Jake Cavanah

Inspiration to tell stories comes to me in various ways. Reading dozens of books a year sparks new ideas. Waking up from a life-changing dream gets the creative juices flowing. People watching influences the characters I fabricate.

Basically, everything I perceive can result in an idea for a story.

My natural inclinations should have been enough to convince me this is the career I am meant to chase, but the path to pursue storytelling hit a few speed bumps. For nearly three years, I spent time in the corporate world in two different roles. At times it was enjoyable, but most of the time I experienced high levels of stress and forced my work to reflect enthusiasm. If my gut telling me to do something new wasn’t a good enough sign (always listen to your gut), getting laid off in early July 2020 was. To the surprise of many, including myself, it caused me to feel incredibly rejuvenated. I felt liberated and received clarity as to what I was meant to do: write.

This moment of enlightenment has led me here.

Countless people, books, and websites have told me becoming a published author is difficult to achieve, but if I let that discourage me, I would not be capable of accomplishing anything worthwhile. Would writing really be my passion if outsiders dictated what I am capable of doing?