Brandon Tietz is the author of Out of Touch and Good Sex, Great Prayers. His short fiction has been widely published, appearing in Warmed and Bound, Amsterdamned If You Do, Spark (vol. II), and most recently, Burnt Tongues, the Chuck Palahniuk anthology. Visit him at www.brandontietz.com

What first attracted you to horror writing?

It sort of happened by accident. I was writing Good Sex, Great Prayers and my main antagonist completely shifted the genre of the entire book. I wanted this guy to be a walking plague, but not necessarily a zombie or a patient zero with hyper-flu. And then it kinda hit me that an STD-infested rapist with powers can be a pretty fucking scary character if he’s framed up right. That more or less set the tone for everything.

What is your most notable work?

It’s probably my story ‘Dietary’ which just got released in Burnt Tongues, the Chuck Palahniuk anthology. It’s by far and away the most commercial, best-selling, and widely-distributed thing I’ve ever had out there. It’s crazy. This one story will probably end up being read by more people than everything else I’ve ever published combined. I’m going to have a hard time topping it.

What are you working on now?

A couple of things: a collection of short stories called Vanity and an overhaul of my first novel Out of Touch for a 3^rd edition re-release.

How much planning and research do you undertake before writing?

A fair amount. Research is the trick to suspending a reader’s disbelief in a fictional world. For GSGP I had to read up on The Bible, witchcraft, cults, Wicca, medical procedures, torture methods, cooking/baking, and automobile repair. My Google search history is pretty fucked up. Regarding planning…I learned my lesson after my first book when I mostly winged it. I’m a consummate outliner now. When I sit down in the chair, I know exactly what I’m going to do and how I’m going to do it.

Describe your writing routine.

I need strong-as-hell coffee, a good playlist, and at least one cigarette every hour. Writing sessions last anywhere from three to ten hours. At minimum, I try to hit 1,000 words. Like I said, I’m a consummate outliner, so it’s very rare I get writer’s block.    

Who do you admire in the horror world?

Danny Boyle and del Toro come to mind – but man… Beetlejuice is still one of my favorite movies after all these years. It’s the perfect combo if action, comedy, and scares. I have to commend Burton for that while issuing a stern warning not to fuck up the sequel.

Do you prefer all out gore or psychological chills?

Give me gore.

Why should people read your work?

The most recent book is erotic-horror… so it’ll pretty much scare the cum out of you.

Recommend a book.

Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig is fucking amazing. Haven’t read the sequels yet but the first installment is rock solid.

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Brandon Tietz fiction (UK)
Brandon Tietz fiction (US)