A Few Narrative Questions

When is the first time you can remember writing something or reading something, anything? What do you remember about this experience, and why do you think that this experience has stuck with you?

            One of the most precious memories I have within my realm of experience is spending time with both my mother and father reading in the big blue chair in the living room. I would wake up early in the morning, hair all messy, dawning my pajamas, and go up into the living room where my mom always sat in her blue recliner chair. She would say good morning to me and ask me about how I slept. Then, she would pull out the large stack of recently rented library books and we would start the morning out by reading a good book. My bedtime routine was similar, except it included a father who would read in different voices and make the experience like a movie. It was a smorgasbord of imaginative options. This would leave me with my head resting on my pillow at night surrendering my active imagination to my dreams.  Reading has always stood as an opportunity to explore the world around myself, and has always had roots within wonderful times with my family. This grew into an all around affection for the written literature. This fascination and imaginative exploration expands far beyond sheer entertainment alone. It ventures into the reality that the ingestion of written word defines and challenges even my basic presuppositions about life and ideas I have yet to explore.  It makes me desire to go beyond who I am now, and guides me into a greater sense of purpose for tomorrow. Reading has always stood as an avenue to connect with both people and myself and understand the workings of both.

What outside elements affected your life as a writer--important people, places, or events? How and why did these affect you as a writer?

            My faith has a massive impact on my writing. What I believe and my basic worldview define and describe how I feel and perceive the world. This basic admiration for discovery all things ‘why’ in life keeps me constantly searching and seeking out new answers and responses within the realm of written literature. The greatest event that impacts all that flows out of me is a constant, ever changing understanding of my humanity and the grace that abounds from the faith that I have. The event of Jesus saving me daily is the constant source of inspiration for my writing in life and beyond. The effect these take is mostly on a content level. I speak and write on things that are eternally significant according to the God who saves. It’s through Him that I daily die and live in bliss and freedom within my heart. This is the greatest factor that affects all words that flow from my mouth and onto the page.

What did you read and write when you weren't in school? Why? When? Where?

            I read so many books. I absolutely love books, and always have. I read many apologetically themed books in high school when I wasn’t in class (something about textbooks drives me mildly insane). However, I am absolutely enraptured by a good story! So many various classic novels, fictional shorts, and essays flooded my mind as I spent time in the ‘tough stuff’ after school. I was reading complex literature at a very young age (for example, the first time I read Watership Down was in fourth grade), expanded to biblical commentaries, and Greek and Hebrew parallel translations of the bible. After time went by, the sole book to which I got my ultimate source and became the most read book in my grasp was my bible. I trust this to only expand as I continue to grow in my knowledge and development of my faith.