A Brief Autobiography

Me holding the first published copy of my first novel

I'll admit - being a published author wasn't on my "Life" bingo card. I grew up despising writing, and couldn't wait until I never had to write a stupid essay on some obscure 19th century American novel ever again. 

I always hated writing because I felt forced to care about something I didn't. I couldn't give two craps about The Great Gatsby. He was a loser who wasted his God-given gifts chasing after a married woman. I wouldn't have much else to say. Yet, I had to write pages and pages about the depth of his story. Rinse and repeat with a pile of 20th century novels. I grew to hate writing, feeling like I wasn't cut out for it because I never felt inspired. In reality, I just needed to find inspiration elsewhere.

Fast forward to 2020. I just graduated college with my chemical engineering degree, but I couldn't work yet. I had an entire summer to do whatever I wanted. Me being...myself, I decided to turn my parent's backyard into an Amish-level garden. I spent so many days outside, being in nature, getting sunshine, and watching the lifecycle of plants up until harvest time. Looking back, it was an incredibly peaceful and healing time of my life.

And, wouldn't you know it, I found way more inspiration in that time than any of the time I spent in school. I began praying more, finding more joy in life, and eventually, I wanted to write a story about it. 

And, for the following three years, I slowly chipped away until I ended up with the book you see me holding here. Of course, I had wonderful support along the way, including my now wife, Lauren and my mentor, Clay. I can safely say that without them, I'd probably still be staring at a pile of manuscripts going nowhere.

Now, I love writing. I love being able to brighten someone else's day with a good story, inspired by the goodness I see working in God's creation. It's amazing what playing in the dirt can teach you.