An up-and-coming name in the writing game, Bridgett Deem Nelson has several impressive pieces to her name ranging from several anthology appearances, working with several other writers in a collaboration project Devil's Gulch and her work as a publishing assistant with Sinister Smile Press. Now, in honor of Women in Horror Month, I talk with her about her writing process, working on the various projects she's appeared in and upcoming prospects.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, when did you get into horror in general?
Bridgett Deem Nelson: And hello to you! You’re most welcome, Don. Thank you for honoring the women who are actively, and eloquently, elevating the horror genre to what it has become today.
I remember when I was six years old, looking at my uncle’s bookshelves and seeing the Stephen King novels proudly displayed. I was particularly drawn to Pet Sematary. When I asked if I could borrow the book, my mom unequivocally said, “NO!”
I never forgot about that book, though, and finally, at age eight, my mom allowed me to read my first King novel. I think she realized it was a lost cause at that point. I was already an avid reader and young adult books, for the most part, just didn’t do it for me. Although, I will confess…I had a small obsession with Sweet Valley High books for a while. Ssshhh!
Me: Were you into genre films growing up? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
BDN: I grew up with the 80s slashers, and have huge crushes on Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers. I’m sure my mom thought she was raising a mini-psycho, as every time we went to the video store, while she perused the chick flicks, I’d be checking out the horror aisle. Honestly, if it’s a horror movie, I’ll watch it…happily. I don’t care if it’s a slasher, zombie, found footage, psychological, supernatural horror, alien, ghost, demon possession, or deep-sea creatures. Whatever. I love it all.
Me: Who were some of your favorite writers growing up? Do you try to take influences from their style with your own voice in your work?
BDN: I lived and breathed Stephen King and Dean Koontz growing up. The librarian in my small town library loved me and would let me sign out as many books as I wanted each time I visited. When I found myself without anything to read, I’d borrow books from my mom, which meant I’d read Danielle Steel and LaVyrle Spencer. The truth is, as long as the story was entertaining, I would read most anything. I eventually lost interest in Koontz, but my love affair with King is still as strong as ever.
As for writing style, I don’t think anyone can do King…except King.
The bulk of my writing influences come, not from the horror world, but from those who write psychological thrillers…authors like Jennifer Hillier and Karin Slaughter. I love writers who aren’t afraid to push the limits of what is or isn’t acceptable…and both these talented women straddle that line beautifully. Their books are twisty, gruesome, disturbing, and absolutely perfect.
Me: What was the starting point to become a writer? Were you always into writing growing up?
BDN: Growing up, like many girls during that time-period, I kept a journal/diary, which I wrote every evening. I was the feature editor for my high school newspaper, and also wrote a column for our town’s weekly Journal. I contemplated a journalism degree but went to nursing school instead. After years of working with nephrology/urology patients, and then cardiac patients, I eventually ended up in the operating room, which I truly enjoyed. And though I wrote some short stories over the years, I never shared them with anyone. Writing was always something I loved, but it felt completely out of reach.
Then…life happened.
Career, husband, children—writing seemed very far away for a very long time. When my son was two, I discovered “blogging” on AOL. I began a blog about my life as a working mom with a toddler. I believe I gave it the terribly clever title, “My Life with a Toddler.” It was a tight community, which we bloggers dubbed J-land. Everyone I met there was incredibly supportive. I made life-long friends…friends which are still a huge part of my life today, nearly twenty years later. Eventually, AOL closed J-land, and blogging was never the same for me afterward.
Being an avid reader since childhood, I decided to start writing book reviews in 2009. These days, at any given time, I usually have seventy-plus advance reader copies from publishers and authors. I have Facebook and Instagram pages, where you can check out my thoughts on soon-to-be-released novels. I’m a very honest reviewer and never pander. My pet peeve is professional book reviewers who give every damn book four or five stars. Life is too short to read terrible stories, so my goal is to help my fellow readers find the true gems.
One day, after having a heartfelt discussion with my friend, R.E., regarding how much I’d love to write, he encouraged me to submit a horror story to his publishing company, Sinister Smile Press. I was petrified. I had never shared my short stories with anyone, yet I was being asked to not only share my work but have it judged to determine its worthiness for this upcoming horror anthology If I Die Before I Wake: Tales of Deadly Women and Retribution. That moment was a turning point in my life. One I’ll always be so incredibly thankful for. He gave me a gentle nudge and watched me soar.
Me: What is your writing process? How do you stay focused on writing?
BDN: I have no process. I’m a total pantser. I get a vague idea in my head, figure out how I’d like my idea to conclude (I’m big on epic endings), and then bullshit my way from point A to point Z. When I try to outline and plan, I feel strangled…the story just doesn’t flow. I’m at my most creative when I’m flying by the seat of my pants—hence, the pantser title.
