Every Friday, we meet a member of the BFS and peer deep into their soul (or, at least, a form they filled out). Want to be featured? Email us: online@britishfantasysociety.org

Name: 
Steve Morgan (he/him)

Which region are you based in? 
Wales

If you write, which genre: 
Fantasy

Are you drawn to any specific SFFH sub-genres? 
Definitely epic fantasy, high fantasy, and stories that contain magic over those that aren’t/don’t. But I’m pretty happy to read anything/everything – and sometimes I like to jump into other stuff just to see what it’s like. A good example of this is Tune in Tomorrow by Randee Dawn – I don’t think it’s the type of story I would’ve normally gone for, but I met Randee at Fantasycon 2023 and really liked the sound of it, so I picked it up and ended up really enjoying it.

Your influences

Tell us about the book/film/thing that got you into SFFH: What was it? How old were you? What impact did it have on you?

Gosh… It was probably the board game Hero Quest. My dad got it for me and my brother. I couldn’t tell you how old I was, but I was probably a bit younger than the recommended age of 14+ (whoops!). The joys of having a sibling a fair few years older than you, I guess. I just remember being completely enthralled by it.

After that, it was probably the Final Fantasy games. FF VIII was the first one I played – I would’ve been about 13-14 when that came out. I remember liking things like The Legend of Zelda games before that, but the FF games are what really got me hooked.

Then more traditionally, around that time, a few friends recommended I check out some movie with hobbits and a ring and some such. Now that’s when I got properly hooked.

How does that early influence show up in your work now?

Thinking of the Final Fantasy games, I like characters and protagonists who are moody and brooding (thinking of VII, VIII and XIII) as well as those who are more joyful and optimistic (thinking of IX and X).

(Image from Final Fantasy VIII, source)

You might have a main character, but the other characters around them – and how they complement or contrast with them – is really important, e.g. the really jokey character with the really serious character. In addition to action, I also like humour – I guess I like books, games, TV shows, movies, etc. that don’t take themselves too seriously, as that’s how I feel about me and the stuff I write – but that also still have a gripping and interesting story to tell.

Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?

I get a lot of it from playing Dungeons & Dragons. In fact, that’s pretty much the reason I got into writing fantasy – I was coming up with characters and writing stories for the weekly D&D game that I run, and some felt better suited to their own story. I owe a lot to D&D in that regard as a result. There’s a blog post on my website with the full story of how D&D got me into writing, if anyone’s curious to know more.

Who do you look to as a genre hero? Why?

So funnily enough, having just talked about D&D, I recently read a number of the old Ravenloft novels (Ravenloft is D&D’s gothic horror setting, essentially), and my favourites of the bunch were all written by Christie Golden: Vampire of the Mists, Dance of the Dead, and The Enemy Within. Really well-written stories with great characters. “Unputdownable” – as they say.

Your work

You’re stuck in an elevator for 60 seconds with that hero, and they want you to describe your work. Give us the pitch.

Knowing me, I’d probably spend 55 of the 60 seconds in a scared silence and then just mumble out the word “DEMONS”…

I’m kidding (I hope)! I guess I’d say it’s a fantasy adventure centred around a ragtag group of adventurers – including some bounty hunters, an old priest, a young thief, a gentle giant with a heart of gold, and the leader of the kingdom’s knights – who have to protect a young girl with wildly powerful magic she can barely control from an evil wizard who wants to use her magic for his own nefarious scheme. Expect some action, a few laughs, and a twist or two. And maybe some demons.

What are you working on right now?

DEMONS II has just had a copy-edit, so I’ve been going through that. I’m also about 20k words into writing DEMONS III. I also really want to start another series (set in the same world but a century earlier), but I keep telling myself to finish DEMONS III first.

Thinking about all the stories/work you’ve done, what sticks out most in your mind? Why?

I’m particularly proud of DEMONS II. A chapter near its end is one of the first scenes I envisaged in the entire trilogy. I hope people enjoy it when they read it as much as I did coming up with it.

Where and when do you create/are you at your most creative?

I really couldn’t tell you. I don’t think there’s a ‘magic moment’ where I feel more creative than usual. I typically wait until I have that moment when I feel like I’m in a good place/mood to write – and try to make the most out of it. I never try to force it, though.

What’s the best advice you’ve received about creativity?

I think remembering that everyone deals with some level of imposter syndrome – even your absolute most favourite person/author in the world, who you can’t fathom would ever suffer from it – is a really handy thing to remember, particularly if you’re having a day where your imposter syndrome is particularly high.

What’s your writing soundtrack?

I like rock and indie music, but I tend to write while listening to post-rock/instrumental music, as otherwise I find the singing and lyrics too distracting. I got into Japanese rock music around the time COVID hit, so MONO and jizue particularly. And Belfast band And So I Watch You From Afar deserves a mention, too. Movie soundtracks and orchestral versions of video game music also helps.

Pictured: jizue (source)

The quickfire round

Sci-fi, fantasy or horror?
Fantasy

Quiet or loud?
Loud

Dark or light?
Light

Strict lines or genre blend?
Genre blend all the way

Awards or bestseller?
Bestseller (a business book I put out a few years ago won awards but wasn’t a bestseller – I wish it had been the other way around)

Fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction

Poetry or prose?
Poetry

Plotter or pantser?
Both! Hybrid?

Reading or listening?
Both. (Saying “both” feels like cheating, haha!)

Notebook or computer?
Computer.

Favourite SFFH book of all time?
Is it too cheesy to say The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring? 😅 It’s been a while since I read it, though.

If I were to choose something more recent, I absolutely adored Honor Among Thieves: The Road to Neverwinter by Jaleigh Johnson, which was a prequel novel to the recent D&D movie.

(Oh wait – this was meant to be quickfire, wasn’t it? Whoops.)

Last book you read?
I’m currently reading The Legend of Eli Monpress trilogy by Rachel Aaron and I’m on the third book, so the second one: The Spirit Rebellion.

Any SFFH author on auto-buy?
…Rachel Aaron, haha! But seriously, I want to buy all the rest of her books after I’ve finished this one. She’s also written an official Attack on Titan novel, which blows my mind because that’s one of my favourite TV shows of all time – so I’ll be grabbing that as well.

Favourite podcast?
I don’t actually listen to many podcasts, and when I do, they’re often more day job-related things rather than anything exciting like SFFH. I need to change this.

The home stretch

What’s the best thing about being part of the SFFH community?

The community is so friendly, supportive and giving! I don’t think I’ve come across anyone rude or aloof in the slightest. Whether it’s someone starting out or an experienced and successful author, everyone I’ve come across so far has been wonderful.

Time to plug your stuff! Where can we find you and your work? What have you got coming up? Consider this your advertising space.

I’ve just launched stevemorganauthor.com in line with my first novel coming out: DEMONS: The Birth of Magic. The website contains a free short story – DEMONS: Fall of the Fearless – for anyone who wants to check it out, plus some info on the book’s characters, a ‘world map’ and other goodies.

Social media-wise, I’m mostly active on Twitter/X – @steviephil – but I can also be found on Threads, Bluesky and Instagram.