He currently lives in Decatur, Georgia with his wife, their dog, and their two cats.
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Questions:
- Tell our readers a little about yourself and your writing (including publications).
I’m a British writer living in the USA with my wife. In spite of my sunny disposition, I
mainly write horror, and a lot of my work can get melancholic, gory, or both. Many of
my short stories involve some gruesome end to a character (or a gruesome beginning) and
I’m not above taking revenge on terrible people in my stories. I have been published in
several outlets, including HNDL Magazine and Re-Route, both of which focus on
neurodivergent writers and artists (I’m autistic myself!) I have also appeared in
anthologies such as HorrorScope: A Zodiac Anthology Vol. 3 and Halloween Remains,
and my short story ‘Nan’ is set to appear in the upcoming Christmas horror anthology
Violent Advents. - What writing projects are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on several projects. Mainly, I’m writing my debut short story
collection and my debut novel ‘plaything’; this month in November, I have set up my
own writing challenge where I’m writing 60k words of my vampire novel. So far,
everything is going well with each project! - Are you a daytime writer, a mid-day writer, a nighttime writer, or just someone
who writes when the mood hits you?
Most of the time, I love to write in the morning. Waking up and feeling the urge to pour
out stories is a huge sense of euphoria. Other times, I write whenever the mood hits me. I
try to be consistent with my morning routine of writing though. - Do you have a writing “Bucket List” (goals you want to accomplish as a writer)?
Ooo, what a question! Well, here’s a few things:
● Write an opera or a musical (someone else doing the music, of course!)
● Turn one of my stories into a play
● Write a fantasy trilogy. Probably more like Narnia than Lord of the Rings,
honestly!
● Finish my Worst Witch fanfic.
● Go to a writer’s retreat
● Sign my autograph in a book for a special friend (I should do that for my wife!)
● Make a writing office - Who is your favorite author and why?
Roald Dahl. He is the first author I ever truly loved. No one else matches the imagination
he had with his stories. He could be dark and gruesome, but silly and witty too. His twists
on tales and his remarkable storytelling sticks with me, whether it’s one of his children’s
books or his much darker short stories! - How many books do you read in a month? What are your favorite genres?
It varies because I’m a mood reader. I have to get a vibe from a book to read it. This year,
I have read up to twenty-nine books, so maybe like a book or two a month. I plan to
rectify this by reading more next year! As for genres, that can vary too, although horror is
a go-to for me. - When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I never really knew I wanted to be a writer. Just since I was little, I had all these stories in
my head that I wanted to share. I always assumed I wanted to be a filmmaker or work in
theatre, but neither of those worked out. Then I just started writing a (now scrapped)
novel about an autistic boy, and I noticed that I found it enjoyable and sometimes easy. I
felt in control of my story and I felt like I could bring my voice to this. And then I dove
into the world of horror and that, too, gave me the drive to bring my imagination to life. I
think it also helps that I had my wife to encourage me with my stories and pushing them
out into the world! She is the reason I turned into the writer I am today! - HORROR FANS (pick 1-3): What was the first horror movie you ever saw? What is
your favorite horror movie? What is the worst horror movie you have ever seen?
● The first horror movie I can remember watching was Interview with the Vampire.
I think that started my love for vampires, and possibly why my work is so
melancholic. I read the book later on and it just made me love the movie even
more!
● The worst horror movie I have ever seen is House of the Dead. Considering they
took a wonderfully fun, gory, and imaginative game series with monsters and
zombies that burst out from the screen, and then turned it into some watered-
down, nonsensical teen zombie flick set on an island, with some of the worst
action sequences ever thrown in (along with clips of the game for some reason), it was a terrible mess. It just struck me the wrong way as a video game fan and as a
horror movie fan. - Do you have any “rules” when you write? (EX for me: the dog never dies!)
I think I have two rules when I write:
● No shock value. Not only because gore for gore’s sake is usually just gross and
sometimes silly in the end, but if you have to try and shock your audience, you’re
not doing your job right. Sometimes I find the most shocking content is actually
the stuff I never consider unless we truly think about it.
● Write dialogue realistically. I always believe that the words should sound like
they are coming from a realistic conversation. I don’t want to write long
monologues or snarky quips that take away from the tension. If I write dialogue, I
want it to sound real and natural. The more real it feels, the more it pulls the
reader in. - Speaking of animals, do you have any pets?
Yes! We have two cats, Tiger and Simba, and a dog called Choco. They are our fur
babies! - What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a writer?
Don’t try to impress people who aren’t worth impressing. All this stuff about being a
serious writer and literary fiction vs genre is complete nonsense. It’s all elitist fluff to
make it seem like there’s one way to be a writer, and that isn’t true. You should write
what makes you feel whole as a creative person. Of course, take your work seriously, but
have fun with it too. You can’t be a writer unless you are willing to have a little fun – it
shows you aren’t intimidated by the weight of it all!
Eric Woods, Author 