FIVE MINUTES WITH JASON D. BRAWN

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

My name is Jason D. Brawn and I write horror fiction, ranging from flash fiction, prose poetry to novella-length.  I have been writing prose for three years now, and have now had over sixty short stories published as well as over thirty poems. 

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

Horror.  I don’t mind weird fiction or dark fiction, but horror sounds better. 

Who are some of your favourite authors?

Where do I start?  Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, Guy N Smith, Ramsey Campbell’s short fiction, Richard Matheson, Mary Shelley, M.R. James and the list goes on and on.

What are you reading now?

The Nine Deaths of Dr. Valentine by John Llewellyn Probert.  A good author, he is. 

 Which book do you wish you had written?

Honestly, it would have to be Salem’s Lot, by Stephen Edwin King.

How would you describe your writing style?

Coming from a screenwriting background, I would often describe it as visual.  For me, I have to see what I’m writing, as well as using the remaining four senses.

I love retro horror and my work seems to have that feel.  I guess it’s me listening to the likes of Boards of Canada, Sunn O))), Fuck Buttons, Pye Corner Audio, Delia Derbyshire and lots of Dark Ambient, Drone Metal and Hauntology music, while writing.

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

Because I work in a nine-to-five job in the City, I would always write during my lunch break and a few hours after work.  I love writing and therefore can always find the time.

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

For short stories, it would have to be Vain, which attacks consuming and wanting to look perfect.  The story is also a reflection of today’s society, with this feeling that your face is your fortune or simply if you’re face fits, then you’ll go far.  This really makes me sick, and always wanted to write a social commentary on this. 

Also my novelettes, now released as eBooks (REFUGE and STRANDED).  These eBooks are my proudest work, where I spent valuable time getting them right for people’s consumption.

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

REFUGE and STRANDED are both horror novelettes, released now as separate eBooks along with a few unpublished short stories.  They each have a fast pace and they also don’t hold back.  They are straight horror, with occult and folklore references I researched and any reader will be in for a shock.   

They can both be purchased on Amazon. 

My next projects are writing a few short stories for anthology invites and completing a novella called Witch-Hunt about a metal band, who unwittingly visit a village and the residents immediately persecute them as witches.

Also, I’m working hard on a novelette called The Burning, which pays homage to The Wicker Man, Suspiria and Sinister (my favourite horror film of the year).

Thanks Jim for your continued support.

Jason D. Brawn

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