Life & Work with Heather Moser of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Moser.

Hi Heather, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Like many people of my generation, my first introduction to the world of the weird was through listening to Robert Stack tell us horrifying stories on Unsolved Mysteries. It was a sort of morbid fascination, I guess, because I loved every moment of the show but would be terrified after each episode. I grew up in the country just outside of a small rural community, and stories of ghosts and Bigfoot were not unheard of at the time. People didn’t openly admit such incidents often due to ridicule but the general consensus was one of acknowledgment that such things could exist.

Despite my unending interest in all things ‘strange,’ I definitely did not foresee my career path leading to where I am now. In fact, I attended Kent State University for my undergrad and graduate degrees, pursuing Latin Literature with certification to teach Latin in Prek-grade 12. During graduate school (through today, actually) I have maintained the status of adjunct professor for KSU in the department of Modern and Classical Language Studies. The classes are all online, which was such a wonderful thing when my children were very young. Having children while working through graduate school stalled any plans to teach in the classroom because I wanted to be with my babies as much as humanly possible. It was also unrealistic for our family to afford childcare at the time. It just made more sense to stay.

However, I always wanted to create. Creation for me comes in a few different formats, but writing and research are where I am happiest. While teaching online part-time and raising my children, I started to feel a bit of a disconnect within myself. Motherhood has a way of rewiring your brain, of course, and it can also be all consuming, allowing individual identity to disappear for a time. I missed my deep dives into ancient religions and superstitions throughout history. I missed looking into what external factors may influence a writer or historian when it comes to the words that find their way to the page. I missed academia to a certain extent. I knew I needed a creative outlet, so I went back to what I could do well with my research abilities and dove headfirst into topics which fascinated me. Reportedly cursed objects was one facet of my research, which ultimately brought me to Aberystwyth University to present at an academic conference on letters and letter writing. I was able to not only explore the stories behind the cursed objects but also dive into the human element of apology and regret that often comes after someone removes such an object or fails to follow long established rules regarding interaction with such objects. My favorite of these stories revolved around the Bell Witch legend out of Tennessee.

Once back home, I kept researching topics that interested me. From headless ghosts to regional specific cryptids, I wrote blog posts for my friend Shannon LeGro of the Into the Fray Radio podcast and eventually became co-host and blog writer for The Caravan, Library of Lore with my friend Ann Selene. Meanwhile, not too far away from me geographically speaking, Seth Breedlove was getting his new project off the ground, a documentary production company known as Small Town Monsters. His first documentary was well known in this area as he covered the Minerva Monster, a cryptid very close to my hometown. I kept an eye on what he was producing, and when I went to one of STM’s showings at the Canton Palace Theatre, he mentioned that they would be diving into the Bell Witch in the near future. That evening I sent him a message via Facebook to offer any research assistance he may need since I had already been looking into that story for some time. Fortunately, he took me up on that offer not only for Bell Witch but also anything else from that point forward. The first project I assisted with was Momo: The Missouri Monster, at first just finding names and contact information for potential interviewees.

That was over seven years ago at this point, and it has been a wonderful blur of excitement since. Last year Small Town Monsters celebrated a decade of making films, and I am now the Chief Creative Officer for the company as well as the head of publishing branch, Small Town Monsters Publishing. My job still consists of a lot of research, of course, but also added now is a lot of reaching out to researchers and experiencers, a lot of brainstorming for upcoming projects, and a million other little things that don’t fit into a neat category.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road for many different reasons. It is difficult to put into words, really. Mom guilt is a real thing, and the more involved I got in projects that took me away from home, the more I felt like I was letting my children down, even though I wasn’t gone very often or for very long. Imposter syndrome is also a very real thing. It was something I battled with throughout college and a monster I still struggle with today at times. Starting into this particular career path, which I am not sure will ever have a clearly defined route, has been challenging at times. It goes beyond those initial skills I brought to the job and has expanded into areas I never considered before. I have to think about scheduling, filming locations, notes on shows as they work their way through the editing process, book formatting and editing, making sure that everyone we interview feels seen and heard, show concepts, how to interact on camera, and a ton of other things that sometimes can literally only be learn-as-you-go kind of scenario. This job requires flexibility, normal work hours don’t exist, and there really is never a lull when it comes to the workload….the responsibilities may shift depending on where a project currently stands, but there is always more work to be done and another project to dive into. One of my main roles as a producer for STM is to be flexible and ready to pivot with last minute changes, which happens every once in a while during a film shoot, whether it be due to an interview canceling last minute, weather issues, travel delays, or unforeseeable circumstances.

This job is challenging. It has not been a smooth road. However with every bump along the way I have strengthened my craft and more clearly defined who I want to be in this life, so I am thankful for that.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I help with as many creative aspects of documentary filmmaking that I can at Small Town Monsters. I am the person most often reaching out to people and forming relationships with those who are willing to share their time, expertise, and experiences with us. When it comes to the publishing side of the business, I edit and format each book and depending on the author, help them brainstorm or become a sounding board for them as they work their way through their project. I have a podcast called The Lore You Know, which is currently on hiatus but is not done. I would like to think that I specialize in preserving stories, storytelling, and making sure that people feel appreciated and respected.

Outside of Small Town Monsters, I write and have published short stories, academic papers, and journal articles. Some of my work can be found in the Feminine Macabre series, in volumes 1,3,5, and 7. Someday I hope to write a book (or two or three) as well.

When it comes to projects with Small Town Monsters, I feel like I will always be most proud of the work I did on our rougarou film, Skinwalker: Howl of the Rougarou, simply because it was the first project I was able to be completely immersed in the material and multiple aspects of its creation. Overall, though, I am most proud of helping preserve stories that would otherwise be lost to time while helping others feel safe and seen in their experiences, no matter how weird they may seem. I would like to think that sets me apart from others—my first concern will always be the people and their experiences above all else.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Perseverance is huge when it comes to success, I feel. One of the best phrases I have heard regarding this is that it doesn’t matter how many times you are knocked down, but how many times you get back up. Don’t be afraid of failure. It happens to all of us.

As important as perseverance has been, though, being genuine with people would have to be the most integral part of my success. I am open with people and I have a genuine interest in who they are that goes beyond their brush with the weird!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.smalltownmonsters.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paganhistorian
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heather.moser.528
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallTownMonsters