Brandon Applegate

Brandon Applegate asked Paul Tremblay:

Hi Paul! Thank you for being one of my favorite writers. I am an aspiring writer. I have a few short stories and a few rejection letters under my belt. Recently, I’ve been finding it difficult to stay interested in my story for more than a day or two and I find myself abandoning too many projects. How do you maintain your own interest in your story long enough to finish something, and also, do you outline? Thanks!

Paul Tremblay Hi, Brandon. That's hard to answer as every writer is different. I know Ramsey Campbell and a few others who never know the end of a story so when they're writing they get surprised and don't get bored. I'm the opposite. I usually have to know what the end is (or close to it) before starting. And then I have scenes in mind that are the carrots at the end of the stick for me; the scenes I look forward to writing, but I have to write my way there to earn it first. I do outline generally, but not all the time. I wrote A Head Full of Ghosts without an outline for example. If you're quitting too much, force yourself to finish one. Then you know you can finish, you'll have the confidence to then finish more of them.

More Answered Questions

A Goodreads user

A Goodreads user asked Paul Tremblay:

Hello! Just emerging, shaken, from The Cabin at the End of the World, and bought a couple more of your books. Thanks for the excellent writing! I hate ambiguous endings but found this one entirely justified. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the movie's divergence from the book's plot; from what online interviews I could find, you haven't said much about it? (It seems to me to be quite a different story!)

Alberto Castillo

Alberto Castillo asked Paul Tremblay:

Paul, love AHFOG and loving DADR. I love reading your books and asking myself "Is this paranormal or just plain old normal?" The uncertainty of not knowing exactly what is happening is something I haven't seen in a book since probably House of Leaves. What do you think scares people in this day and age?

A Goodreads user

A Goodreads user asked Paul Tremblay:

Just finished A Head Full of Ghosts, and have just started Disappearance, just wanted to say that I really love your cinematic storytelling style. Wondered why we haven't seen trailers for the movies that almost certainly could (and should) be made of your books, or if they're on the way? Also, is it a deliberate choice to write cinematically or is it just a matter of it being your style of writing? Thanks!

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