It has recently come to my attention that reaching my demographic is a real challenge. I love to write; I have been writing almost everyday for the past 21 years. I love to share a good story. And, to be frank, I know I’ve been playing to an empty theater with my craft. So this is my way to try to reach out to anyone with an imaginative heart and a listening ear.

Why do I love to tell the Forgotten Princess story so much? What makes it meaningful for me? When I was growing up, I would write for the sole joy of the creative process. Some kids my age still had imaginary friends. I was putting my imaginary friends’ stories on paper. Writing a story was like an opportunity to visit a dear friend. I am, admittedly, introverted, and in many ways I found it difficult to make friends as a kid, so even if these characters were only alive in my own imagination, I loved being able to bring them to life. It’s one of the joys of being an author: we get to keep our imaginary friends.

I suppose I can relate in many ways to this story’s heroes: Jendra, Leon, Toby, and Amnesia.

Jendra’s story is, admittedly, very different from my own. I grew up with two parents who have always loved me, made their love very evident, and to this day, I’m thankful to have them in my life. Jendra’s mother died when she was six and her father abandoned her a year later. She was adopted by a crotchety old doctor. But she was an outcast. Many shied away from her. They thought that because she was curious, adventurous, she could somehow be dangerous. In some ways, I can identify with her, an outcast to some degree. No kid wants to feel abandoned, alone. But it was Jendra’s determination to be true to herself, regardless of what others thought, that really endeared her to me. And I would love to connect with others who might, for one reason or another, feel abandoned. I want them to know that if we’re true to ourselves, there will always be someone to take us in, appreciate us for who we are. Someone like Leon.

Leon is the one that everyone is sure is going someplace wonderful. He’s aspired to be a significant person in his city, having studied to be a doctor. He’s the one Jendra looks to for help with her homework, so to speak. I can relate to him. When I was in school, I was the young man others would look to for help with their homework. I was voted most likely to succeed. Somehow, the direction I found myself going was different than anyone ever expected for me. I didn’t attain much by way of success, as anyone might put it. But though Leon’s direction in life is different than anyone anticipated, he’s still proven, time and time again, to be someone others can depend on. Even when things appear grim, he somehow finds a way to endure, even while he’s helping others. He’s the sort of person we all need as a friend, and the sort of friend we should all aspire to be.  Frankly, I may be well into adulthood, but I’m still hoping I can grow up to be Leon.

Toby is drawn from another part of my being, at the heart of my devious nature. He’s not a hero, at least not yet. Indeed, he’s an instigator, somehow eager to get himself into trouble. I think, in some ways, we need to have a bit of him somewhere in our hearts too. We need to remember not to take life too seriously.  Something I’ve begun to unearth in his nature is his ability to bounce back when life beats him down and kicks dirt in his face. We’ve either all been there or we’re going to be at some point in life. But if we can rebound, perhaps find a way to laugh again, we’ll somehow make it through.

Amnesia represents a clean start. She doesn’t remember where she’s been. I remember some things a little too well. I suppose most of us do. On the other hand, she doesn’t know where she’s going. In that, we all are like her. Life may take us to unexpected places. We may not always have the answers. We just need to keep moving forward, trusting that somehow life will work out okay. I have hazy ideas about what might become of Amnesia in the remainder of this series. But I really like not knowing some things. I like the wonder of a new world to explore. I don’t know if I would survive if my life suddenly became a clean slate, but a part of me is curious to find out what life might be like from a fresh perspective. Perhaps that is why we read, to see things through another person’s eyes. I wonder if, in spite of what I know, I could approach life from a fresh perspective anyhow, get a fresh start. I wonder if anyone else out there might feel the same.

I think about the Forgotten Princess series. It’s full of adventure and whimsy and crazy extraterrestrial fun, but there’s still something there at the heart of this story that begs me to keep writing, something that runs deeper than a few cheap laughs.

For those of you who may not read my blog, I regularly share writing advice. I’d like to share a single point of importance for others taking the writer’s journey, in hopes that it might prove useful. Approach a story as a comedic masterpiece, and you’ll only ever achieve a single note. If it’s not funny, the audience turns away. On the other hand, approach a story from an open mind and heart, and the humor will come, as will the tears, and flow freely, but a note of truth will carry through the work. Truth will be its essence. And that is what means real value to a piece of literature.

It gives me joy to experience the journey of the Forgotten Princess series. I would love to continue to delve deeper. But that’s only part of a writer’s journey. The other part is connecting with others. It is my hope that I should not continue this writer’s journey alone.