When it comes to reading and writing, I’m what you would call a novice. I’m not illiterate and I don’t despise literature in the slightest. English was actually my favorite academic subject back in high school. I even went as far as taking AP English if you’d believe it. My lack of experience and knowledge is merely due to the fact that reading and writing didn’t really interest me outside of the classroom. I was caught up in musical theater, filmmaking, video games, and teenage romance. Those were the days. As soon as that bell rang, the reader-writer in me would immediately detach itself almost as if class never happened. Yet for some reason, a majority of those books I read all those years ago left a lasting impression on me long after graduation. Classic titles such as Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, and Catch 22 stick with me to this day. Why I decided to stop reading and writing altogether is beyond me. It’s sad really. I feel like I’ve missed out on so many great stories and story telling opportunities but I guess it’s never too late to try and catch up, right?

I’ve spent the past 6 years focusing on gaming content creation which has had its ups and downs. Never knew that something as enjoyable as video games could send me in such a downward spiral at times. I dabbled in live streaming for a few years which became surprisingly exhausting and then eventually made my way to YouTube where I had written a series based on a play-through of the brutal (yet thoughtful) survival game, The Long Dark. Full series is below if you’re interested.

It garnered an unexpected amount of positive feedback from The Long Dark gaming community, and I was overwhelmed with numerous complimentary messages. After this small success, I desperately wanted to sustain this format on my channel and I want to believe that I gave it an honest effort. However, each video demanded nearly two to three days worth of time and energy; resources I already had in short supply. It’s not that I couldn’t have kept it up, but I didn’t want to have an upload schedule that was bound to end up being so far and few in between. When it comes to YouTube, consistency and frequency is key if you’re looking to grow at a decent rate. In order to do this, being mentally available for my family would have been put on the back burner and that just wasn’t an option in my eyes. Family comes first above all else.

But, I needed something.

I needed a creative outlet that would continue to let my imaginative juices flow without the expectation of a strict release schedule constantly clawing at my back to just “get it done”. Something that would be forgiving when I needed a break or give me the ability to find some balance in my daily routine. Well after some thinking, it just kind of hit me. Why not focus on the writing? Aside from the finished product, the writing was easily my favorite part of the process. I could start a blog that would re-tell my virtual adventures in the form of epistolaries from the main character’s perspective. Almost as if journaling and role play had a baby. I honestly thought it was a solid concept that would not only be great sustenance for my inventive brain but also enjoyable for the gaming audience that appreciates fan fiction. So I did just that…for about a month.

While I really enjoyed the process, the extent of my writing was limited to the in game world and its mechanics. The other drawback was that gaming, once again, turned into a task rather than something I could pick up, get lost for a couple of hours to recharge and move on. Instead of trying to add to what has essentially already been written, why not write my OWN story with a world that I’ve built from scratch? My rules. My limits. Everything. I’ve always had outlandish ideas running through my mind and my imagination continually takes me down paths that I never expect. I feel that writing is probably the only thing right now that’s plausible when it comes to being able to complete something in a creative fashion. There’s no deadline to adhere to which means I can write as quickly or as slowly as my low supply of time and energy will allow. Sounds perfect, right? So that’s my plan…to write a novel.

I’m currently in the early process of world building and outlining the general story. Not exactly sure about some of the major plot points but I know it will come to me when the time is right. I’m taking a lot of inspiration from one of my favorite series of all time, The Dark Tower by Stephen King. What’s upsetting is that I’m probably not even allowed to call it one of my favorites as I have yet to actually finish the full series. In total, it comes to seven books and when I had made it to book five, I unfortunately had to put it aside due to life becoming quite hectic. Now that I think about it, I’ve actually NEVER completed a book series! Not even Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter for crying out loud. How embarrassing. Stopping down on the Dark Tower series was years ago and the majority of the details leading up to book five have escaped me. I know it’s somewhere tucked away deep in my brain, but the fog is too thick to clear without starting from scratch. So I’m going back to the beginning with The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger. The ultimate goal is to read all seven books and finally put a bow on this collection. With that said, I’ll officially end my rambling.

Here’s to a new chapter of my life where gaming goes back to being a hobby and I find out if writing can become a new passion of mine. I’d love for you to follow me on my journey to see how this all turns out. Not gonna lie…I’m pretty excited.