In this episode, Daniel sits down with Tim Lebbon — award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty novels across horror, fantasy, thriller, and tie-in fiction, including The Secret Lives of the Dead, The Silence, and novels set in the Alien, Predator, Firefly, Conan, and Halo universes.

Tim returns to the chair for a wide-ranging, candid conversation about building a long-term writing career, finding community in horror, and staying creatively sane in an increasingly noisy, online world. They discuss book tours, conventions, imposter syndrome, drafting chaos, novellas versus novels, and why horror writers might just be the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

This episode is a grounded, generous look at the realities of writing over decades — the wins, the doubts, the friendships, and the work that keeps you going.

In this episode you’ll discover:

• How The Secret Lives of the Dead evolved from a crime novel into folk-tinged horror

• Why horror conventions and community friendships can make or break a writing career

• How Tim navigates imposter syndrome — even after thirty years in publishing

• The difference between writing novels and novellas (and why novellas may be his best work)

• What drafting actually looks like for a “panster” — and why the first draft is really the plan

• The realities of writing tie-in fiction for Halo, Alien, and Conan

• Why social media is becoming less useful — and how to protect your creative focus

• Tim’s advice for new writers trying to find their place in the horror community

Links & Resources:

Tim Lebbon’s website: https://www.timlebbon.net

The Secret Lives of the Dead (Titan Books): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Lives-Dead-Tim-Lebbon/dp/1789099732

British Fantasy Convention: https://britishfantasysociety.org

StokerCon (Horror Writers Association): https://www.horror.org/stokercon

Frank Turner (mentioned): https://frank-turner.com

Subscribe to The Writer’s Chair

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow horror fan or writer.

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@devilsrockbooks

🎧 Listen on your favourite app: https://pod.link/1829723468

💬 Join the community: https://www.devilsrockbooks.com/podcast

📚 About the Guest

Tim Lebbon is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author with a career spanning over three decades. He has written more than fifty novels, dozens of novellas, and hundreds of short stories across horror, fantasy, and science fiction. His work includes original novels such as The Silence (adapted into a Netflix film) and The Secret Lives of the Dead, as well as tie-in fiction for Alien, Predator, Hellboy, Star Wars, Firefly, Conan, and Halo.

Tim lives in South Wales, writes daily, walks his dog every morning, and firmly believes horror is where we work our darkest thoughts out — so we can be kinder everywhere else.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Daniel Willcocks sits down with the legendary Paul Tremblay — Bram Stoker Award–winning and internationally acclaimed author of A Head Full of Ghosts, The Cabin at the End of the World, Survivor Song, The Pallbearers Club, and his latest novel, Horror Movie (Titan Books, 2024).

Paul opens up about the origins of his horror obsession, the long road to “overnight” success, and what it means to balance integrity, art, and audience in a genre that’s constantly evolving. From Texas Chainsaw Massacre and literary horror to Hollywood’s obsession with “happy endings,” this conversation is equal parts reflective, funny, and fiercely insightful.

💀 In this episode you’ll discover:

• How A Head Full of Ghosts became a breakout hit — and what it was like when Stephen King tweeted about it

• Why Texas Chainsaw Massacre helped inspire Horror Movie

• How Paul approaches structure and storytelling in mixed-media fiction

• What today’s horror landscape gets right — and where it’s in danger of going wrong

• The authors redefining modern horror (Mariana Enriquez, John Langan, Stephen Graham Jones, and more)

• Why persistence, not perfection, is the real secret to a lasting writing career

🔗 Links & Resources

Paul’s website: https://www.paultremblay.net

Horror Movie (Titan Books): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Horror-Movie-Paul-Tremblay/dp/1803367776

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez (recommended): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Our-Share-Night-Mariana-Enriquez/dp/1787303466

🎧 Subscribe to The Writer’s Chair

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your fellow horror lovers and creative misfits.

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@devilsrockbooks

🎧 Listen on your favourite app: https://pod.link/1829723468

💬 Join the community: https://www.devilsrockbooks.com/podcast

📚 About the Guest

Paul Tremblay is an award-winning American author whose work bridges horror, suspense, and literary fiction. His novels — including A Head Full of Ghosts, The Cabin at the End of the World (adapted for film by M. Night Shyamalan), Survivor Song, and Horror Movie — have been translated worldwide and praised for their psychological depth and genre-defying storytelling.

He has won the Bram Stoker, British Fantasy, and Massachusetts Book Awards, and his short fiction has appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly Online, and numerous Year’s Best anthologies. Paul lives just outside Boston, where he teaches mathematics, writes fiction, and continues to push the boundaries of modern horror.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Daniel sits down with Tim Lebbon — award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty novels across horror, fantasy, thriller, and tie-in fiction, including The Secret Lives of the Dead, The Silence, and novels set in the Alien, Predator, Firefly, Conan, and Halo universes.

Tim returns to the chair for a wide-ranging, candid conversation about building a long-term writing career, finding community in horror, and staying creatively sane in an increasingly noisy, online world. They discuss book tours, conventions, imposter syndrome, drafting chaos, novellas versus novels, and why horror writers might just be the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

This episode is a grounded, generous look at the realities of writing over decades — the wins, the doubts, the friendships, and the work that keeps you going.

• How The Secret Lives of the Dead evolved from a crime novel into folk-tinged horror
• Why horror conventions and community friendships can make or break a writing career
• How Tim navigates imposter syndrome — even after thirty years in publishing
• The difference between writing novels and novellas (and why novellas may be his best work)
• What drafting actually looks like for a “panster” — and why the first draft is really the plan
• The realities of writing tie-in fiction for Halo, Alien, and Conan
• Why social media is becoming less useful — and how to protect your creative focus
• Tim’s advice for new writers trying to find their place in the horror community

Tim Lebbon’s website: https://www.timlebbon.net

The Secret Lives of the Dead (Titan Books): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Lives-Dead-Tim-Lebbon/dp/1789099732

British Fantasy Convention: https://britishfantasysociety.org

StokerCon (Horror Writers Association): https://www.horror.org/stokercon

Frank Turner (mentioned): https://frank-turner.com

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow horror fan or writer.

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@devilsrockbooks

🎧 Listen on your favourite app: https://pod.link/1829723468

💬 Join the community: https://www.devilsrockbooks.com/podcast

Tim Lebbon is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author with a career spanning over three decades. He has written more than fifty novels, dozens of novellas, and hundreds of short stories across horror, fantasy, and science fiction. His work includes original novels such as The Silence (adapted into a Netflix film) and The Secret Lives of the Dead, as well as tie-in fiction for Alien, Predator, Hellboy, Star Wars, Firefly, Conan, and Halo.

Tim lives in South Wales, writes daily, walks his dog every morning, and firmly believes horror is where we work our darkest thoughts out — so we can be kinder everywhere else.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.