Hello and welcome to today’s author interview with David Buzan, author of In The Lair of Legends.
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David Buzan is an award-winning novelist and optioned screenwriter. He’s had work published in “American Cinematographer,” “Film Score Monthly,” “This Week Magazine,” among several others.
David is a graduate of the Vancouver Film School, and also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from Liberty University. He and his wife currently reside in Keizer, Oregon.
“In the Lair of Legends” is his debut novel.
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Hello David! This is one of those times when I can say that “I looked you up” without sounding creepy, and I noticed you have learned film – I imagine the tricks of the trade are really useful when applied to writing novels? Or, is screenwriting completely different to the way novels work?
Screenwriting and novels are far away from each other in many ways. With scripts, you have to be concerned with dialogue that’s too on-the-nose, motivating incidents within the first ten pages, first and second act turning points, character confidants and exposition, and the primary focus on showing instead of telling. Plus, you have to be concerned with how things are structured, with strict adherence to industry formatting. Plus, every page equals a minute of screen time, so you must always be conscious of momentum.
With novels, you can build entire inner worlds. You can alter the pace of the narrative. You can deviate from the expected. You can find your own unique voice and extrapolate from any point you choose. My background in writing action scripts provided my debut with a very cinematic feel. I described action setpieces in the book in much the same way I did with screenplays.
What both have in common is that you must build strong characters. You can have action coming out of your ears, but if the audience/reader doesn’t care about the characters, there really isn’t an emotional impact. Because at the end of the day, we write about and connect with emotions.
I like that you make the point about characters – as a reader, characters are the most important to me. If the character is distinct, and has that something that catches my attention and connects, heck, you don’t even need the action because the character’s charm can keep the book up on its own! I’ve had few favorite characters that were just in themselves SO whole and unique and great that the book could have been about paint drying on the wall and that would have still gotten 5 stars from me!
If you had to pick one of the greatest characters ever written – who would you pick?
My favorite novel (and author) is “First Blood” by David Morrell. The character of Rambo, as portrayed in the novel, is an emotionally damaged, mentally unbalanced, homeless war veteran who is pushed to psychotic extremes by a sadistic group of small town police officers.
The character is frightening, and quite unforgettable; yet, he’s also got a sarcasm that is endearing as the plot unfolds. You get a dichotomy to him throughout the book. Probably the greatest anti-hero in all of modern literature. And as an aside, I’m a huge fan of the film series. When Sylvester Stallone rewrote the original script of “First Blood”, he created a much more heroic take on the character. Both live comfortably beside one another in terms of impact.
This is so interesting… I did not expect Rambo. But here we are! And, I can’t argue! What is it about the human mind that wants to watch and read about someone in a really dark place, yet prevailing? Anti-heroes are such strong characters, and the morally grey area they tend to plough through with ease… Why is he negative emotion so much stronger or powerful in visual, creative sense?
We like to see our heroes overcoming those things in situations in which we, ourselves, might not have prevailed. We also enjoy the vicarious thrill of experiencing darkness and danger from the safety of our armchairs.
For me, a lot of the motivation behind creating strong heroes comes from an intense season of bullying when I was in seventh grade. The physical and mental abuse was so extreme that it completely derailed my life. I was never the same after as I was before. So, I feel a certain kinship with characters who find themselves pushed, be it physically or emotionally. How will they overcome it? How will it change them?
I am so sorry to hear that you have also been affected by bullying. Can I ask, what helped you overcome it? And what would you say to someone suffering from bullying?
Embracing my faith was the biggest thing that helped me. To see myself in a different way (not in the way the bullies made me see myself) was what came through this. It was only here that I became incredibly empathetic, and extremely sensitive towards others going through similar experiences. I saw both a purpose and a way to bring something good from it.
Another part of it brought me to a physical place. I began to learn boxing, as well as a regimented gym structure that, decades later, still is a big part of my life. There’s people in this world who hate for no reason. I had to understand that in order to move on from it.
Unfortunately, you can never forget. I think that’s the worst part of the bullying experience. The body heals, but the memories never do. Those experiences leave scars. You get to choose what to do with them. For me, I chose to be a comforter and an encourager. I refused to have their legacy be mine.
That is a powerful message, thank you! Ultimately, a lot of the heavy lifting does land on the mind itself. It takes a lot of work and time to break through the pain, both mentally and physically, but it is possible.
