Me

   Sometimes people ask me what I do when I’m not writing. That’s a difficult question to answer because the truth is not much, and what I do might be a little boring to most. I’m going to let everyone in on who I am as a human being instead of as a writer today, though.

   The first thing I do when I’m not writing is collect an enormous amount of music from iTunes. Yes, I know I’m not the only one who loves music, but I seriously wonder how much money I would have if I would just stop buying so much. The weird thing is that I listen to all types of music, so the habit is pretty expensive. I love everything from rock, pop, hip-hop, and Christian music. Alternative is also one of my favorites, and I don’t really connect with one era of music. Some people do, and they think everything past their generation’s music is somehow less than, but I appreciate the different eras. They’re constantly building on each other, and it’s great to see that progression.

   Secondly, I watch entirely too much Netflix and On Demand. I spend time watching Walking Dead, Psyche, Game of Thrones etc . . . I actually pull a lot of inspiration from television. When most people write, they’re inspired by other authors they’ve read in the past, but I love cinema and television a lot. For me, I want my books to feel like a movie to the reader. If they can’t picture it and they don’t love the characters, I don’t see the sense in even writing it.

   Third, I play video games. It’s one of the few things that makes my blood pressure naturally go down within minutes . . . not that I need it. My blood pressure has run low since I was a kid. Still, there is something about the escapism that games provide that I love about them. A book provides a story that captures you for a few hours, and a movie might run for two. Some games can last for hundreds of hours, though. It might not be the best form of storytelling, but it’s certainly the most involving, and I love them for it.

   Finally, there are my thoughts. I am constantly thinking. No, I’m serious. When I sleep, sometimes I remember thinking about book ideas and different things in my life. I don’t know if I’m dreaming about them or if I’ve developed some type of ability to think in my sleep. It was the same during college. I would remember going over material in my head when I woke up the morning before a big test. The problem is that my thoughts go in so many directions. Let me give you an example. Just a little while ago, I was plotting a military thriller, a tragic love story, a young adult book, and thinking about taking up jogging. There’s this new girl I’ve never seen before in my neighborhood who jogs every morning. Is she single? Will she be totally freaked out if I suddenly start jogging and only appear when she passes my house? (I would be.) Am I overthinking the whole thing? For that matter, when I finally start writing, is my next book going to accidently turn into a novel about a military man who takes up jogging after his wife dies? Meanwhile, a side story will involve his teenage son who finds love for the first time. At least that’s what’s going to happen if I can’t stop mixing my thoughts up.

   Okay, I went a little into left field there, but you get what I’m saying. If you want to know who I am, then simply know this. I’m a classic over thinker who loves to escape into stories of all kinds. Sometimes that can be done in the form of a song that takes me to a different time or a narrative that makes me forget I’ve sat on the couch staring at a screen for three hours. In short, I’m very simple. I don’t go out much, but I don’t really want to. I spend my days working, doing the things I love, and constantly learning new things. I take it all in, whether it’s a designed learning experience or it’s simply noticing the little details of others’ writing styles or the things people do. Basically, I let life come to me, which is something we’re encouraged not to do. We’re supposed to reach out and take what we want, but as strange as it sounds, I’m so much happier sitting back and truly taking in all the little things. A dinner in or watching a show with someone you love are so much better to me than anything else. I live in my own world, and that is very limited, but I get everything I can out of every experience I have. Right now, I’m happy creating new stories and being amazed at the creativity all around me. Most don’t see it, but it’s a shame. One song, book, movie, or game takes so much creativity to bring to life, and they’re all made for our entertainment. Even more amazing than that, look out your front door. The entire earth and everything on it was created. Everywhere you look, you can see so much life, but yet most of us keep searching for more and miss the greatest things about life. We need more friends, more money, and better status. For me, it’s the opposite. I need one friend, one other half, one house, one car, and a constant amazement for the things that God and people have created from nothingness. That’s why I do what I do, and it’s why I am exactly who I am today.