Welcome to my Writer's Den

As Michelangelo said, 'I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.' Then I say one must put pen to paper or tap the keyboard key to bring the ideas and story to the fore.

Review of To Banish the Light

"Owen Morgan's short story To Banish the Light is an exquisite tale of the humble young hero, Menes, and his sacrifice for the greater good. Owen's enchanting writing style will leave you hanging on to every word of this short yet riveting tale of a man in 2400 BCE Egypt who has the gift of a Lantern Bearer. Menes' journey is one of hope, defeat, and ultimately balance, one we can all relate to in the face of today's world." KA

Review of To Banish the Light

To Banish the Light by Owen Morgan is a short story found in the Sun Rising Short Stories anthology. It follows the character of Menes, a priest and lantern bearer who voyages through treacherous terrain to meet the sun god. Upon meeting, Menes is urged to usher in an age of unlimited sunlight, however, his life is devoted to a natural cycle. Thus, he refuses the order of a god. This decision infuriates the sun god, who in turn wreaks havoc across the land through a mystical being. However, through Menes's gift as a lantern bearer and proper strategy they were able to calm the beast, thus ending the story. This short story delivers in spades great ideas through Menes and his devotion to a natural cycle and opposition of a god. The word choice effectively conveys the snarkiness of the sun god, and descriptive elements enhance the actions experienced by the characters (e.g. "Warm blood bubbled inside his nose and dripped onto his interlaced hands"). This is an excellent short story, only held back by the short word count. Given some of the ideas in the story were further touched upon (e.g. Lantern Bearers, other gods, why the cow transformed, priests and their devotion), a more rounded and complete story could be made, effectively creating a more in-depth world and characters.  BSH

New Publication coming in October

I am pleased to announce that my story: To Banish the Light will appear in the Flame Tree Publishing Anthology: Sun Rising. This collection of stories will be available in soft, hard, and e-book formats.

Pacific Northwest Writers Association 2023

I attended the PNWA Conference in Seattle, Washington, from September 21st to 24th and had a fantastic time. I met representatives from major publishing houses and received positive feedback on my proposed first novel. I hope to have a major to announce in the upcoming months!

Review