Brandon McNulty

Brandon McNulty grew up loving monsters, demons, and the thrill of a great scare. Now he writes supernatural thrillers, horror, and other dark fiction. His novel Bad Parts won both Pitch Wars and RevPit, and his short fiction has appeared on the NoSleep Podcast. He offers weekly writing advice on his YouTube channel Writer Brandon McNulty.

Which has been your favourite book to write and why?

Entry Wounds because it basically wrote itself. It’s about a schoolteacher who picks up a haunted gun that can’t be dropped until he kills six people with it. The concept dictated the basic plot; I just needed to figure out how to make the protagonist’s journey exciting and meaningful.

Where did you get your inspiration from for it?

One night I had an idea for a high fantasy story about a gunslinger who couldn’t drop his gun. I don’t like writing high fantasy (the worldbuilding is a LOT of work), but I loved the concept too much to waste the idea. In the end I switched to a contemporary setting and had tons of fun writing Entry Wounds.

Which of your books has been most challenging to write?

The upcoming sequel to my body horror novel Bad Parts.

Why was it challenging and is there anything you'd do differently next time?

The biggest mistake I made was thinking of Book 2 as this “connective tissue” story between Book 1 and Book 3. Once I treated Book 2 like a standalone story, it became much easier to write.

Who are some of your favourite authors?

Joe Abercrombie, Stephen King, Richard Laymon, Joe Hill, Jeff Strand, and JD Barker are my go-tos.

Where is your favourite place to write?

Location doesn’t matter as long as it’s a quiet environment.

In a few words, tell us about your writing process and how you formulate your ideas.

I start with a concept that excites me and build outward from there. The characters, plot, setting, and themes all stem from the concept.

You have a wonderful youtube channel that includes giving writing advice; with regards to aspiring authors, what's most important to do?

I believe learning about plot structure and scene structure is most important. If you don’t understand how a plot or scene is shaped, you run the risk of writing a messy story that goes nowhere.

Can you tell us about any upcoming stories?

Right now, I’m finishing the sequel to Bad Parts. I’m also working on a standalone novel that can best be described as “Fight Club meets Orphan Black.”