McDermott was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia on 31 October.

[1] She grew up in Woodberry, New South Wales and attended the University of Newcastle where she completed a Bachelor of Arts.

[1][2] In 1995 McDermott moved to Melbourne where she currently lives with her husband Jason Nahrung.

[3] McDermott was first published in 1993 with the short story "I Am the Silent Voyeur" being featured in Daarke Worlde No.

[4] Her 2003 short story "The Truth About Pug Roberts", featured in the anthology Southern Blood: New Australian Tales of the Supernatural, was nominated for the 2004 Ditmar Award for best short story.