As for focus, I’m the person who makes daily to-do lists and checks off each bullet point as I get it accomplished. For me to truly focus on writing, I have to have the rest of my list “checked off,” so to speak. It clears my mind and allows the creativity to flow.
Normally, I do most of my writing sitting on my brown leather sectional sofa, in my living room, with the television on (because my husband refuses to turn the damn thing off), and with my four dogs snoring around me. When I have deadlines closing in, I usually go to the writing office I set up for myself in the master bedroom. My desk faces a calming gray-blue wall. I listen to Pandora to block out all external noise and just write.
For me, the creative part of writing takes precedence. I don’t worry about grammar or spelling when I’m writing the first draft. It’s all about the plot, the twists, and the entertainment factor. After the story is complete, I then edit about a million and a half times. At that point, my husband and daughter usually read the work and give constructive criticism. Then more editing.
I love the process of cleaning everything up and making it flow.
Me: Having contributed to several anthologies early in your career, what tools and skills do you acquire working on those that transferred to future projects?
BDN: I’ve learned so much throughout the past year.
First—how to write to a theme. This can be incredibly challenging. I recently submitted two stories to Sinister Smile Press for their upcoming, If I Die Before I Wake: Tales of the Otherworldly and Undead anthology. In one story, I covered the otherworldly…and in the other, the undead. Neither were themes I was entirely comfortable with, but it’s great to step outside your comfort zone as a writer.
Second, though I will always love my very first story, Political Suicide, I read it now and find myself cringing…but only a little. I feel as though my writing has sharpened and evolved in the interim. I’m guessing I’m not at all unique, and that all writers feel this way. I’ve worked hard, honing my skills, and I’d like to think my writing is far better now than it was just one short year ago.
Third, writing short stories is a great way to prepare oneself for tackling a novella, or even full-length novels. I would love to publish an original novella in 2021.
Finally, I’ve been very fortunate to have two wonderful mentors, and have spent the past few months learning this business inside out, from both sides—publishing/editing and writing. I’ve loved every minute.
Me: What is the general process for getting involved in these projects?
BDN: Anthologies are a great way for writers to get their name out into the world, with minimal effort and expense. I think they’re also incredibly fun for readers. After all, who doesn’t love a variety of horror stories, written in many different styles? If one isn’t to your taste, skip it and move on to the next.
The great thing about Sinister Smile Press is that ALL the stories they select for their anthologies are worthy of a reader’s attention. They receive so many submissions and only select the very best. Unlike many Indie publishing companies I’ve read, Sinister Smile Press’s books are always beautifully edited and formatted…and their covers are eye-catching and on point. SSP makes Indie publishers look good.
The submission process is simple—visit the Sinister Smile Press website (link included below), check out the open call for submissions section, read the guidelines, and submit. Everything is clearly outlined, including the deadline, the formatting requirements, the theme, and the payment information. They’ve recently updated the website, and writers can now view the Memorandum of Agreement form they must sign if their story is selected.
Me: How did you settle on the plot for your story Political Suicide in the If I Die Before I Wake: Volume 3 anthology?
BDN: So, after R.E. encouraged me to submit a story to Sinister Smile Press, I immediately pulled from my personal experiences and came up with an idea for ‘a woman’s retribution’ story fairly quickly.
I spent more than a decade of my life fighting the legislature in my state, regarding some antiquated laws—laws which affected my son—that they refused to change. They never listened to their constituents and always acted as though we were a huge nuisance. I would always leave the state capital fuming…and feeling as though it would be a privilege to ‘kill off’ these corrupt politicians. (Hey, you know they suck.)
And that’s essentially how Political Suicide was born.
I personally hate when authors use their stories as a platform to espouse their political viewpoints. However, politics used as a tool to progress the story is fine…and that’s what I did in Political Suicide. There is no right versus left. It’s simply the story of a mother whose son died as the result of a corrupt senator’s bill, and how she got her comeuppance on his behalf. It was so much fun to write.
If you’ve read it, you know the ending is twisty, and more than a little crazy. None of it was planned—like I mentioned earlier…total pantser here.
Me: Was there any part of your real sense injected into the characters?
BDN: Absolutely! There is so much of myself in the main character, Jennifer…we both work(ed) in the medical field, we would both do anything (and I do mean anything) for our kids, and we both might be just a ‘little bit’ crazy.
The main difference is that she can actually cook amazing meals…and I’m more of a “who wants frozen fish sticks for dinner?” kind of cook.
Me: Once it was finally written, what process was used to have it included in a publication?
BDN: Once a writer has written a story that meets the publisher’s guidelines (this is important…if you don’t follow the guidelines, your story will not be read), there is typically a link used solely for submissions on their website. After it has been submitted, you wait to hear if it has been accepted for publication. If yes, you’ll be sent a Memorandum of Agreement to sign, and will receive your payment shortly thereafter. If no, you’ll receive a rejection letter. Sinister Smile Press receives such a huge number of submissions, they couldn’t possibly go through and give individual feedback for each story, but they do usually include a list of the main reasons stories were declined. I’m certain every publisher does things somewhat differently, but this is the process I followed when hoping to get Political Suicide published. At Sinister Smile Press, the authors are their family, and they treat them as such.
