I forgot to introduce myself...
Well, this is embarrassing...
I was looking through my posts earlier this week, and realized that I hadn't actually given you a blurb about who/what/when/where/how I am. So, I guess it's time to do that. Plus, I'm rushing to get this written so I can get it out by my self-imposed deadline.
I'm Jeff Diamond, and I grew up in the shadow of the Wasatch mountain range in north-central Utah. It's dry and the weather is weird, but it's home. I spent my entire childhood in one house and am the third of three boys, both of which were teenagers when I was born. Big spread.
I did a lot of music in school, beginning when I was in sixth grade when I took up playing the trumpet. In eighth grade, I added percussion to that, and got into marching band, jazz band and concert band playing my trumpet. I loved it, and enjoyed writing various things on the side (none of which will ever see the light of day). I also fell in love with Japan—the language (my high school was one of the few that offered Japanese classes), the culture and history. Oddly enough, it wasn't manga and anime that got me interested in Japan. It was actually a game called Shogun: Total War. It's set in the sengoku-jidai, or warring states period. I was hooked at that point.
Fast forward to my college years. I attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where I also joined the marching band, and waffled for a long time what to major in. I thought of a lot of things, ranging from music education to comparative literature. I remembered my love of Japanese, and decided to major in that. I also decided that learning Mandarin Chinese would help my Japanese, so I decided to double-major in the two. That lasted four semesters of mind-numbing insanity.
I dropped the Chinese major, and now I only remember a handful of phrases. One of which is an insult. I'm keeping that one. But on the other hand, I actually used my Japanese. Once I graduated, I moved with my wife of three years and my ten-month-old son to Japan. We'd lived in a town between Osaka and Kyoto for a couple months during an internship (while my wife was still pregnant), but we were now moving to Tokyo so I could start teaching English as a second language in a private eikaiwa (English lesson) school. I taught everyone from third grade through age 95 (she loved coming, what can I say?). I hated every second. I got to know a couple of people while I was there that I absolutely loved spending time around, and one person I'd rather throw into the sarlacc pit (it was a common thing when something went wrong to simply shout "Ortega!" Everyone would know the situation had gone bad).
I got a job working as an English-language writer/editor at an advertising agency in central Tokyo, and it was heaven. The first real job I ever had, with people I liked, and who (I think) liked me back. It put all the racism I'd endured from a small minority of Japanese people into its proper perspective.
It was about this time that I remembered something. Back before I was into Japanese. Before I got into music. I'd always wanted to be a writer. I was the kid who went to the public library and checked out as many books as my mom would let me (she told me the library would only let you have a certain number out at a time. What a liar). I devoured books all through my childhood, into adolescence and still do to this day. I've always got a dead-tree book with me, and I'm either plugged into an audiobook or a podcast when I'm not able to sit and read. Hell, when I was in fourth grade, I was reading at an adult level. I read that much. And that's what led me to dream of being an author.
I started listening to writing podcasts—mainly Writing Excuses, and I did what they said not to do. They advised against listening to every episode since they began, but I bucked that advice and listened to everything from seasons one through five, and I caught up on six, and have been a weekly listener ever since. I've started and stopped listening to others, but all the while, I've been working on different projects, although one or two have been my main focus.
We came back to America and lived the dream. We bought a house and started a life with our two kids (one born in Japan. Cool, eh?), and I started a job as a marketing writer.
Then epilepsy hit. I was totally blindsided, and the medications I took made it so I lost my job. Needless to say, I was really depressed. Why did it have to happen? I became a stay-at-home parent, but my wife and I realized the situation would give me a lot more time to work on my fiction.
One day, a neighbor of my in-laws found out I was a writer. And he contacted me. It was a surprise when I got the notification that J Scott Savage sent me a message—especially since I went to school with one of his kids. Why would he be contacting me? It's not like I knew his child well, or anything...
Well, it turned out to be more than that. We got talking, and I was able to get a lot of good advice from him, including information about a local writing conference, LDStorymakers. He said it was pretty big for the area, and a lot of good writers were there. I was expecting a lot of self-pub and small-pub authors, but I got so much more.
Why were James Dashner, Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Sarah Eden and Allie Condie doing here?
I've been to this conference every year sine then. This upcoming May will mark my fourth time, and it's three of the best days of the year. Getting to know people—writers (many of which are a little socially awkward), agents, editors and publishers—is one of the most fun things I can imagine. Not just because I like rubbing elbows with some of the most popular authors in publishing. But because all these people are the same brand of weird as me.
And so I guess that brings me to the end of this post. You're all caught up. I have a beautiful wife, a cat and three kids (the newest addition was born two and a half weeks ago!). I love to write. I love Star Wars (I'm also a member of the 501st Legion. How's that for nerdy?), baseball and Pepsi. And I've found a place where I fit in.
The wonderful thing about being a writer, in my opinion, is that everyone is accepting. We all love to make up stories with the imaginary friends that follow us everywhere. If nothing else, being a writer allows that little bit of childhood to stick with you. You don't have to get rid of the little Cinderella mice you carry in your pocket, because you can think up a fun adventure for them to go on. You don't have to tell your tall, skinny (invisible) girlfriend to go away, because you can write a fantastic romance where the two of you are the center of the universe. And no matter what, other writers will accept you. Sure, there are times this isn't true (Ursula K. LeGuin was amazing at breaking down barriers), but most authors are glad to welcome you with open arms into the literary community.
Let's all sit down and write something fun together.
