Brian J Lang

When I was sixteen years old, I was reading "Billy Budd" by Herman Melville for my English class. My friend and I were pretty much bored out of our minds. My friend said to me, "We could probably do better than this." To which, being sixteen, I agreed.

Thus I embarked on becoming a writer. My first attempt was laughable, a James Bond clone that proved one thing only: I could conceive of and write a story from page 1 to page n but that didn't make it a good book. Thus, Ian Gemini (yep, that was his name) was laid to rest.

Over the course of time I improved, stealing less and creating more. I went to school at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland and studied English with a Creative Writing focus. I learned from published authors. I had to keep my mouth shut while my peers ripped my work to shreds. Most importantly, my writing continued to get better. I wrote a novel as my thesis and at some point I may go back, pull it out of mothballs, and see if it stands up.

At some point I decided to shift away from thrillers and write fantasy. I found my creative juices tended toward more of the fantastical, of magic and monsters. I found an amazing writing group willing to give me feedback about my story and characters.

I found my voice, and as a writer that's a critical component.

It's clear that at sixteen I was full of hubris. And now, I am full of humility. To Mr. Melville, both an apology and a "thank you." Without "Billy Budd" I would not have become a writer myself.