Goodreads asked Jared K. Chapman:

How do you get inspired to write?

Jared K. Chapman I've been writing as far as I can remember. I made a little book in 3rd or 4th grade as a class project that was printed by a publisher for my class. It was the coolest thing ever to see my writing in a book. I wrote a novel in 5th grade, but I doubt it was any good. It was some cross between Star Wars and Star Trek mixed with the optimism of youth. In 5th grade, I was introduced to the works of Stephen King, and I read several of his books in a short time. I think he was the first author I remember reading multiple books by... well, he and Anne McCaffrey. I loved the dragonriders. I was caught in this world of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror all through my formative years, which truly influenced what I wanted to write about. In high school, I wrote several short stories, a couple plays, and poems. I actually won an award for one of my poems--Best Paradoxical Love Poem. After high school, I struggled to determine what I wanted to be when I grow up, changing majors several times until finally landing on psychology and religious studies. Even so, a novel I began after graduating high school I continued to write...I continue to write that novel to this day. I'm not sure it will ever be finished. It's an epic vampire story where vampire's do not sparkle. I was really into vampires in high school. I took a film class in college that inspired me to write screenplays, so I did that for awhile, and I made some short films. Played in some festivals. I really never stopped writing, but what inspired me the most was always the amazing books I read. I wanted to be like the authors of those books. I wanted to inspire others as they had inspired me.

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