H. R. Morgan's influences include the writing of Robert E. Howard, Earnest Hemingway, Clive Barker, Tom Wolfe, Stephen King, Joseph Campbell, and Robert Fagles.

His imagination thrived at an early age. As a boy, he devoured tales from Arthurian legend, Conan the Barbarian, the Illiad, and Greek myths. Morgan was drawn to the dark side from the beginning. In middle school, Morgan's English teacher sent him to the school psychologist, declaring his humor morbid.  "His stories are disturbing, violent, and glorify death."

His unique insights into story mechanics and fiction technique stem from a background steeped in anthropology and myth. In the past, Morgan worked as a professional journalist and created Writefine, the writer's resource site.