"Immunosuppression" is a zombie novella, which focuses on a protagonist with a heart transplant who has survived the initial outbreak of a virus that turns people into zombies. He meets a girl who is very skilled with an axe. Definitely not a normal idea.

The story first came to mind in 2012, when I was in the hospital for three months. I was bored and was coming up with some ideas for interesting stories, and this one made me really stop to think. It started off as sort of a pulpy novel, but would definitely have great characters and a fun story. I started planning the story and worked on it while I was out of the hospital. However, it was put on hold after I received my transplant on October 28, 2012.

After spending months of resting, healing, and neglecting my stories, I decided to get back to work. I came up with other story ideas, but I always wanted to revisit it, although it never felt like the right time at those times. When I did decide to sit down and write it again, I didn't like how I originally planned the ending. It had been a story that I would write for a while and then drop.

I will say that I am happy to have done this story after my transplant though since it gave my a better understanding of what the lifestyle is. Now my pulpy story had a theme: opening up to people who wish to help you when you are in the roughest of situation. It was something I personally had to go through first hand, so I wanted the story to be as authentic to that meaning as possible.

I think I have always been a writer. In elementary school, we had composition books that we had to fill in every day, so I would come of with the strangest of stories. In middle school, there was a huge emphasis on the importance of poetry. That is where I learned the importance of words and what they can be used to do. That was where I found a love of poetry, which took up a lot of my time. Early high school was where I started writing fan fiction of different games and anime that I liked.

It wasn't until later high school where I started working on original material, wanting to bring something to the world that didn't exist before. I would write casually, whenever I was in the mood. when I took a script writing class, that's where I learned The Hero's Journey, and was so impacted by it that I decided I needed to take it more seriously and become a more frequent writer.

It begins with some kind of idea. It's a blend of a premise that I want to start with as well as what message I want the story to have. Then, I write a two page (at least) summary of what the story is; what characters are going to be in it, what events are important, and how will everything end up. Then, I come up with my characters in the same way that actors in theater will score the character that they will play. I also include the wants and needs (as in what my character needs to learn from the story). I do this for each character. After that, I may a bullet-point outline of what the story will be, in great detail. This usually goes on for 8-10 pages. To help me with the outline, I use what is called The Hero's Journey to help me stay on course. It is only after all that work that I actually begin writing the story.

Yes, it's very tedious, and it's led to me simply leaving certain stories. However, when I actually get to the writing process of the story, that becomes the easiest part. All that work is put to use in the story, as I go from point to point in very natural ways.

It was my junior year of high school. I loved the idea of guardian angels; I called it "Three Angels" I believe. I had written dozens of fan fiction in the past, but this was my first original work. The story line was about some loner kid who was given the power to see his three guardian angels (who basically had the personalities of the Power Puff Girls), one of which had fallen in love with him. I had serialized it on a Kingdom Hearts forum I frequent, and got some positive (if I remember correctly) for it. I'll never go back and look at it though; I know that it's crap (haha).

The greatest joy of writing for me is to tell a great story that has some kind of impact. I've started writing stories that have a meaning or purpose, which I feel all great stories do. I hope that those who read these stories read them not only for enjoyment (which I hope they do have), but also get something out of reading it. For example, a lot of the stories I'm writing now involve those with disabilities, specifically those with heart conditions or transplants. Part of it is to help me cope with my own medical issues, but to also reach out to others who are going through similar things and know things will be okay. And they're even accessible to those who don't live with disabilities by simply being a story with powerful characters and a powerful message.

A big inspiration for me is J.K. Rowling. Not only her Harry Potter novels (which I love), but all the fiction she writes has great characters and endurring messages. I'm also a huge fan of Louis Lowry, having been forced to read her works when I was a kid and have grown to love them ever since, as well as Mary Shelley. Another favorite is Nagaru Tanigawa, the Japanese author of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya light novel series. It has such imagination, but also filled with great messages.

A lot of my writing write now seems to be novellas (stories under 40,000 word count) which is reasonable for me. I'm still planning on continuing my Waxing Darkness trilogy, but I feel I need to focus on other things write now. Much of my writing is also going to focus on living with disabilities. I've also got two non-fiction books in the works: one is autobiographical essays while the other is an in-depth examination on one of my favorite anime series: "Puella Magi Madoka Magica"! So yeah, keeping busy.

I'm not going to list them in any particular order:

1. The Giver by Lois Lowry - I love how powerful this story is by being so simple. The message I take away is that it's okay to stand out in a world that seems rather plain or wrong in your view. The characters are very enduring, and I just love the warm feeling I get reading it.

2. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo - This book definitely took a while to read, but it was worth it. Yes, I did see the musical film before reading it, but it definitely was help at times. It has such a powerful look at the endurance of love that exists within everyone. There is also a lot of beautiful quotes from the novel. I feel that everyone should at least try to read this story once in their lifetime.

3. The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa - I think this is the best Haruhi novel out there. A take on "It's a Wonderful Life", it captures what it means to find a place in the world. The characters go through major growth as well as through some of the most interesting challenges I have ever read. Especially when it comes to the character of Yuki Nagato, and what she emotionally has to go through; that's what makes this novel so great.

4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling - A great fantasy novel on it's own, and is my favorite in this particular series. It shows the growth of these characters as it accurate does the transfer of what it means from leaving childhood and becoming more grown up. This was where everything became much more real and darker in the series, introducing conflicts that are very moving. It's a fun, imaginative story that isn't afraid to take a look into the darkness that is the human soul.

5. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - There is a reason why I do no like the Peter Jackson adaptations. The Hobbit is a nice, simple story of a nobody hero who grows and becomes someone worth remembering. Bilbo's transformation through the story as he takes on the adventure head on is inspiring and breath taking. The fantasy elements in this novel as well are great, even when they are some of the more tamer moments like "Riddles in the Dark". The films don't capture what makes this story truly something wroth reading, which is a shame, because it has such a great message.

When I'm not writing, I tend to either watch movies or anime. I'm in love with story telling, and I feel that these two visual mediums are greats tools of that. Movies tell nice, closed stories while anime has such an imagination with different kinds of premises, many of which having something enduring about them. I also tend to play video games (although I am not good at them), and spend a good amount of time reading; both of these done while listening to my music library.

I always wanted my stories to be published, not because I was in it for the money, but because I wanted to share my stories with others. While the "earning tons of money" aspect would have been nice, I never really saw my writing as anything special. I have come to terms with a mindset: I may not be the best writer, but I am a good one, which is a much better mindset that I had allowed myself to believe before. I just want these stories to be read and enjoyed.