Welcome to my writing website!
If you’re reading this post, either I’ve not yet written enough content or you’ve genuinely taken an interest in my writing. Either way, in this post I’ll introduce you to who I am, why I write, and why you might want to read my stories.
Who I am
My name is J. D. Gaylor and I write stories, usually fantastical ones, that are inspired by Japanese culture.
Growing up as a child in small-town Indiana in the 80’s, I could usually be found with a good fantasy book or 20-sided die in hand. I enjoyed exploring alternate realities and sharing them with others, so I dabbled often with creative writing and collective story-telling.
As a young man beginning my post-secondary education, various social pressures guided me away from creative writing and toward a more “practical” discipline – computer programming. As a result, I now have both Bachelors and Masters degrees in Computer Science and have worked for the past fourteen years as a software engineer.
Now over a decade out of university, a number of life experiences have led me to the realization that I have a unique voice, and so I’ve turned my eye back to creative writing as a way to share and enjoy those same fantastic realities I loved so much as a youth. During my career, I’ve had the good fortune to live in Japan for more than five years and work as a sararīman (salaryman), where I learned to speak and read Japanese.
In my writing, my love for Japan’s traditional culture coalesces with my love of fantasy and story-telling.
Why I write
When writing goes well, there is no experience quite like it. I set myself aside and become a conduit through which the characters and story are expressed. I discover my characters and even some of the plot as I write, so the process is quite exhilarating.
Writing itself, though, is a journey of self-discovery. Through inhabiting the minds of a variety of characters, I gain first-hand experience of my own unbounded potential. I realize that, while practical limitations may prevent me from being anything, I’m not limited to just being this or that person.
There are infinite possibilities for how I can choose to write myself in this life.
Why you might care
If you enjoy character-driven, epic fantasy tales with large casts of characters, such as those written by Robert Jordan and J.R.R. Tolkien, then I believe you would enjoy my writing.
In addition, if you love Japanese culture, I believe you will find a rare authenticity to my writing. Although I was raised in a small-town in the United States, I deeply appreciate Japanese culture and believe that my years working in a Japanese company and learning the language combine to lend credibility to my characters and the worlds they inhabit.
What I set out to do in the larger body of my work is to build a fantasy world inspired by feudal Japan that is comparable in complexity to Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series and Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. It is a lofty goal, and very probably I may not get there. At the very least, though, I intend to produce a compelling fantasy world that features Asian characters.
What is coming?
I’m currently working on a collection of short stories tentatively titled “Sketches of Echizo.” The collection will be released as two, free e-books, each consisting of five short stories. The stories will include artwork and feature a cast of various characters from Echizo, a fantasy world of magic, monsters, and more inspired by Japan during the Sengoku Period (c. 1467-1615), when perpetual war and political intrigue plagued the country.
More details will follow in an upcoming post. Stay tuned!