Do these bullying-type situations end up on paper, in your creative works, or do you tend to steer away from them?
Bullies make great baddies. I’ve never once specifically written about my situation or my own trio of bullies. But I’ve certainly used bullying as shorthand for villainous behavior.
So, tell me about your debut. What can readers expect?
It’s got a fun and unique premise: While on a top secret military mission, a Native American Civil War veteran finds himself battling a unit of Army traitors and a legendary monster. It’s set in Southern Oregon, 1873.
And you’re based in Oregon! Safe to say your environment is a good source of inspiration?
It definitely is!
“The devil is in the details and David Buzan masterfully brings all of those details to bear in creating one hell of a novel.” –Tom McCaffrey, bestselling author of The Claire Trilogy
The most highly decorated Native American in the history of the United States Cavalry, Jolon Winterhawk is a combat veteran of countless bloody skirmishes during the American Civil War. He’s a man of honor, struggling with sworn allegiances to two different nations-the country he’s sworn to protect, and the tribe he’s promised to defend.
During a top-secret mission to escort a military gold train through Oregon’s rugged Cascade Mountains, Winterhawk emerges as the sole survivor of a large-scale ambush. Duty-bound to complete the assignment and honor the sacrifices of his fallen comrades, Winterhawk makes the fateful decision to personally deliver the precious cargo of gold. While Winterhawk embarks on a treacherous wagon trip across miles of dangerous wilderness, an aerial unit from the Army Balloon Corps has been dispatched to locate the missing train. Soon, the aeronauts seize upon a diabolical opportunity-stealing the gold for themselves.
Outnumbered and outgunned, Winterhawk soon finds himself in the fiercest battle of his life. But he quickly discovers that man is not his greatest enemy. Because there’s something else lurking deep in those woods. A monster of myth, a horrifying creature of enormous size.
When writing the monster(s), do you veer directly into the stuff of legends or do you try to keep as realistic a feel as possible?
My take on the Sasquatch is that they’re the apex predators of the forest. I tried to make each encounter with them as horrifying as possible. They’re fierce defenders of their territory, with ravenous appetites.
Okay, so, aside from the legendary Sasquatch, 2 big elements right off the bat: history and Native American character. That implies a lot of thorough research for a subject close to heart or a close personal connection. Which drove you to write a story like this? What was the very first driver to put pen to paper, so to speak?
My intent was to create an 80s action film on the page: the large-scale stunts of a Bond picture, the Schwarzenegger quips, and the action of DIE HARD. But in the dead center of all of this stands an honorable and spiritual protagonist.
A few years ago, I had been reading an article in “The Oregonian” newspaper about the Nez Perce tribe reclaiming their land in eastern Oregon after 200 years. Within that particular article was a nearly throwaway line about how members of the Nez Perce had been among the nearly quarter-million Native Americans who had served in the military during the Civil War.
I was immediately struck by that, and began some preliminary research. One of the things I quickly discovered was that these men faced violence and racism on the battlefield, but oftentimes they encountered similar things in their own tribes. Many of these indigenous soldiers were looked upon as traitors by their tribes for fighting in that war.
Thus, the moral dichotomy of Jolon Winterhawk came into sharp focus. Here was a man wearing the uniform of an American soldier, while also trying to bring honor to his own people. The subtext became about duty: as a soldier, as a warrior, as a husband, and as a father. Winterhawk is a deeply conflicted hero.
The conflict of the character comes from Jolon feeling that he’s briefly lost his moral compass. He feels directionless; waging a war against the threats from without, and the doubts from within. He’s committed to an ideal that may have abandoned him, all the while dealing with two very different cultures that consider him an expendable political asset. He finds purpose in his family, and the quest to return home.
“Instead of recognizing that mankind was inherently the problem for every solution, humanity had somehow convinced itself over the millennia that everything in life had been set out just to serve them. As if God had made the universe as nothing more than a church potluck for His creation to pick and nibble at.” – In The Lair Of Legends by David Buzan
I can tell that the internal character conflict is of immense importance. Would you say Jolon Winterhawk’s moral compass deals with themes that are personally important to you, the writer?
Jolon’s internal struggles are pretty much universal: duty, priorities, and honor. I tried to make it relatable so that the reader can find themselves relating to a great deal of what he’s experiencing from an emotional standpoint. Fortunately, not many of us can relate to his daunting physical challenges!
