In this episode of The Malliard Report, Jim Malliard welcomes bestselling horror novelist and screenwriter Michaelbrent Collings for a conversation that’s as funny and self-aware as it is insightful. Known for novels like Apparition, The Haunted, and Billy: Messenger of Powers, Collings brings decades of experience in fiction, film, and teaching to a deeply human discussion about creativity, faith, and the modern storyteller’s place in a fractured world.
Collings opens by joking about his “greatest accomplishment” being a decent husband and dad before diving into the realities of a writer’s life — the long hours, the hustle, and the ongoing dance between art and marketing. He shares how his books like Apparition and The Haunted became Amazon bestsellers, what it means to truly connect with readers, and how community still thrives online when built with kindness and authenticity instead of ego.
The conversation soon widens into the big questions: the digital paradox of “hyper-connection and isolation,” the collapse of empathy in online spaces, and the danger of surrounding ourselves only with voices that agree. In his grounded, good-humored way, Collings warns that storytelling may be one of the last remaining bridges between people who no longer talk across their own fences.
Jim and Michaelbrent also explore the nuts and bolts of writing — from beating writer’s block (“planning is part of building the house”) to understanding how novels and screenplays are completely different languages. Collings describes his five-day writing seminar Alright as a boot camp for creativity, designed to help others avoid the pitfalls he faced breaking into the industry. By the end of the episode, it’s clear this isn’t just a talk about horror — it’s about the hope that still lives inside it.
It’s vintage Malliard Report: smart, grounded, and full of heart. A rare look at the intersection of art, faith, and the everyday fight to create meaning in a noisy world.
00:00 – 05:00
Jim opens with humor and technical hiccups, introducing Collings and his career as a bestselling author and produced screenwriter. Michaelbrent reflects on balancing writing success with family life.
05:00 – 15:00
Discussion on writing discipline and the realities of the business — conventions, long hours, and the “snowball effect” of persistence. Collings shares how success builds molecule by molecule.
15:00 – 25:00
Community and connection online — the strange loneliness of digital friendship and how readers form genuine bonds through stories.
25:00 – 40:00
The Mayan calendar joke, social division, and the deeper social warning inside his fiction: how we can live side by side yet never really see one another.
40:00 – 60:00
The art of writing — balancing planning and inspiration, how writing resembles pole-vaulting, and why perfectionism kills productivity.
60:00 – 80:00
Teaching and mentorship: Collings explains his writing seminar Alright and his passion for helping new authors skip common mistakes.
80:00 – 95:00
On writing across genres and doing the research without losing passion. He shares how emotion and curiosity matter more than expertise.
95:00 – 110:00
Book vs. screenplay — the different muscles of long-form and short-form storytelling, and why precision is everything in screenwriting.
110:00 – End
E-books, independence, and the business of creativity. Collings describes turning down traditional publishers to succeed through self-publishing — and why freedom and integrity are worth more than a million-dollar promise.
“The English language isn’t as important to me as the story is — because story is what connects us.” – Michaelbrent Collings
“Just because you didn’t type today doesn’t mean you didn’t write today. Thinking is part of building the house.” – Michaelbrent Collings
“If you’re passionate, the knowledge will come. Passion builds the bridges between people and ideas.” – Michaelbrent Collings
“At The Malliard Report, it’s not about scaring you — it’s about understanding why we need to be scared sometimes.” – Jim Malliard
“You can fake knowledge, but you can’t fake passion.” – Michaelbrent Collings
