My whole life, I have always bounced between passion projects. My fire sways as I accomplish certain goals I want to achieve. Always, it has been to tell stories. When I was a kid, I’d draw little picture books and have my mom write the words for me. As I got older, I drew comic books for my third-grade class (as many know, one of these eventually became the Song of Kamaria.) In high school, my friends and I would record ourselves doing comedy sketches and share them with the drama club. In College, that filmmaking passion grew, and I made several “Machinimas” in the Sims and other video games that supported movie making through modding. There, I decided to go into Computer Animation as a major in College, which put me on my career path in Previsualization in Hollywood.

When that wasn’t scratching the itch, I attempted to make an animated short film on my own but decided it might be time to try writing the story instead. That’s where you come in as readers. Starting in 2017, I began writing In the Orbit of Sirens, eventually publishing it in October 2020. I was thrilled with the response and uncertain if I could ever do it again. But I did. I finished a long term goal of mine to make a science fiction trilogy the way I wanted to. And to follow it up, I made the weirdest book I could with a more lighthearted tone than my trilogy. I love all the characters I met along the way during that process, and I am so happy that many readers have come along for my journey through Lodespace and Beyond.

So where am I now?
Well, I have a fully outlined book, Supernova Wildflower, ready to write, but I’m unsure if I have the passion to do so right now. I found myself getting overly anxious and, at times, very depressed. I tried a few things to boost interactions, but I felt like I was just annoying people. I felt like I was breaking a promise I made to myself by trying to keep my head above water in the ever-changing Social Media landscape. I decided to try pulling back, dipping away into the background, and cheering on the new wave of writers and bloggers who have found their footing. I love watching this book community grow and will always try and promote it when I can.

For myself, I think it’s time to focus on my life ahead. I reserve the right to write Supernova Wildflower whenever the fire comes back (who knows, maybe I’ll adapt it into a graphic novel instead). But for now, it’s time to just live a little and focus on my family and friends. I’m managing my stress and anxiety better by limiting my time on social media and deleting some of the apps on my phone entirely. I say this only to let everyone know that although I may be quieter online or miss certain things, I’m still around and rooting for you. You may see me post some book-related stuff on my Instagram from time to time too, just less so.

As always, I hope everyone has a great summer and enjoys whatever adventures they go on in life or in fiction.

Cheers,
—T. A.