We chat with author Megan Mostyn-Brown about The Need, which follows a family with a rare genetic disorder that compels them to consume human flesh in this electric, provocative, and dizzyingly fast-paced horror debut.
Hi, Megan! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m from the Midwest. Went to high school in a suburb of St. Paul, MN. I used to be a playwright in New York. I currently work as a TV writer/ Producer in Los Angeles. In my spare time I do pottery and worry about the state of the world. I also spend an ungodly amount of time thinking about treats.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
Oh gosh, I was little. I think I was three? I told my mom my version of the three little pigs while we were at a restaurant. She wrote it down on a napkin and I illustrated it. Or maybe I drew the picture and she asked me about it and then wrote down what I said. I can’t fully remember. But I always loved books. I used to sleep with my books the way some kids sleep with stuffed animals – like piles of them in my bed.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Rabbit is Next.
- The one that made you want to become an author: Behind the Attic Wall
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Our Share of Night
Your debut novel, The Need, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Cannibals. Family. Loneliness. Hope. Bonkers.
What can readers expect?
An intergenerational family story told through multiple perspectives. There’s body horror. There’s humor. It’s a wild ride.
Where did the inspiration for The Need come from?
It came from a bunch of different places. We moved around quite a bit when I was little. Not because we were on the run, but because my dad switched jobs a lot. For awhile, we never spent more than two years in one place. Once I went to three schools in one year. Being nomadic, no matter what the context, shapes you in good ways and bad.
I guess the other big inspiration for the book was I got diagnosed with Hemochromatosis a few years ago. It’s a genetic disorder where your body produces too much iron. It was a total fluke I got diagnosed. It was super weird to learn that this thing had been lurking inside me my whole life and I had no idea.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved writing Vera unravelling. It was so much fun. She has a campiness to her that I enjoyed indulging in.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
When I was in college I took a writing class with a very famous author who told me I was not a novelist. I wanted to be an actor so it wasn’t the end of the world. But, boy did that comment sting. It also stuck with me. Later in life, when people around me started suggesting I should write a novel, I said, “No way. A very famous novelist said I shouldn’t.”
I had to get past that block. In retrospect, it’s the reason why the book is written from so many points of view. I started my writing career as a playwright, so I’m very comfortable with monologues. I tricked myself into thinking I was writing a bunch of monologues, rather than prose because prose felt intimidating.
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
I wrote the book during the writer’s strike of 2023. I’ve been working in TV for eleven years and my partner is a well-known crime novelist so I already had connections. It is way, way easier to get representation if you have connections. I got my book agent through my TV agent. My book agent agreed to represent me after reading a section of the book and then worked with me on drafts until it was ready to submit to publishers. There were five publishers interested and Del Rey pre-empted. In all, from start of the book to it being bought was I think a year and a half. Which is really fast.
What’s next for you?
I’m still working in TV. I just started another horror novel
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
I just put on hold a few Riley Sager books at the library. I really want to read The Audition as well. My favorite books I read this year are A Violent Masterpiece by Jordan Harper and Odessa by Gabriel Sher.
