Richard Lawhon

My life is a story of contradictions.

I was born in the United States and have never crossed its border, and yet, for as long as I can remember, my attention has ventured far outside, to the wondrous and strange. I'm captivated by foreign cultures, ancient and modern, and my writing reflects this.

I was raised by a religious family, who sent me to a devout academy, and yet, as early as ten years old, I spent my days writing dark and fantastical short stories for my friends—stories of which no teacher from my academy would have approved. Often something terrible would befall the protagonists, who happened to be my friends, but that didn't stop them from wanting to read more. Today, I'm as far from devout as one can get, but thoughts of deities and immortality still occupy my mind.

I struggled through my Creative Writing courses (random prompts are not my friends), and yet, despite excelling in math and music, I chose the path of an author. I tell myself I want a simple life, but I'm not content unless I'm doing something difficult. I'm not happy unless I'm translating dreams into words.

I laugh easily and make friends as quickly as a fool with a winning lottery ticket, and yet, when it comes to writing, there's a fire inside me that can burn those without a kindred drive. This isn't a hobby for me—it's a passion—and I give all I can to bring my stories to life.