When I’m writing, I am N. M. Rudolph, but most people call me Nathan.

My biggest dream is to write all the books. There are far too many reasons that contribute to that desire, so I can only capture a few for you here and now.

The first and simplest reason for my insatiable dream is that I grew up with books. One of my earliest memories is planting myself near the bookshelf that contained the multi-volume encyclopedia. There was something captivating about snagging a random letter and traipsing through unexpected worlds. Since then, I have developed a specific fancy for fantasy and science fiction, but I still carry that simple fascination with the unknown.

The next big reason is that the world is a loud and confusing place, and I want to be heard. Even more so, I want to be understood. I am sure that I’m not the only one who has battled for a space where my thoughts and feelings won’t be drowned out by all the other voices clamoring for attention. Fueled by that desire, I’ve worked very hard to wield my words well. There’s a bittersweetness attached to this facet because it was planted in a kind of soil that felt stifled, but it has grown into an awareness of my own thoughts and feelings as well as those of others.

A lighter but larger reason is that I am addicted to stories. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a hunger for backstories especially. “Backstories” are basically the same things as prequels, but they specifically do the job of answering the “Why?” questions. I hinted at it already, but I tend to read only fiction novels. I still believe the why’s are of critical importance, and the essence of stories is to answer that question. I’ve often spoken with friends who believe that fiction is all well and good for passing the time, but they tend to be a waste of time. To the contrary, I believe fiction stories are drastically more important because they pull out the pitons that anchor us to the mundane and let us get swept up into possibilities. Even if these “possibilities” are pure fantasy, they still stretch our imaginations and our hopes.

The last reasons I’ll give you today is that, due to the many variables and experiences throughout my life, I have to write. Technically, I’m always writing something—emails, texts, and what have you—but those don’t count toward relieving the pressure that builds up inside my spirit each day that I don’t write. I have to write stories: no matter how small or fleeting. I don’t always recognize that it’s due to literary dryness, but I can always feel the layers of grime coating my psyche as they pile up. Each and every time I write (even prose like this helps), I feel lighter. I feel healthier. I feel more hopeful. I feel more solid.

Similarly, there are so many reasons why I publish: closely related but still distinct from writing.

Because there are so many weighty reasons, I’m going to share just one.

I want you to know that the world is huge: larger than you can possibly imagine. I mentioned that a few of my acquaintances will laud the value of non-fiction over fiction, usually referencing its practical value. While I don’t resent practical people and I wish them well in their predictable patterns, the world is not remotely so small. Again, if you prefer a simpler, smaller world for yourself—goodness, I often prefer a tiny world that shuts out almost everything and everyone—I will honor your desire. However—even on my tiniest, most exhausted days—I never want to pretend that the world must shrink to my capacities.

Thus, with my literature, I primarily want to show my readers that the world is huge. I want you to see that you can imagine grander, feel deeper, hope farther, hurt sharper, and heal richer than if you had just settled into the given paradigms.

This does not mean each (or any) of my books will shake your world view or grant you an epiphany, but I do hope (and suspect) that each publication of mine will leave you with at least one new flavor, one new color, one new note that you’ll start noticing in the world from that day on.

My friends, I am N. M. Rudolph, and I invite you to come see the world from new—or at least fictional—perspectives.