Bridgett Nelson is a registered nurse turned horror author. Her first collection, A Bouquet of Viscera, is a two-time Splatterpunk Award finalist, recognized both for the collection itself and its standout story, “Jinx.”
Her work has appeared in Counting Bodies Like Sheep, Dead & Bloated, American Cannibal, A Woman Unbecoming, and several volumes of the If I Die Before I Wake series of anthologies.
Bridgett is working on her first original novel and has been contracted by Encyclopocalypse Publications to write a novelization of the cult classic film Deadgirl.
She is an active member of the Horror Writers Association and the co-chair of HWA: West Virginia. She was a 2022 Michael Knost “Wings” award nominee and won second place in the ’22 Gross-Out contest at KillerCon in Austin, Texas.
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The Tough Questions
• Where is your favorite place to write? Read?
My favorite place to write is, without a doubt, Jeff Strand’s and Lynne Hansen’s back porch. I wrote “Going Deep,” an extreme horror story in the Dead & Bloated anthology on their porch, as well as a story called “Dying River,” which I can’t blab about yet.
My favorite place to read is in my very comfy bed, usually with a pug or two snuggled up against me…snoring.
• What did you want to be when you grew up?
A surgeon. 😊 An orthopedic surgeon, oddly enough. I have no idea why my brain landed on that. Eventually, all those years of med school lost their appeal. I’d always loved writing, and I tossed around the idea of majoring in journalism with a minor in creative writing. My dad nixed that idea quickly. He basically told me I needed to pick something that would give me the freedom to find a job no matter where I lived. I opted for nursing school. Eighteen years later, I published my first story.
• What is one thing you need when you sit down to write?
A clear head. That’s probably a weird answer, but I can’t write if I have a bunch of other jobs and errands waiting for me to get to them. I’ve had to learn to shut that off to an extent, because if I waited for everything to truly be done, I’d never write.
I prefer having music playing, though not necessarily a playlist I made just for the story. And I really like being in super comfy lounge-type clothes. Other than that, a bottle of water or a Red Bull, and I’m good to go!
• What is one tip you would like to share with an aspiring author?
It’s okay to feel like an imposter. We all do. Just push through and keep writing the good stuff!
• Are you a pantser or plotter?
This is an interesting question because I’ve recently made some changes. When I first started writing, I didn’t really have hard deadlines. I’d write when I was inspired to write or when an idea struck me. I was a total pantser. These days, with constant deadlines and required themes, I’ve found I must figure out a very broad outline of the story before I start, so that I’m not pausing and pondering as much. I guess the answer to this question is, I plot the basic beginning and ending of the story, and then pants like crazy to fill in the gaps.
From BOH reader Heather L.
• Chili – beans or no beans? I like both.
• You need to hide a body - who do you call to help you? Rena Mason, of course! Bram Stoker winning author of The Evolutionist. She’s the sister I’ve never had, and a total imp.
• Favorite song to belt out in the shower? There isn’t much I haven’t belted out in the shower. If I had to pick just one, it would probably be “Everything” by The Dollyrots.
• What animal would you be and why? A panther! They’re lithe and graceful and dangerous and…everything I’m not.
• Next project (what are you currently working on)? So many things! I’m a little overwhelmed, I confess! At this moment, I’ve finished up one collection and am close to finishing the second. I’ve begun the preliminary work for my novelization of Deadgirl for Encyclopocalypse. I’ve written five short stories for anthology invites so far this year, and have several more deadlines looming. Work has begun on my first original novel. It’s…a lot, but I’m not complaining though. This is my dream!
• Scary movies - complete darkness or all the lights on? Complete darkness is the only correct answer.
• Cats or dogs? Canines, for the win!
• Who would you stalk? I’m way too sweet to stalk someo…Ryan Reynolds and Anya Taylor-Joy.
• What inspired you to start writing? I’ve always loved writing. I wrote songs and poems and all sorts of goofy stuff as a kid. It was my creative outlet.
• How old were you when you wrote your first story? I wrote stories all the time when I was younger. But after a lifetime of raising children and working as an RN, I published my first story at 44.
