NEXT CHAPTER AUTHOR

Mortimer Langford

Mortimer Langford is the pen name of [REDACTED]. He was born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and currently resides in Saint Paul, Minnesota, though he spent a substantial amount of time in Germany and England as a child. Mort first started reading at 5, writing at 19, and earning awards at [AGE TO BE DETERMINED].

An Elf With No Name is his debut novel.

Mort works in IT, though he hopes to turn this strange word obsession into his full time job. When he isn’t writing, he can be found coming up with stand up material, playing tabletop games like Magic the Gathering or Warhammer 40,000, or spending time with his wife and their three children who possess a rather concerning language barrier and hair condition.

Cats, man. They make no sense.

To find out more about the author, as well as check out more examples of his writing, visit www.mortsmorbidmusings.com

IN THE AUTHOR’S WORDS

Author interview

Interview submitted 29 August 2022.

What inspired you to start writing?

As a child, I enjoyed coming up with stories, but I never really saw myself as being a writer. However, I had a friend in high school who frequently got in trouble for spending all of her time in class drawing and writing. She inspired me to give writing a try and I continually wrote around 40 or so pages before moving on to the next story.
In 2015, another friend introduced me to NaNoWriMo, and from there, I decided that it was time to take my writing seriously. I wanted to become a better writer. I wanted to become an author. I joined a local writing group and made their deadlines and NaNoWriMo an almost religious tradition. I pushed myself to stretch my comfort zone, and to take myself more seriously.

And here I am.

Who are some of your favorite authors and books?

My favorite author is Sir Terry Pratchett (RIP), but I am also a fan of George R R Martin, Jason Pargin, and Piers Anthony. My wife is an avid reader as well, and thanks to her, I've taken an interest in Jim Butcher's Dresden Files and Brandon Sanderson.

What would you like to tell readers who have just discovered your books, but haven't read one yet?

I write the kind of stories that I would like to read. I realize that might sound arrogant, but it's truly not meant to be. I was fortunate to live an interesting life. I grew up in Europe, submerged in a culture that was not mine. Nearly all of my friends are in the LGBTQ+ community. I want inclusive stories, so I write characters inspired by people I know. The type of dialogue featured in my stories is based on how conversations with loved ones go down. I indulge in what I find to be entertaining, humorous, or scary.

All of that to say, I realize that my writing doesn't speak to everyone. That's okay. But if you read my work, and it speaks to you... Welcome! Nice to meet you. You're safe here.

Who is the favorite character you created, and how did they come into being?

My favorite character in An Elf With No Name is probably Blaze. Blaze is nonbinary, and is inspired by a friend of mine. I sent them a few scenes to make sure that I was doing right by nonbinary identities. Thankfully, they seemed to love the character.

Without intending to, there is a lot of me in Damian, with his carefree attitude, his curiosity in the irregular, and his obsession with defiance. This can, as I know from personal experience, be the cause of much chagrin in one's friends, and I enjoy that Blaze is perpetually frustrated with Damian. However, they see just enough good in him that they're willing to endure his shenanigans. I have so many friends that I simply thank for tolerating me in my most manic moments, and I feel like everyone could use friends like that.

We all need people willing to tell us to shut up and focus, and I enjoy that Blaze provides that for Damian.

What are your future plans as a writer?

I currently have 3 series that I would like to work on and publish. Currently, I work a full time job in IT. I hope that I will be able to turn this into a full time job instead. I have a very patient and accepting wife, which is fantastic (I recommend everyone find a patient and accepting spouse, it's truly life changing). I would like to reward her love and loyalty with a stable income from my stories.

A movie or TV deal would be nice to, but I'm no Stephen King, and, from the sound of it, HBO is a nightmare to work with.