Dylan J. Morgan

Author Pen Name: Dylan J Morgan

CA: Your debut novel has just been released, can you tell everybody a little bit about it?

DM: Sure, it’s a fast-paced horror novel set in a ski resort called Snow Peak located in the Canadian Rockies. A team of archeologists have made a fantastic discovery on a mountainside near town: a First Nation family-of-four superbly preserved and frozen in ice. The team removes the male but what they find inside his icy torso is a horror unlike anything ever seen before. Snow Peak is overrun by a mutant organism and it’s up to Sheriff Richard Wade and Doctor Lauren Kemper to battle not only the species, but the worsening weather in an attempt to rid Snow Peak of its terror. However, by a cruel twist of fate, Lauren’s past comes back to haunt her, throwing her into a life-and-death situation even more shocking than the creatures sliding through town.

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

DM: As you can gather by my answer above, I predominantly write horror, although I would prefer to classify my work as ‘dark’ or ‘speculative’. Horror is narrow, but dark fiction, speculative fiction, covers a wider range. I’m not going to be limited by a genre and will write what I want to write, which in some instances may be viewed as more speculative rather than horror.

I guess I write these stories because that’s the kind of plotlines manipulating my mind. If I had a plotline forming about a romantic western that I felt was strong enough to be told, I suppose I’d write a romantic western story, but so far monsters and frightening elements are the subjects that seem to be plaguing my subconscious the most.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

DM: I can’t pinpoint an exact time, but I know I was young, not even ten years old. With that said, I’ve only been writing seriously for a few years, but I always remember those early efforts of writing a four page story—which was basically just crap—and then stapling the pages together to form my own book. I’ve always had stories in me that I’ve wanted to put onto paper, and it’s only now I’m starting to realize that dream.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

DM: I’ve been inspired a lot by Stephen King’s early works and a lot of Dean Koontz’s books too. Koontz has such a way with his words that holds me from page one until the end—and there’s not many authors out there who can manage that. Once I realized I could competently formulate a plot and write a story, my own imagination has kept me inspired.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

DM: I have a full-time job and a full-time family so my writing time is limited. My problem is I need calm to write to the best of my ability, and with a house-load of noise I tend to write at night when things have become quieter. I try to maintain an output of one thousand words a day, but I’m also a firm believer that if all you can produce is a paragraph, then as long as it’s constructive towards the completion of the novel you’ve achieved for aim for the day.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

DM: Excited. Strangely, I don’t feel nervous at all, I’m just excited to see what people think of the story. Good or bad, I’m anxious for feedback because it will help me grow as a writer. So yeah, I’m excited, I can’t wait for the reviews to come in and the messages (if any) to be sent. Of course, I’m hoping for some sales too, but that’s a given.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

DM: I guess my biggest challenge writing this book was developing the story into a novel length work. I’ve had about a dozen short stories published in various venues over the last four years, but there’s a big difference between 2,000 word stories and 75,000 word stories. Since writing Hosts, I’ve faced newer challenges in the form of developing myself and my craft into becoming a better novelist and a better story-teller. I’ve written a second novel and am currently working on my third, and so the challenge is to keep learning and keep improving.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

DM: I like to spend time with my wonderful family. I have a beautiful girlfriend who’s very supportive and two lovely daughters aged twelve and nine; I enjoy spending quality time with them. I play guitar, enjoy listening to rock music, so sometimes I put the headphones on and jam to my favorite songs. I read and play Playstation to relax.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

DM: I’ve completed two novels: Hosts, which is available now in e-book format through Wild Child Publishing, and Flesh which is currently going through revision drafts before I’ll send it out to agents. I’m currently working on my third full-length novel. My favorite is the one I’m working on now. While writing Hosts it was my favorite, while writing Flesh that was my favorite, and the new one is now my favorite of all three. I hope that means I like each one better than the previous because my writing is improving, but I can’t be the judge of that.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

DM: Totally from my imagination. I don’t think I’ve ever created a character and thought he/she reminds me of this/that person. I’ve been told that some writers put a little piece of themselves in their characters, but I’ve never subconsciously or consciously done that either. I never try to inject my own, or anyone else’s, mannerisms into my characters, but I let the characters control me.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

DM: Aspiring writers? Ha, I am one! All I can say, I guess, is never give up and above all else believe in yourself. As an author you need to have a bit of arrogance or else you wouldn’t be bold enough to send your stories out to publishing houses. With that said, don’t for one minute think you’re the bees-knees because writing is a continuous learning curve.

One other thing: you need to have broad shoulders and be able to accept criticism and then learn from it. If a critique, or a review, has a negative comment about your story, work out why it elicited that negative remark and work to improve your writing.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

DM: Readers can contact me by email at freaksauthor1@yahoo.com, and if they need to find out the latest about whatever project I’m working on at the moment they can visit my website at www.dylanjmorgan.com. Alternatively, if they have a myspace account, they can add me as a friend: www.myspace.com/dylanjmorgan. Readers can also purchase my novel by visiting the publisher’s website: www.wildchildpublishing.com.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

DM: Yeah, for everyone who purchases my novel Hosts, there’s the opportunity to receive a free .pdf of five of my previously published short stories. Just forward the confirmation email you receive from Wild Child Publishing to my email address listed above, and I’ll send the stories post-haste!!

Thanks for taking the time to interview me, Crystal. It’s been a pleasure.

CA: Thank you Dylan for sharing a little bit of you with me and the readers! Have a wonderful visit!!