I wanted to be the leading man. That wasn’t always the case growing up, but by my late teens, I was tired of being a wallflower. I was short and chubby and inconsequential. There were certain things I couldn’t change about myself. What I could change, however, was my actions. I began taking risks and taking on challenges. I wanted to tell real-life stories that would make me seem extraordinary.
Between my senior year of high school and the middle of college, I’d lost 30 pounds to fit into a varsity slot on the wrestling team, ran 50 miles in a 24-hour period during a charity event and wrestled an adult entertainer in a kiddie pool of Jell-O in the center of campus. The events themselves were exhilarating. Gaining the ability to tell these stories over and over for the rest of my lifetime was pure joy.
By the time my junior year rolled around, I tried telling other stories. I wrote plays and short fiction to be able to tell stories about characters I’d created. Some were thinly veiled representations of my own life. Others were fantastical adventures inspired by shows like “The Twilight Zone,” “The X-Files” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Whether the stories came from my own life or from my imagination, I craved the reactions of my peers.
While it took me about a decade after college to find myself, my love for storytelling never faded. I continued to seek out adventures and come up with ideas for new scenarios. I wrote several books filled with plot ideas for other writers. Now it’s time to bring some of my own ideas all the way to completion.
On this blog, I’ll be talking about my upcoming projects. I have three serialized novels in the works with the first scheduled to come out this summer. I’ll also be sharing some of the adventures from my life: my first love, my first book, my first game show appearance (Who Wants to Be A Millionaire in 2012) and more. If you enjoy my real-life tales, my assumption is that you’ll like my fictional ones as well.
Check back every Wednesday for new posts. Sign up to my mailing list to get behind-the-scenes access, early release info and an opportunity to be a part of my creative process.
Thanks for being here. I can’t wait to share my stories with you.
Top Image: Flickr Creative Commons adventure freedom volcano by Yoann Jezequel
Nicely done Byran. I like your honest and forthright writing style and your warm and genuine personality are evident. I look forward to following your journey.
This summer there will many changes in my life which means I won’t have the time I normally could commit, but rest assured, I will visit your blog as often as possible.
I wish you the best in your writing. You will be a success.
Irene
Thank you for following, Irene! I appreciate the well wishes :). Good luck to you with your upcoming summer changes.