• What is your favorite book/story you wrote? I tend to be very critical of my own writing, but I’m most proud of “Jinx” a story included in A Bouquet of Viscera. Though my personal favorites from that collection are probably “Spores” and “Auras.” My favorite extreme horror story is “Giggly,” which is coming soon!
• Who is your current favorite author? Jeff Strand
• What is your favorite genre? Horror/Thriller/Mystery
• Favorite horror movie? Shaun of the Dead (but I loved Hush and, of course, Deadgirl.)
• Favorite book of all time? The Long Walk by Richard Bachman
• Cake - vanilla or chocolate? Honestly? I don’t like cake that much. But…chocolate.
• What’s your favorite band? The Dollyrots
From BOH reader Derek T.
• Is there a particular author that inspired you to write horror? Generic, but truthful…Stephen King.
• Skittles or Starburst? Starburst—the pink and yellow ones!
• Do you read or write anything that's not horror? I’ll read just about anything, but I write horror/Splatterpunk/thrillers.
• Rhode Island is neither a road nor an island, please discuss. Ask the Men in Black.
• How do you feel about pants? I’m pro-pants when out and about, and anti-pants when sitting at home writing.
• Dogs, cats or ferrets? I have four doggies, zero kitties, and zero ferrets. You figure it out.
• Mountains or beach? Mountains
• Does pineapple belong on pizza? Indeed, it certainly does.
• What's your favorite taco? Shrimp
• Would you go to space? Nah. Too many black hole risks.
• Do you eat supper or dinner? Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Favorite ice cream? Jeni’s Goat Cheese and Cherry
• Were you a good student? I was. Third in my high school class and Magna cum laude in college.
• Who was your childhood crush? Corey Haim…golly, he was cute.
• Your favorite thing on French fries? I’m almost ashamed to admit this, but I love French fries dipped in tartar sauce.
From BOH reader Shannon E.
• What’s something you want to learn/ get better at? I’ve always wanted to learn to play the cello. As far as writing, I wish I could be a little speedier and more prolific.
• Is there anything you don't eat? Bananas, black licorice, or anything super spicy. I recently learned I am not a fan of spicy tuna rolls (the mush, the mush!)
• If you could have 3 wishes, what would they be? 1. Happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives for my children. 2. A writing career that continuously satisfies me. 3. My Bodhi pug to live forever with no signs of aging.
• If you could have 1 hour to sit down with anyone and talk? Who would it be and what would you talk about? My aunt Jo Ann, who I lost to homicide in 1993.
• What makes you unique? Uh…my pug nose?
• What's something about you that no one else knows? I’m pretty sure no one in the world knows just how much I love ice cream. It’s a well-kept secret.
• What’s Something That Bugs You? Fake people. Everyone sees it. They’re not fooling anyone.
• What’s the Most Embarrassing Thing You Can Remember That’s Happened to You? Probably something that involves falling flat on my face. I do that a lot.
• What’s Your Favorite Place on Earth? Wherever my people are.
• Who Are the Special People in Your Life? My kids, Parker & Autumn, and The Cheese Gang!
• What’s Something You’re Proud of? Parker & Autumn…they’re awesome people, and I couldn’t love them more.
• If your life were a movie who would play you? A young, giggly Sandra Bullock.
• If you could be anyone for a day, who would it be? I have zero desire to be anyone else.
• If you could have a superpower what would it be? To come up with story ideas lickety-split.
• What would you do if there was zombie apocalypse right now? I’d play, “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child over and over.
• What were you like as a child? I’m an only child, so I was around adults more than children. I was articulate and mature for my age. I loved being outside and was a country girl through and through. I’ve always had a deep, deep love and respect for animals, and one of my favorite things was when my mom would pack me a picnic lunch, the send me off to explore the woods.
Thank you Bridgett for stopping in and sharing a few upcoming treats! 💕
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You mean Bridgett likes ice cream! Shocker! Seriously, her story “Jinx” is a masterpiece of extreme horror grounded in reality. It stays with you long after it’s read. It’s definitely a Top 10 horror fiction read from 2022.
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