-WRITING-

Second post. Know it's been a while. I guess a few people read my first one which is kind of cool. Scary, but cool.

I figured since I am an 'aspiring author' i would talk a little about writing. Why I do it. Why it's important to me. Why after so many years I'm still trying to get my stories published.

Ive been writing and creating since elementary school. When I was just a kid I remember creating my own Transformers and G.I Joe characters, even attempting to sketch them. My creating was limited to any exposure to TV or movies I had at the time. Then I was given a  book. Or maybe I bought it. I honestly can't remember. The book was 'The Legend of Huma' by Richard A. Knaak, a part of the Dragonlance setting. Not only did this introduce me to the world of fantasy literature, but also brought to my attention D&D and role-playing games. When I read, it was mostly books from Dragonlance. I fell in love with the variety of characters these authors created together. Playing D&D is what sparked my creative juices. Knights, Mages, elves, minotaurs..it was also so joyfully addicting to mold these characters out of clay and give them a life of their own. It did not take me long to start thinking of my own world, the races that populate them and the stories I could tell. I didn't realize it at the time, but it clearly an escape from my painful adolescence. To have a way to forget about the actual world that still leaves me scarred.

Even though i am well out of high-school, I still think in a way, my writing is a way of escaping the world. But that's not the only reason. I have come to think of these characters as my children and the world in which they live as a great treasure I never want to let go of. I guess all writers feel this way. They are a part of me I feel, and I am a part of them, in varying degrees. There is just so much joy I get out of making a new character, their back story, their motivation and determining in what way they have an effect on their world. I enjoy making them happy, making them sad, making them love and making them hate. Its a great feeling.

As i have evolved, so too have my characters and stories. I feel proud of it all, and though exposing it to the world is scary, I feel I must do so. Otherwise what is the point. Writing this story and making all these complex and intriguing characters feels like a waste. It still might take me a while to get this done. And I may never get the stories published but I wont let it be because i didn't try. For better or worse, I'm gonna keep trying.