Brent McGregor | Horror & Fantasy Author

Spinning tales of terror, and make-believe

Featured

Winner of the 2024 Maydayhills Ghost Story Competition at Asylumfest

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I was super thrilled to be the winner of the 3rd annual Maydayhills Ghost Story Competition at Asylumfest. I won for my story ‘The Yellow Raincoat.’ The competition took place, at night, on the grounds of the Beechworth Asylym, one of Australia’s most iconic haunted locations. It’s a really cool trophy, as you can see from the photo, designed by Dale Bamford. It now sits on the shelf above my writing desk to further inspire me as I write. I was thrilled to be a part of the competition, and thanks to everyone involved!

What I’m working on right now

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Hello, all ye faithful readers and fellow horror fans. It’s been a while since I’ve written one of these posts and you’re probably wondering what I’ve been up to. Well, not a lot has changed. I’m still working on the draft2 of my novel (codename ‘Project Green’), while turning out short stories now and then. I promise I’m making progress! Although, I admit this time last year I did grossly underestimate the scope of work still left to do. I’ve been reassessing the overall plot and direction of my burgeoning story, while adding additional chapters, sub plots, characters. My once trim novel is shaping up to be a hefty tome. Yikes! Nothing wrong with that More story and world to get lost in. I like a book that can double as a doorstop. It mightn’t stay in its current extended form. Could be I’ll cut all the extended parts and repetition, cut 20-30%, then add 10%. We’ll see. It’s a process. I’m having fun, though. My characters seem to have taken on a life of their own. Like little wind up dolls I turn the key and they end up tramping and chattering all over the place; surprising me in unexpected ways with their choices, taking things in new directions, and presenting story opportunities not previously considered. Amidst intermittent bouts of imposter syndrome I experience moments of clarity, I have glimpses of the final form the book will take, and that’s what drives me on towards the finish line, keeping me motivated. I’ve redoubled my efforts. I’m wearing my war paint. At the present rate I hope to publish by the end of this year, 2024.

What I’m working on right now

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At the moment I’m working on the second draft of my current work in progress, which I’ve codenamed ‘Project Green’ (I’m superstitious about book titles and so I either use placeholder titles or codenames until I publish). Progress has been slow because, like anything worth doing, these things take time. ‘Writing is re-writing,’ as they say. There is some line editing going on, sure, but mostly structural edits as I conjoin and suture more and more sublots and characters to my burgeoning Frankenstein of a novel (laughs maniacally). I don’t mind the process of revising. I enjoy culling unnecessary words almost as much as putting new ones down. Removing a word or two always seems to make a sentence stronger. The novel will be a cautionary tale dealing with themes of temptation and self-destruction, set again the backdrop of a storm ridden Florida coast. Something sinister has come to Fort Lauderdale and I hope it gives you nightmares. The manuscript should be ready to send to beta readers for feedback at the end of 2023. Fingers crossed! And, so I will start to put the feelers out for beta readers. Feel free to subscribe to the newsletter on my website for regular updates, and drop me a line if you are interested in being a beta reader. With any luck and someday soon I’ll be getting copies of ‘Project Green’ out into the ether, ready to be devoured by you the faithful readers. Until then, keep on trucking, stay in good health, and happy nightmares!

An Interview — The Sound of Horror

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Hi all, back in December I was interviewed on a radio show called Australians Love Italy. We discussed my new book, Strange Murmurings, as well as the time I spent in Italy. For those of you who missed it, here is the link to listen to the whole interview on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4GURZqCBFoMKgPib2bZBUY?si=f2b4b3f4d0234744

Or, read below…

Strange Murmurings is available now. Grab your copy from Brent’s online shop or on Amazon.

ALI: Can you tell us a little bit about you? When did you first start writing horror, and what does it mean to be a horror author?

BRENT: Well I started writing about five or six years ago. I’ve always enjoyed a good turn of phrase. I used to be in a band where I would write lyrics. I suppose at one point, just like a lot of writers, I sat down, wrote a few sentences, and then, when I read it back, thought, Oh, that actually isn’t too bad. Maybe I should continue with this? And six years down the track I’m only just beginning, because it is a learning process. As far as writing horror goes — I write horror because it’s what I enjoy reading most.  There’s nothing I love more than getting lost in a good Stephen King novel, or something by some of the other horror greats: Dean Koontz, Joe Hill etc. For me, the genre really deals with the big themes, y’know, death, good vs evil, courage and heroism. I also find that horror stories are always really character driven. As a writer you try to write some 3-dimensional characters and then you throw them into some horrific situations to see if they can come okay, to see if they can beat the big bad. Sometimes they survive and sometimes they don’t but hey that’s just like real life. If you’re reading a horror novel, for example, in your armchair at home, you can live vicariously through the characters. You can experience thoughts and emotions beyond the ordinary human experience. This is a concept they call ‘The Sublime’ in literature. Experiencing the sublime. The most important thing for me — as far as writing horror goes — is that I write Supernatural Horror specifically. The supernatural has always really terrified me. Somewhere along the line I had the realization that what really fascinates us as human beings is what scares us most.

ALI: Now, the other reason we have you on the show today is because we know that you have been to Italy a couple of times, and they were two very different experiences. Can you tell us a little about that? What was the difference between your first trip and your second trip?