Me: How did moving to the collaborative project 'Devil’s Gulch' challenge your writing skills? How did you come to be involved in the project?
BDN: My inclusion in Devil’s Gulch was…interesting. For those who haven’t read this collaborative horror experience…you should! It’s the story of a well-meaning, but misguided, scientist who pulls a nasty monster from another dimension, and into Devil’s Gulch, Utah…and the resulting mayhem that ensues in the tiny desert town. The novel was written by twelve different authors but is one cohesive story. It was challenging for everyone.
Originally, R.E. Sargent (Sinister Smile Press CEO and Editor-In-Chief) and Steven Pajak (Sinister Smile Press COO, Managing Editor, and Creative Director) had planned to write the prologue, final chapter, and epilogue of Devil’s Gulch themselves. I began working as a publishing assistant for Sinister Smile Press in late August of 2020. At that point, my story, Political Suicide, was due to be published with SSP in October, so R.E. and Steven already had some idea of my writing style. After talking things over, they decided to offer the writing of the final chapter/epilogue to me. (For the record, it was Steven’s idea.) I was giddy with excitement for such an amazing opportunity…and also felt as though I might puke my brains out.
The final chapter? That’s a big freaking deal! Could I, a total newbie, do it justice?
I didn’t sleep…hell, I barely ate. I gave myself one week (although they assured me I had more time). I locked myself in my bedroom and wrote. Thank goodness for my husband, Doug, who kept the house running smoothly during my self-imposed exile.
After the first three thousand words, I emailed the rough draft to my bosses. I desperately needed to know if I was on the right track. Thank the Goddess for small favors; they both loved the direction I was taking and offered endless encouragement. So I kept writing. Almost eleven thousand words later, I was finished. And to this day, James Roy is still my favorite of all the characters I’ve written.
Me: Beyond writing, you also work as a publishing assistant for Sinister Smile Press. What do you do as an assistant for the company?
BDN: R.E. (the CEO of SSP) and I had been friends for quite a while. We were chatting about how much Sinister Smile Press had grown in a very short period of time, and how busy he was. I mentioned to him I’d be happy to help out any time…all he needed to do was ask. I was sincere in my offer. At that point, I was spending hours each day reading advance copies of books. There were zero reasons I couldn’t use some of that reading time to help my friend.
Little did I know, R.E. and Steven had been discussing adding an assistant to the SSP team. After a Zoom interview that included all three of us, lasted three hours, had us all laughing hysterically, and ended with all our doggies joining the fun…I was hired. From the very start, we fit together like pieces of a puzzle. I truly believe I was meant to be part of this team.
My duties include a little bit of everything: I basically run all our social media, make the graphics (which required a steep learning curve for my not-so-artistic self), log all our submissions, deal with the daily questions and issues that inevitably arise, and simply fill in where ever I’m needed. If you’ve messaged Sinister Smile Press in the past six months, it was likely me you were chatting with. :: Hi! :: I also try to be there for our authors as much as I possibly can.
I love this publishing company, I adore my bosses, and I appreciate the quality product we make. I’m proud to be associated with Sinister Smile Press. (And no, they didn’t pay me to say that. )
Me: What other writing projects do you have coming up that you’d like to let our readers know about?
BDN: My story, Invader, was selected for If I Die Before I Wake: Tales of Nightmare Creatures. It dropped on February 8, 2021. The foreword was written by Jeff Strand, and it just might be the best foreword I’ve ever read. It’s everything readers have come to expect from Jeff and more. I laughed all the way through. Even if you hate horror stories, I still recommend buying a copy of this book, just so you can read his goofy-ass foreword. (And Jeff, I mean goofy-ass as a compliment…really.)
I’m currently working on a story I plan to submit for A Pile of Bodies, A Pile of Heads – the ‘Let the Bodies Hit the Floor’ series. It’s the latest and greatest brainchild of Sinister Smile Press and focuses on serial killers, slashers, and stalkers…no supernatural elements are needed. Humans are plenty scary. This series is totally my jam.
I possibly have a couple of other things in the works, but I can’t say much more than that at this time.
Me: Lastly, being that this is Women in Horror Month, what special message do you have for any women out there looking to join in the industry, in any capacity? Thank you again for your time!
BDN: To my sisters in horror…the best advice I can give is to just dive right in. Don’t wait like I did, always assuming your dreams were out of reach…I’m here to tell you, they’re not. No longer is the horror genre dominated by men. We get so many submissions from women, and oftentimes, it’s a woman’s story that ends up being my favorite in any one anthology.
Just be yourself, and do you. Who knows? One of these days, newbie writers may consider you their inspiration.
To Don…thanks, once again for honoring the women in horror.
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