Meet Brian Fitzpatrick

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brian Fitzpatrick. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brian below.

Hi Brian, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I’ve been writing science fiction and horror stories since I was 7 years old. Tragedies struck my family early in life and at key points growing up. These events created in me a drive to never give up, never stop. Tomorrow is not promised, and we must take advantage of every day we’re given.
As I pursued writing as a career, over time I developed a mantra I keep in my head as I tackle any endeavor: Hope and Perseverance.
How did I attain this resilience? It’s part passion. Part dream fulfillment. And part desire to provide a good life for my family.
Hope and Perseverance is a way of life. Filled with struggle, rejection, and missed opportunities, the road was never easy. Persistence had to become my way of life.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m an author and screenwriter. My gritty nanotech science fiction novel trilogy, MECHCRAFT, began life as a screenplay in 2016. After first drafts and countless rewrites, I entered the script into several contests. The screenplay placed well in the competitions, but didn’t garner a sale. At the advice of a close friend, I pivoted and converted the script to a novel. Then it became all about professional editing and finding the right publisher. In the end, all three books were published in 2021. I never gave up.

Last year I co-wrote an intense contained science fiction screenplay that was produced and filmed. THE SIMIAN TRIALS is set for release later in 2023 and I can’t wait for audiences to see it.

I have two short stories in different anthologies. My horror short, DEUS EX SYNTHETICA, is set in a cyberpunk future and can be found in the Blood Fiction v2 anthology. My MECHCRAFT side story, SOPHIE’S GAMBIT, can be found in the Passageways anthology.

My current work in progress is an assignment to create a fantasy adventure novel set in an upcoming Dungeons & Dragons campaign. I’m incredibly excited to be writing SOUL OF A DEAD GOD set in the soon-to-be-released Black Ballad campaign.

My dream has always been to earn my living from writing: novels, screenplays, comics, games, and more. Working tirelessly over the past 15 years, the goals are growing closer and closer to success.

Networking plays a major role in any writer’s success. I love attending in-person events, book signings, industry parties, and pretty much anything that allows me to connect with others in the business. I view this as building genuine relationships where we can help one another and just enjoy hanging out.
To that end, I’m very proud to be a HusslUp Ambassador. HusslUp is a new social media platform for the entertainment industry. It’s a great app/place to meet, connect, collaborate, and even find work. I’ve met wonderful people and even secured writing work through HusslUp.

In addition to networking, I enjoy engaging with an audience and giving back. I used to give a workshop designed to help writers considering entering the novel writing world. The 3-hour workshop helped newcomers avoid mistakes and pitfalls I experienced. The goal was to provide an honest look at what it takes to become a published author and build a career. I’m working on re-launching this workshop as a series of videos available 24/7. More on this in early 2024.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Success as a creative can look like many things. Completing a painting. Writing the first draft of a song. Opening a website design business. Success for me is earning a living solely from writing. I don’t need Stephen King level, but only enough to pay my bills, travel a bit, and never have to worry about finances. For this, I believe the qualities needed are Perseverance, Flexibility, and a joy in helping or working with others.
Writing is a lonesome endeavor during the process. But once the material is ready to release into the world, a writer must embrace an extrovert’s lifestyle at least part of the time. Many writers discover they truly love interacting and collaborating with their tribe. There is camaraderie and commiseration being with our peers. We lift each other up and support each other when down.
For newer writers, practice engaging with peers. In no time, you will become comfortable in networking situations. Likewise, do not give up. No matter what life throws at you, do not give up. I have had to take breaks and step away for short periods of time, but I always knew I’d return to the fight.
Lastly, be flexible. The industry shifts and changes so fast. Be ready to pivot. Expect it. Embrace it. This will not only keep you relevant, but also can make you a better writer.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
Great question. Imagine being just 7 years old and accidentally watching the horror classic, Night of the Living Dead. For me, watching the zombie horror became the catalyst for a life-altering path forward. Terrified but riveted, I became fascinated with the idea that I could be so scared yet be perfectly safe.
So after a week of nightmare-fueled sleepless nights, my mom suggested I take that fear and write a story of my own. I put pen to paper and have been creating tales of wonder and horror ever since.
I grew up on Spielberg, Carpenter, Lucas, Cronenberg, King, Rice, Koontz, and Barker. Science fiction and horror are in my DNA. And it’s all thanks to my mother sparking the idea for me.

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