How NY Times Bestselling Horror Writer Grady Hendrix Writes

Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author and screenwriter, Grady Hendrix, spoke with me about getting serious about horror, turning genre tropes on their head, and his latest “How to Sell a Haunted House.”

Grady Hendrix is an award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and journalist best known for My Best Friend’s Exorcism (adapted into a feature film by Amazon Studios), and the New York Times bestsellers The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, and The Final Girl Support Group.

His latest is How to Sell a Haunted House, an #1 Indie Next List pick, described as a “...novel that explores the way your past—and your family—can haunt you like nothing else.” The New York Times called it a “…gripping, wildly entertaining exploration of childhood horrors,” and Esquire called it “... an authentically frightening, genuinely funny reconfiguration of what a haunted house can be.”

New York Times bestselling author Chuck Wendig said of the book, “A spirited nightmare story about death, but also, what comes after: grief, guilt, family secrets, and estate administration. Oh, also, did I mention the evil puppets?” 

Grady Hendrix’s work is currently in multiple phases of adaptation at HBO and others, for both feature film and streaming.

[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm]

[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]

In this file Grady Hendrix and I discussed:

• How his novel about a haunted Scandinavian furniture store launched his fiction career
• Perseverance and writing what you know
• Stripping down the horror genre to its core
• The importance of sucky drafts 
• Why haunted house stories are always about families
• And a lot more!

Show Notes:

• How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix (Amazon)
• Grady Hendrix Amazon Author Page
• Gradyhendrix.com
• The Smell of Fear - How To Sell A Haunted House Candle
• Grady Hendrix on Facebook
• Grady Hendrix on Twitter
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices