Miriam Van Scott was born in Washington, DC and attended George Washington University and George Mason, earning a B.A. in Journalism. During her early career, she was a public information representative for government agencies and worked as a photojournalist for a variety of publications in the Metro area.​

Van Scott’s first book, Encyclopedia of Hell (Macmillan) was published in 1998. Since that time her articles and photos have appeared in over thirty publications ranging from Good Housekeeping Magazine to the Chicken Soup for the Soul franchise. She has also provided content to The History Channel, Sy-Fy, The Learning Channel, ABC News, Paramount Entertainment Group, Media General and many others. Van Scott’s published works include the books Song of Old: An Advent Calendar for the Spirit, the Shakespeare Goes Pop! series and the children’s picture book Boomer’s Criss-Cross Christmas. Her current project, Bandun Gate, is a fact-inspired ghost story set along Charleston, South Carolina’s haunted shores.