Simply stated, I'm a writer. But if you're a writer, as well, then you know well that nothing written is so simple as putting words on a page. If you're not a writer, then welcome to our mixture of Heaven and Hell.
In Mathematics, we're taught to show all of our work to ensure that we know why we did (or sometimes didn't) get the correct answer. In writing, we're taught to do the opposite. All the work is there; it's just hidden in the final draft. It is both a blessing and a curse, a wonder, and a bore, but after everything is said and done, we write to show passion for what cannot be spoken easily.
So, I am a writer, yes, but I am more than that. I love music and express that in playing the guitar (both acoustic and electric). I own a Sigma & Co. acoustic and an Opus Les Paul model made for me by my Uncle for my 17th birthday. I've written many songs, but they were in my youth and mostly about heartbreak and, frankly, garbage. I may write future pieces, but I doubt they'll ever see anything past the godawful yellow light of the second bedroom in the North Orem apartment I call an office.
I am married to a lovely Chilean woman named Kelly, who I met while serving a religious mission for my church. We didn't get along at first. Still, as our friendship flourished, I began to realize that--even though she was dating someone else at the time-- she was the person I was supposed to share the rest of my life with. So, I was patient and waited until the time was right, and on Christmas Eve of 2015, a year after I met her, I told her I loved her. And in August of 2016, we were married. That's the short and sweet of it anyway.
My love of fantasy and science fiction was instilled in me at a young age by my parents. Starting with Star Wars. I loved watching Lightsabers flash on screen as a youth. As an adult, I still enjoy Star Wars, but I love reading Mistborn and the rest of Sanderon's Cosmere, and currently The Broken Earth trilogy by N. K. Jemisin. My mom always likes to poke fun at me for being such a nerd, but she's a nerd in her own way. Besides, she did get me into Stephen King. My father has always encouraged me to dive deeper and deeper into "nerdom." He pushes me to keep writing, probably because he's just as excited to see what happens next in my worlds as he is for Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere.
If there's any other thing you should know about what I am right now, it's that I'm not perfect. Part of my goal with this blog is to make sure you, as the reader, know that no matter how hard I try, I will never be perfect in this life. And that is OKAY! It's alright to be imperfect because that's not the point of life. The point is to strive for perfection. To get rid of bad writing habits and overcome imposter syndrome, to write every day, even if it's just a little bit. To things not necessarily pertain to writing, such as to bring your loved one flowers for no particular reason other than you love them. Or to smile at a stranger and (hopefully) brighten their day in a dark world. These things do not mean perfection, but they can help us get to the nearest thing to it.
Enough about me for now... What are you?