BRENT: Well, they were two very different trips. My first trip to Italy was in 2004, as a young man/ backpacker. In Australia it’s almost a right of passage to go on these Contiki tours where you hop and off a bus. We did 14 countries in so many days, on a shoestring budget , and at breakneck speed. I went to Venice, Rome, and Florence — I love Florence.  But, when I went back to Italy in 2016, it was for my honeymoon with my wife. It was a completely different experience. One of the great things about travel is that you get to go back to the places you really enjoy. And on the second visit I made an effort to experience Rome like a local. When in Rome do as the Romans do, y’know? You get into the Café’s and enjoy the atmosphere, the culture, sights, sounds, smells…

ALI: Where is your favourite Italian spot, or city?

BRENT: Most definitely Florence. As a writer I am always interested in mythology and folklore. The renaissance art and the architecture there are so good. In Florence they have the Piazza della Signoria *Coughs* (I’m butchering the pronunciation I’m sure. You’ll have to forgive my Australian [Strine] accent). Well, there’s that statue of Neptune and the outdoor sculpture gallery there; with Cellini’s Perseus with the head Medusa — it’s a really ghastly statue. I love it. And the piazza usually has that screaming blue sky against the colour of the buildings there, y’know. It’s a great spot.

ALI: Brent, what tips would you give to your Australian friends wanting to visit Italy?

BRENT: I think the most important thing is that, when you go to Italy, don’t just be in a rush to visit all the touristy, landmark type places, but also make the time to sit in a café, have some espresso, get lost in the city. Because, you can’t truly find yourself, unless you first get lost and experience life like a local. Another thing is to maybe get one of these Lonely-Planet-type pocket books, y’know, with the fold out maps, and do like my wife and I did. We marked on the map with a pen all the landmarks and places we wanted to see. See where they fall in a radius. And then take yourself on some self-guided walking tours. That’s what we did. And at the end of the trip our Lonely planet guidebook and map were falling apart and held together with an elastic band. But we’d seen so much.

ALI: Can you tell us about your new book?

BRENT: The book that I have out at the moment, Strange Murmurings, is intended as a sampler, to give readers — and fellow fans of Supernatural Horror – a feel for my writing style. It’s a trilogy of horror tales that delves into the supernatural and the weird. It’s only a small book you could read it in one sitting. It’s available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. And the paperback you can get anywhere. It’s 3 horror tales. The first story is about a small town that is plagued by a strange persistent hum (“The Hum”). The second is about a first-year law associate who meets a beautiful yet mysterious stranger on New Years Eve (“Until Midnight”). And the third tells of a team of paranormal researchers who investigate the infamous Poynter House (“The Eye of Anunreshka”).

Strange Murmurings is available now. Grab your copy from Brent’s online shop or on Amazon.

ALI: And what is next for you, Brent? Are you going to write another book?

BRENT: Yes, I am. In 2022 I hope to release a novel. It keeps getting pushed back and pushed back of course, as is often the case with works in progress. It is a cautionary tale, of temptation and horror, and it will be set in Florida. 

Why Write Horror?

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I set myself the task recently of setting down in writing why it is that I personally write horror. I found it a more challenging task than I anticipated — because my thoughts on the matter were numerous and muddied. But as I delved deeper my thoughts and reasons became clearer. 

My first reason for writing horror, is that it’s what I enjoy reading most. I love getting lost in a good Stephen King novel…and reading the works of other such horror luminaries as Dean Koontz, Joe Hill etc.   I read other genres too, but, horror, for me, is the genre that deals with the big all-important themes the best. These are themes such as ‘Death,’ ‘Good vs. evil,’  ‘Courage & heroism,’ ‘Revenge,’ and, yes, even ‘Love.’

My second reason is that horror stories are all really character driven stories, filled with interesting characters. As a writer you try to flesh out some interesting 3 dimensional characters and then throw them into horrible situations to see if they can survive the big bad, and emerge triumphant. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. But this is true about life too, no?

Horror stories also have the ability to stay with the reader for many weeks and months after reading. They are stories that make you think over and over again about their underlying meaning, and leave you with a sort of cognitive dissonance. And so in this they are successful.

Horror stories allow us to live vicariously through the characters, experiencing ‘thoughts and emotions beyond ordinary experience’ (the idea of the sublime in literature) — and from the safety of an armchair, without the repercussions. They are cathartic and the ultimate form of escapism. 

I write supernatural horror specifically, and this is because of my fascination with the supernatural. The supernatural (and paranormal) have always interested me — but they also terrify me.  I guess that somewhere along the line, when deciding what to write, I had the realisation that what really fascinates us, as human beings, is what scares us the most.

What I’m working on right now

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I’m in the midst of finishing the first draft of my second novel, Project Green, at the moment. It is a cautionary tale, of temptation and horror set in Florida. Interestingly, I first intended for Project Green to be a short story but it has since ballooned out to novella/ novel length, as sometimes these things are liable to do. I’m pleased so far with how it is turning out, and admit to feeling some sense of exhilaration now that I’m beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Writing is hard! – but as a yet to be published author, I’ve learnt to appreciate the process of writing this particular novel as both an exercise in perseverance, and as an opportunity to improve my craft. Like a lot of authors my writing takes place in the little snatches of time around a full time job, fitting-in with family, and other commitments. My routine usually looks like 3 to 4 hour blocks of time on a weekend. I enjoy writing in the morning when it is still cool, quiet, with a coffee in hand – and my dogs, Otis and Marvin, will often join me on their mats in the study while I write.  It’s early days yet, and there is still the editing process to go but I look forward to sharing more updates on this and other projects with you soon.