I have a feeling that Jolon will have quite creative ways of survival throughout the story? Is outdoorsy adventure something of great interest to yourself?
Apart from being a motivated and adventurous day hiker here in Oregon’s spectacular Columbia Gorge, I’m not at all an outdoorsy individual. For me, getting through a 16-mile loop hike is as much as I ever want to do out there in Sasquatch country.
I just took a look at some of the book info – it’s less than 300 pages. It would take some expert balancing act to make sure all the action and thrill is present as well as the personal character conflict. So, with both film and psychology under your belt, the balancing act for the book must have come easily?
Not easy. Trying to maintain momentum throughout was a challenge because I had to incorporate so much history alongside the thrills. How much, or how little, to bring in the monsters was yet another challenging facet. When you are doing a genre mishmash, the key is making sure each element works.
And yet, the reviews for your debut are brilliant! I can’t wait to read the book! Exciting.
It’s been extremely edifying to have gotten the response that it has over the last few months. The awards, too.
When and how did the writing journey start for you? Has it been a dream and a goal since childhood?
I started writing quite early in my life; grade school, in fact. When I was 17, I sold my first short story. From that point on, had more stories published, and began writing articles for various magazines. It’s definitely been a lifelong pursuit of mine.
Can you describe your writing style – are your action scenes brutal and detailed? Or do you prefer to give the reader just enough to fill in the rest using their imagination?
My action scenes can be described as hyper-detailed. I enjoy creating impossible scenarios for Winterhawk to overcome, and delight in describing how he gets out of the various scrapes he finds himself in.
They say writers also have to do a lot of reading. Would you consider yourself an avid reader? Which authors are your source of entertainment and inspiration?
I’m an avid reader. This also coincides with my passion for the gym because, primarily, I get the majority of reading done while putting in my daily sixty minutes of cardio. My Kindle is my constant gym companion!
My favorite authors are David Morrell, Stephen King, Michael Koryta, Tana French, Matthew Reilly, and Patrick Lee. Recently, I’ve become quite taken by a few indie thriller authors: Steve Stark, Nick Horvath, Eric Bishop, J.L. Engel and Tobin Elliott.
What part about writing do you enjoy the most? Fleshing out the characters, or coming up with dangerous situations and escaping from them? Perhaps, research and exploring new things?
Research has always been foundational for me when writing. It’s the framework that the entire story is built upon. That being said, the best part of the process is when the voices of your characters become real. They move from mere words to distinctive voices. They even start acting and behaving in ways that are quite unexpected. For me, that’s the most joyous part of the process.
Kill your darlings…. Do you have any snippets that you were sad to edit out of the book but you simply had to make the cut?
Actually, no. My publisher asked only one thing, and that was a title change. So, it went from “Gigantor” to the more adventure-friendly “In the Lair of Legends.” (Which was taken directly from a line in the late section of the book.) As for other trims and cuts, those were only slight. Nothing major whatsoever.
A very methodical and clean writer, so? You’re a planner and you think things through, to execute on a clear vision?
Oh, I wouldn’t go so far and call it clean! Had seven passes on it; some mistakes remained. But it’s tighter than the first draft. Faster. That’s the fun part of editing. Making the story better through subtraction.
You are the first author to ever say there’s a fun part to editing! Brilliant.
I’m going to do better next time in regards to the editing process. With a debut novel, everything is overwhelming and exciting. Everything you tackle feels ramped up to Level 11.
“Experiences can weave themselves together in your mind until they become nothing but a heavy blanket that you’re unable to push yourself out from underneath. You can suffocate beneath the weight of things from the past if you let it.” – In The Lair Of Legends by David Buzan
If you were ever to try and write in a different genre than you’re currently writing in, what would it be and why?
My author brand is within the action-adventure/thriller landscape. I definitely want to pursue more stories within the genre. But I’m also wanting to do something within the life coach field. Apply personal experiences to techniques that worked with me throughout my three decades in management. I even have a title: “Stress Fractures.” But no matter what genre, hopefully readers will find enjoyment in my work.
Three decades in management is hardcore! I can only imagine the type of material you have ready and I believe it will absolutely fill a book. Has working in management also been helpful in terms of fictional writing – you are bound to meet all these different personalities and conflicts. I imagine a lot of reactive ‘firefighting’ to issues requiring creative solutions.
