5 Minutes With Michael McMullen

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

I was born in Portland, OR and now live in Spokane, WA. Besides writing, I work as a photo editor. I like photography, even going so far as to try and do it as a business, but soon discovered that my time and energy was much better spent behind a keyboard than a camera. Though, I still do photography as a hobby.

Do you prefer the term Horror, Weird Fiction or Dark Fiction?

I prefer Horror. I love Weird and Dark fiction but when discussing it I tend to just default to calling it all Horror.

Who are some of your favourite authors?

I was recently introduced to Ambrose Bierce and Clark Ashton Smith and they have some amazing stories. A few modern writers whose work I admire are Will Ludwigsen, Douglas Hackle and Richard S. Crawford. Then, of course, there is always Poe and Lovecraft.

What are you reading now?

I’m going through a couple of collections at the moment. I tend to prefer short stories over novels if that wasn’t apparent from the “favourite authors” question. Poe’s Children, a collection of modern Horror, is wonderful. Also, I’m finally sitting down with The Collected Works of H.P. Lovecraft since I’ve missed a few over the years.

How would you describe your writing style?

I don’t know, to be honest. I’ve never been sure how to answer this one. It really depends on what I’m writing, or maybe I just haven’t developed a definitive style yet. Ask me again in ten years.

Describe a typical day spent writing. Do you have any unusual writing habits?

Coffee is always first. If I’m starting a new story, I’ll open up WriteMonkey and just start laying down words. I always try to have the last sentence of the story in mind when I’m writing so I know what to work towards and when to quit. If I’m editing, it’s harder for me to concentrate. I hate editing my own work so I tend to get antsy and try to work through it a quickly as possible. Of course that does nothing to improve the quality of the work which means I have to do more editing. I don’t know if this is unusual so much, but I have to have quiet when I’m working. No sound at all, other than my keyboard and maybe a fan during the summer.

What’s your favourite food?

Chicken. It goes with anything.

What’s your favourite album?

Return to Struggleville by Listener. Brilliant and truly original work.

What’s the most important lesson you have learned about writing?

The most important lesson I have learned about and from writing is to keep moving forward. Rejection comes in all forms, even from yourself, but the important thing is to wake up, drink your coffee and get back at it. That works for writing, life, your day job, etc.

Fame and fortune, or respect?

Respect. Fame is dodgy. People can be famous for bad reasons as well as good. Fame and fortune would be nice, but if it came because people didn’t like my work, or me, then I wouldn’t want it.

What piece of your own work are you most proud of?

I once wrote a story for a contest that didn’t win, in fact it got honorable mention (to be precise, Honorable Motherhumping Mention as the contest was hosted by a comedy website), but the editors said they really enjoyed it. That was the first time I realized that things I put out in the world can have value beyond what it brings to me personally or professionally.

Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

My latest book is called The Stonemason and Other Tales. It’s a collection of short Horror stories. It’s my first collection, first published book and the stories are my first steps in the world of Horror writing. Currently I am working on some stories for another collection that I’m hoping will be done by next year. There are also some magazines that I want to try to get published in, so I’m making a concentrated effort to get more submissions out.

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How does the stonemason make such perfect statues? 
Will the girl of young Thomas' dreams find the gift he left for her?
What does the strange creature on the deserted planet want from Captain Anderson?

These and other questions are explored in The Stonemason and Other Tales. Four stories of the disturbing and the macabre that will take you into the darkest nights and coldest tombs you can fathom.