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The Fall into Oblivion

Illustration for Nathaniel Wonderful's Writing journey​
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The Journey of My Writing

Growing up in a land devoid of rich opportunities to master foreign languages, I was tethered to my native tongue, spoken only within the borders of the Czech Republic. My hearing, plagued by an inability to distinguish and filter tones, limited my learning mostly to the written word. Nonetheless, the pursuit of English books proved arduous, and in the days of my youth, such publications were both rare and expensive.

I can still vividly recall the moment when, at the age of seventeen, I stumbled upon a modest bookshelf lined with a solitary row of English books. This was in 2007, in the newly opened state library opposite my high school. By then, I had begun delving into manga, relying primarily on fan translations online. It was two years after my mother’s passing, and I had already entered over twenty literary competitions, none of which bore fruit nor offered a whisper of feedback.

A few years before, my will to write had already begun to wane, starved for mentorship and guidance. Desperate for knowledge, I combed through Czech translations of fantasy literature, and sought out chances to meet authors who could illuminate my path. My moment of reckoning arrived in 2006 when I discovered a distant festival for fantasy and sci-fi fans, some 400 kilometres from home.

With hope in my heart, I journeyed to this haven of creativity, only to meet authors who were consumed by vanity. Among them was Andrzej Sapkowski, the creator of The Witcher, the series that had been my first gateway into the realm of fantasy. Drunk and surly, Sapkowski railed against his own creation, refusing autographs and expressing disdain for the illustrations in the Czech edition of his work.

That disheartening encounter shattered the remnants of my dreams. In the years that followed, I attended more festivals, all of which left me with the same bitter taste of disappointment. I turned to text RPGs in search of a creative outlet, but even they devolved into mediocre adult fanfiction, tailored to suit the desires of others while leaving me unfulfilled. It was then that I realised a bitter truth: to publish in the Czech Republic, one needed connections or the willingness to flatter and fawn—neither of which I possessed.

By the time I graduated from high school, I had abandoned writing altogether. I sought refuge far from this arid creative wasteland, moving to Japan for three years. Yet, even though I left writing behind, I found myself returning to it once more in 2019, when I met my wife. The decade-long absence had dulled my desire to write, and that passion had almost slipped into oblivion. But it was resurrected, now tempered by new challenges and obstacles, not least of which was my hearing impairment.

This time, however, I am not walking the path alone. My wife, Raine Stonewall, stands by my side, a fellow traveller and co-author, as we help each other face our inner demons.

Have you, too, experienced such a hiatus in your writing, fellow authors?
Do you have your Valkyrie, guiding you to the Valhalla of writers?
And amidst the trials of creation, do you still hold onto hope?

Share your stories with me.

This is the second in a series of articles Writing journey, and I will post them regularly to slowly uncover the path of my journey as a writer. You can continue reading with the next one: Sleeping Under the Surface

Yours Truly,

Nathaniel Wonderful

Illumine the world

Author

nathanielwonderful@gmail.com

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