The worst part of management are the days when you’re nothing but an adult babysitter. Calling out behavioral issues and the like. There are times when certain employees operate like the raptors in “Jurassic Park.” They’re constantly testing the fences to see if they can get through. You have to always maintain expectations of job performance, or things will keep slipping through.
The best part of management (and the reason I still do it even after three decades) is the aspect of coaching and mentoring. It can be a life-changing opportunity in the lives of some people. You can foster hope by believing in someone, especially when they don’t feel that way about themselves. It’s recognizing talent, building skills, and lifting people higher than they were before. It’s extremely edifying seeing people succeed. When you are a writer, you use EVERYTHING that you experience.
That being said, there’s nothing specifically (yet) that I’ve drawn upon as a manager within the pages of my books.
Because Covid and lockdowns were/are quite the historical event across the world, what role did the lockdown play for you as an author?
After years of heartache in the industry, I stepped away from creative writing for a decade. I thought I’d given it my all. In late September of 2020, I was a general manager for an essential business. I never experienced the lockdown because we never closed because of Covid. Concurrently, Oregon had been experiencing its worst fire season in decades. Our skies were choked with smoke for weeks, and some days the awful red hue of the fires could be seen on all points of the horizon.
Anyway, it was a Sunday. Most of my staff had called out, but I was dutifully there. Was wearing a mask because of the pandemic; worse, could barely breathe due to the thick smoke that even permeated indoors. During that particular shift, my mom called to let me know that two cousins of mine just had to evacuate their families from their homes in two different towns. I had walked outside after this call. Stood in the smoke, watched the fires in the distance. Between that and the pandemic, I got the real sense that my world could be ending. And I felt something in that moment. It was a sense of unfulfillment. And I knew it was because I had walked away from my passion. I hadn’t achieved what I had wanted in my life. It was like that moment in “Rocky Balboa” when he tells Paulie that he needs to fight one last time because there’s something still in the basement. Well, I felt that totally and completely. I made the decision to write my first novel standing right there. I needed to go the distance.
Wow! Not only are the scenes of the environment quite literally apocalyptic, but what a moment for you!
One of the greatest moments of my life happened on November 21, 2022. That was the morning I woke up and found a publishing contract in my inbox. I had not only finished writing my first book, but it was now going to be published. It was the end of things every bit as it was the beginning.
That’s incredible… and now, after having written In the Lair of Legends, do you feel a sense of “why didn’t I follow through sooner?” and also some:”I can definitely keep doing this over and over”?
That’s not my reality. I had spent decades struggling to reach that point. What happened in 2020 was the catalyst that I needed to forge ahead. It provided motivation to prove something to myself, for myself. And I won.
The Winterhawk saga continues on April 17, 2025 with the publication of the sequel to “In the Lair of Legends.” This time, Chenoa Winterhawk continues the adventure that her father started. The second book takes place 30 years after the first. Her character is taking me to deeply philosophical and spiritual areas, all the while retaining the action and historical uniqueness of the first story. Just like her father, the monsters she’s facing are both legendary and human.
My publisher has it on their release calendar: April 17, 2025. After that, I have a standalone action/thriller due for publication in 2026.
Everything happens for a reason and when it’s the right time. It happened like that for you. This is incredible 🙂 I am very pleased for you and hope for many more such accomplishments to come!
I really appreciate that. Thank you.
So, what’s the next goalpost for a published author? What is the next big thing?
I believe that for any author, completing that next book is always the next big thing. That’s the daily motivation. You’ve done it once; do it again.
Do it again… and keep doing better? I imagine there’s always some pressure in terms of the follow up… and we’ve all heard of the ‘second book syndrome’… but, I have a sense you do not worry about it, you are enjoying where you are, how you do it and where you’re going with it. Sounds about right?
Second book syndrome is definitely a thing. In fact, the condition is so real that I’m surprised it isn’t one of the options to tick while filing your taxes. “Marital status? Dependents? Second Book Syndrome?”
My favorite film composer, Jerry Goldsmith, once said: “The experience of today is only a preparation for the unknown of tomorrow.” I think that applies very much to second books. You have to constantly remind yourself that you got through it with the first, and eventually you’ll get through it with the second. Same rules apply: one sentence at a time.
Thank you so much, David, for taking time to chat with me and for sharing your experiences in life and in writing! I wish you all the best with the sequel and everything to come after that! As you said – one sentence at a time!
To everyone else, hell yes, I am going to be reading In the Lair of Legends so watch this space! 🙂
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