Building a Creative Life: My Journey Toward Becoming a Full-Time Author

For as long as I can remember, stories have been at the center of my life.

Not just reading them, but living inside them, imagining them, and eventually writing them. Over the years, that love of storytelling has taken me down some unexpected paths—from studying archaeology and working in environmental compliance, to consulting in Washington, D.C., to eventually returning to a quieter life where creativity could take up more space.

Somewhere along the way, writing stopped being something I did on the side and became something much deeper. It became a calling.

Today, my goal is simple in theory and complex in practice: to build a life as a full-time author.

But what that actually means goes beyond simply writing books.

Writing the Stories I Love

At the heart of everything I do are my novels. I write queer fiction across genres—romantic suspense, horror, and romantasy—because I love exploring the many ways people find connection, courage, and love in difficult circumstances.

Stories have always been one of the ways we understand ourselves and each other. Writing them feels like participating in a long tradition of storytelling that stretches back centuries.

Right now, I’m continuing to work on new projects, including Echoes of Us and The Crown We Bury. Each book is its own journey, and each one teaches me something new about writing, creativity, and persistence.

Publishing books is never the end of the process—it’s just the beginning of a conversation with readers.

Building Community Through Writing

One of the most surprising and rewarding parts of becoming an author has been discovering how much writing thrives in community.

Writing can feel solitary, but creativity grows when people share ideas, encouragement, and space to explore their work.

That realization is part of what inspired me to start hosting writing retreats and creative gatherings for LGBTQ+ writers and allies. These retreats bring together people who are working on novels, memoirs, poetry, and everything in between. They offer time to write, learn, and simply exist in a supportive, creative environment.

My hope is that these spaces help writers reconnect with their work and remember why they started telling stories in the first place.

Sharing the Process

Another part of my creative life is sharing the journey itself—through blogging, YouTube videos, newsletters, and conversations with other writers.

I believe there’s value in being open about the realities of building a creative career. The excitement, the uncertainty, the slow progress, and the moments when everything suddenly clicks.

There’s no single path to becoming an author. Every writer finds their own way.

For me, that path includes writing novels, hosting retreats, building creative communities, and continuing to learn about the craft of storytelling.

The Road Ahead

Becoming a full-time author isn’t something that happens overnight. It’s something built gradually—book by book, reader by reader, conversation by conversation.

But every step along the way matters.

Every story written.
Every reader who connects with a character.
Every writer who finds encouragement in a creative community.

Those small moments are what make this journey meaningful.

And if you’re here reading this, you’re part of that journey too.

Thank you for being here, for reading, and for supporting independent storytelling.

There are many more stories ahead.
– Arden