Thanks for wreading!
Jeff
I was looking through my posts earlier this week, and realized that I hadn't actually given you a blurb about who/what/when/where/how I am. So, I guess it's time to do that. Plus, I'm rushing to get this written so I can get it out by my self-imposed deadline.
I'm Jeff Diamond, and I grew up in the shadow of the Wasatch mountain range in north-central Utah. It's dry and the weather is weird, but it's home. I spent my entire childhood in one house and am the third of three boys, both of which were teenagers when I was born. Big spread.
I did a lot of music in school, beginning when I was in sixth grade when I took up playing the trumpet. In eighth grade, I added percussion to that, and got into marching band, jazz band and concert band playing my trumpet. I loved it, and enjoyed writing various things on the side (none of which will ever see the light of day). I also fell in love with Japan—the language (my high school was one of the few that offered Japanese classes), the culture and history. Oddly enough, it wasn't manga and anime that got me interested in Japan. It was actually a game called Shogun: Total War. It's set in the sengoku-jidai, or warring states period. I was hooked at that point.
Fast forward to my college years. I attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where I also joined the marching band, and waffled for a long time what to major in. I thought of a lot of things, ranging from music education to comparative literature. I remembered my love of Japanese, and decided to major in that. I also decided that learning Mandarin Chinese would help my Japanese, so I decided to double-major in the two. That lasted four semesters of mind-numbing insanity.
I dropped the Chinese major, and now I only remember a handful of phrases. One of which is an insult. I'm keeping that one. But on the other hand, I actually used my Japanese. Once I graduated, I moved with my wife of three years and my ten-month-old son to Japan. We'd lived in a town between Osaka and Kyoto for a couple months during an internship (while my wife was still pregnant), but we were now moving to Tokyo so I could start teaching English as a second language in a private eikaiwa (English lesson) school. I taught everyone from third grade through age 95 (she loved coming, what can I say?). I hated every second. I got to know a couple of people while I was there that I absolutely loved spending time around, and one person I'd rather throw into the sarlacc pit (it was a common thing when something went wrong to simply shout "Ortega!" Everyone would know the situation had gone bad).
I got a job working as an English-language writer/editor at an advertising agency in central Tokyo, and it was heaven. The first real job I ever had, with people I liked, and who (I think) liked me back. It put all the racism I'd endured from a small minority of Japanese people into its proper perspective.
It was about this time that I remembered something. Back before I was into Japanese. Before I got into music. I'd always wanted to be a writer. I was the kid who went to the public library and checked out as many books as my mom would let me (she told me the library would only let you have a certain number out at a time. What a liar). I devoured books all through my childhood, into adolescence and still do to this day. I've always got a dead-tree book with me, and I'm either plugged into an audiobook or a podcast when I'm not able to sit and read. Hell, when I was in fourth grade, I was reading at an adult level. I read that much. And that's what led me to dream of being an author.
I started listening to writing podcasts—mainly Writing Excuses, and I did what they said not to do. They advised against listening to every episode since they began, but I bucked that advice and listened to everything from seasons one through five, and I caught up on six, and have been a weekly listener ever since. I've started and stopped listening to others, but all the while, I've been working on different projects, although one or two have been my main focus.
We came back to America and lived the dream. We bought a house and started a life with our two kids (one born in Japan. Cool, eh?), and I started a job as a marketing writer.
Then epilepsy hit. I was totally blindsided, and the medications I took made it so I lost my job. Needless to say, I was really depressed. Why did it have to happen? I became a stay-at-home parent, but my wife and I realized the situation would give me a lot more time to work on my fiction.
One day, a neighbor of my in-laws found out I was a writer. And he contacted me. It was a surprise when I got the notification that J Scott Savage sent me a message—especially since I went to school with one of his kids. Why would he be contacting me? It's not like I knew his child well, or anything...
Well, it turned out to be more than that. We got talking, and I was able to get a lot of good advice from him, including information about a local writing conference, LDStorymakers. He said it was pretty big for the area, and a lot of good writers were there. I was expecting a lot of self-pub and small-pub authors, but I got so much more.
Why were James Dashner, Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Sarah Eden and Allie Condie doing here?
I've been to this conference every year sine then. This upcoming May will mark my fourth time, and it's three of the best days of the year. Getting to know people—writers (many of which are a little socially awkward), agents, editors and publishers—is one of the most fun things I can imagine. Not just because I like rubbing elbows with some of the most popular authors in publishing. But because all these people are the same brand of weird as me.
And so I guess that brings me to the end of this post. You're all caught up. I have a beautiful wife, a cat and three kids (the newest addition was born two and a half weeks ago!). I love to write. I love Star Wars (I'm also a member of the 501st Legion. How's that for nerdy?), baseball and Pepsi. And I've found a place where I fit in.
The wonderful thing about being a writer, in my opinion, is that everyone is accepting. We all love to make up stories with the imaginary friends that follow us everywhere. If nothing else, being a writer allows that little bit of childhood to stick with you. You don't have to get rid of the little Cinderella mice you carry in your pocket, because you can think up a fun adventure for them to go on. You don't have to tell your tall, skinny (invisible) girlfriend to go away, because you can write a fantastic romance where the two of you are the center of the universe. And no matter what, other writers will accept you. Sure, there are times this isn't true (Ursula K. LeGuin was amazing at breaking down barriers), but most authors are glad to welcome you with open arms into the literary community.
Let's all sit down and write something fun together.
Thanks for wreading!
Jeff
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