Philip asked Jason Parent:

When and why did you begin writing?

Jason Parent When I was in fifth grade, I wrote my first short story for a class. It was a fantasy piece, and I remember being immensely proud of it. I also remember my brother getting hold of it, and to this day, he still makes fun of it on occasion. He was right: the story was terrible. But it was my first indicator that writing could be fun...

I really started writing more consistently early on in college at what was a very hard time for me personally-bad break-up, lost a friend, etc. We've all been there, I'm sure. But writing became an escape. I wrote fantasy then, too. I was a regular George R.R. Martin... if he had seven strokes, a lobotomy, became a zombie and then tried to write about the Iron Islands and Braavos, and that still might be giving it too much credit. But I nearly completed my first novel then. Wonder where it is now...

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