I’m A Reader, First, And Foremost.

In The Literary World, Writing Will Forever Be My Second Love

(Photo of a few books from my personal library, which includes my two self-published books)

My journey as a writer began as a reader, and I would leave countless books well-read as I traveled towards what I would eventually realize was my purpose in life…writing.

“The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” by Alex Haley, was the book that started it all for me. This literary masterpiece made such an impression on me that I began to emulate the life of the man it’s based on, he became my mentor, via the words he shared with the author that is. My obsession with this book would establish an insatiable hunger for enlightenment within me, anything that suggested enhancement of intellect, I had to read it.

From self-help to fiction, I was evolving intellectually with each effort I completed. Reading became like second nature, nothing mattered more than to know how others thought about matters I deemed valuable. Seeing that most of the books I read were borrowed, I took a lot of notes, and I would refer back to said notes on a daily basis, this was to incorporate them into my subconscious. I wouldn’t realize it until much later in life that my note-taking was the first step towards me becoming a creative writer.

I use to read to the sounds of music, it was as if the two went hand in hand. When I listened to rap songs it was all about the lyrics first, if I couldn’t feel what was being said instantaneously, it was over. It was my obsession with enhancing the intellect that I was trying to appease, lyrics that weren’t necessarily promoting enlightenment, but that was making me think.

My creative writing career officially began with me writing rap lyrics, ones that were laced with unique and witty wordplay, because I felt that this would have me stand out from amongst the rest. As I was writing my one of a kind rap verses, I was still reading religiously. I read “The Hunger Games Trilogy,” by Suzanne Collins, in five days, it would be the concept of this series that would initiate my desire to write my own book. Where The Hunger Games Trilogy sparked my author flame, “King Con,” by Stephen J. Cannell, was the fuel that started the fire that would establish my author's spirit.

The storyline of King Con was so compelling that after I read the last word, I began to read the book all over again. I just couldn’t believe that one man’s mind could create a story so appealing, because it’s very complex indeed. After I finished the book for the second time, my mind was made up that I was going to write my own unforgettable story.

Before I began to create the greatest story never told I reintroduced myself to the dictionary, you see, I needed to know how to combine the right words, to produce the desired result. Every day, for hours on end, I’d read my dictionary as if it was King Con or The Autobiography of Malcolm X. After I read the book that would become my third favorite, twice (The Autobiography of Malcolm X and “Breaking The Chains Of Psychological Slavery,” by Na’im Akbar, were one and two, respectively), I began to outline the story for “It Was Destined…Urban Legend,” which would end up becoming my second self-published book.

It Was Destined…Urban Legend was a story that lived in my mind for many years, I just never had a real desire to bring it into existence, that is until I read The Hunger Games Trilogy and King Con. I wanted to create a piece of literature that would captivate the attention of the readers, as the four aforementioned books had done with me. After the completion of the first five chapters (it’s ten in total), I lost the desire to write the story that had literally become the center of my life. My obsession with writing It Was Destined…Urban Legend was replaced by a feeling to write a book I never even considered, that is, until this exact day.

“Positive Energy 24/7” was inspired by a question from a good friend, which was: “Have you ever thought about writing a self-help book?” The question stemmed from the fact that for 5-years I use to post original inspirational quotes in a group I created called “Daily Dose,” which is apart of the Facebook platform. The question was the seed, me constantly thinking on it was the water, and God was the Master Gardener, who was going to assist in seeing that this crop was brought to harvest. You see, Positive Energy 24/7 is what God wanted me to create, so He ensured that I came across that first book, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, to ensure I’d end up exactly where He wanted me to be.

In 2018 I completed Positive Energy 24/7, shortly after the fact I held a finished copy in my hand, and immediately after this, the feeling I once had for It Was Destined…Urban Legend returned. For my sacrifice, not only did God restore the desire I once had for my first book, which ended up becoming my second book, He gave me a better way to present it, via Positive Energy 24/7.

For the most part, I reworked the storyline for It Was Destine…Urban Legend to have a Positive Energy 24/7 feel. After It Was Destine…Urban Legend was completed in 2019, and I held it in my hands for the first time, my way of writing had been solidified. Said way derived shortly after I had reacquainted myself with the dictionary, but it wouldn’t become clear until the completion of my second book. Now, everything I write is written to encourage, enlighten, and entertain. True story.

So, in the literary world, reading will always be my first love because it’s responsible for my second love, which quite naturally is writing. The best writers are always better readers, because who’s better at helping an author improve than another author? Read more, write less, and what you write, will read its best.

I’m currently putting the finishing touches on my third book which is entitled, “The Gumbo: Food For Thought,” it’s scheduled for release in July of this year.

Thank you for reading my story and I hope that you can draw inspiration from it. Happy reading, writing, and mingling.