Brian Moreland is a writer and success coach to writers living in Dallas, Texas. In addition to novel writing, Brian writes two blogs: “Coaching for Writers” and “Adventures in Writing.” He also works as a video editor and producer. He wrote, produced, and edited a WWII documentary about his grandfather, Return to Normandy. Shadows in the Mist is Brian’s first novel. In 2007, the book won a gold medal for Best Horror Novel in an international contest. A German version will release in Austria and Germany in 2010 called Schatten Im Nebel. He is currently writing the final chapters of his next horror novel, Dead of Winter.
Shadows in the Mist is a supernatural horror novel set during World War II. It is part suspense thriller, part war story, based on the Nazis’ true fascination with the Occult. It starts off in present day, when war hero Jack Chambers asks his grandson to deliver a war diary to a general at a U.S. Army base in Germany. The diary reveals a secret burial ground of U.S. soldiers who went missing in action back in Germany sixty years ago. Also buried in the graveyard is a Nazi relic that Chambers doesn’t want to fall into the wrong hands. Most of the novel takes place in October, 1944, where we relive the nightmares Lt. Chambers and his platoon faced when they crossed into Germany on a top-secret mission with a rag-tag squad of O.S.S. soldiers. Lt. Chambers and his men soon discover that something evil in the foggy woods is slaughtering both German and Allied soldiers. As the platoon is being stalked, they take refuge in an abandoned church and discover a Nazi bunker where the horror was unleashed.
What drives you to write?
I love stories. Novels, movies, scary campfire tales . . . I’ve always loved the art of story telling. Ever since I was a child I’ve had an active imagination. When I started reading fiction, I learned that writers channel their imagination into novels and short stories that were fun to read. I also learned that movies originated from the imaginations of screenwriters. In college, I studied screenwriting and fiction writing. I decided to write my own novel just for the heck of it. I discovered that the process of writing—making up characters, fictional worlds, and crafting stories—was an absolute blast. Writing my story ideas unleashed a passion in me I didn’t know I had. Next thing I knew I was driven to write every day for hours on end. My characters and parallel universe came to life for me, and I began to feel like a time traveler, spending a few hours a day in the “real” world and several hours a day in the world of make believe. When I completed my first novel in college, I knew I wanted to pursue a career as a novelist.
What do you consider to be your most significant accomplishment?
Publishing my first novel Shadows in the Mist. It took me 18 years to achieve my goal of becoming a published author. I had dreamed for so long to hold a hard copy of my book in my hands and see it selling in book stores. I had many false starts with other books and got rejected by a couple dozen literary agents and editors. I had struggled with writer’s block and nearly given up on my dream several times. It wasn’t until I wrote my fourth novel that I achieved success. The day I finally held my book in my hands and saw my name on the cover was a day of joy. In 2007, Shadows in the Mist won Best Horror Novel in the Independent Publisher’s Awards. I got to go to New York and they put a gold medal around my neck, and I felt like an Olympic athlete who had trained his whole life for this moment. Shortly after, I landed my first major book deal with Berkley/Penguin.
How would you describe your muse?
She’s unpredictable. Sometimes she’s standing right over my shoulder as I write, filling me with passion, telling me exactly what to write next. Sometimes she’s absent. I’m left alone to hack away at the keyboard, trying crank out something onto the screen so I feel productive. Often, when she’s not there, I feel abandoned. When my muse is “on,” writing is pure bliss, because it flows so naturally. I’m learning that, in truth, my muse is always present, and that it’s me being blocked that keeps her from inspiring me. I’m finally discovering how to overcome my blocks and connect with my muse on a daily basis. I’ve been sharing this process with other writers at my blog COACHING FOR WRITERS. I posted an article called “What to Do When Your Muse Is Missing.” (http://coachingforwriters.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-to-do-when-your-muse-is-missing.html) For me, my muse stays around much more often than she used to and writing is fun again.
What would you say is the best cure for “writer’s block”?
I’ve discovered that most problems can be solved while sleeping. That’s when the subconscious mind goes to work. When you take a problem to bed and “sleep on it,” you can often wake up the next morning with a fresh perspective and the solution just pops into your head. I apply this method to writer’s block. I work on my manuscript 15 minutes before bed. I read the part where I’m stuck. I ask myself what’s the best way I can write this scene? What can I write next that will get my creative mind flowing again? This is the last thing I do before going to sleep. I even repeat the questions as I lay my head on the pillow. Then I wake up extra early, before dawn sometimes, when I’m still groggy. This is key, because when you just come of the dreaming state, your brainwaves are still in Theta mode, which is a highly creative state. Still half-asleep, I walk zombie-like to my computer and start reading the paragraph I read the night before. I visualize the scene. Then I start typing. Whatever comes to mind, I type, allowing it to flow through the stream of consciousness. Next thing I know I have a new paragraph or page and fresh ideas start to pour in. Curing writer’s block is all about getting more access to your right brain. And writing immediately after waking up connects your writing with the dream state. I wrote an article “Overcoming Writer’s Block” that offers several more techniques. You can read it at my blog COACHING FOR WRITERS: http://coachingforwriters.blogspot.com/2009/08/overcoming-writers-block.html
Outside of writing, what are your other passions/interests?
I love adventure and world travel. I’ve traveled to over twenty countries from Italy, Germany, and France to Costa Rica, China, and Australia. I love being out in nature, hiking and kayaking, exploring untamed rain forests. I’m a huge movie buff, especially horror. I see just about every scary movie that comes to the big screen. I love thrillers and comedies, too. I’m also into foreign films. The screenwriting is so much deeper and more thought provoking than most Hollywood movies. I’m also a sports fan. I enjoy watching an exciting football game with friends and family. And dancing. I’ve studied over twenty forms of dancing from swing to ballroom to salsa and, owning a pair of cowboy boots, I like enjoy the Texas Two-Step. What can I say? I was raised in Texas.
What is your advice to young writers/first time authors?
Define whether writing is a hobby or a profession, because they are two very different mindsets. If writing is a hobby, just have fun with it. Write when you feel like it and if nothing flows, go out and do something else you enjoy. Let it be that quiet place you express yourself. Your secret escape. Writing as a hobby can be a wonderful outlet for creativity, expressing pent-up emotions, solving problems, and self-discovery. It’s very cathartic. If you are writing to be a published author, then fully commit to it. It’s not a hobby, it’s your profession. It’s what you do. Write daily, even if your muse didn’t show up for work. Make writing a daily habit. If nothing flows, organize your chapters or promote yourself as an author on the web. Make the business of being a writer a high priority in your schedule, because it’s easy to let life get in the way. Every successful author I know has two common traits: persistence and tenacity. They believe in their writing and they don’t give up until they see their writing is in print. No matter what roadblocks you face on your journey as a writer, you can move past them. Ever day is a new day to write and accomplish your goals. Just commit fully to being a writer and stay persistent.
What do you want the world to remember you for the most?
I would like the world to remember me as an author and coach who lived his dream. I’d like my articles, books, and movies to entertain millions of people and touch their lives in positive ways.
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For more information on Brian Moreland check out these sites:
Official Website: http://www.BrianMoreland.com
Coaching for Writers blog: http://www.CoachingforWriters.blogspot.com
Adventures in Writing blog: http://www.BrianMoreland.blogspot.com
Fiction Blog: http://www.BrianMoreland.wordpress.com
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