Etymology (or, the origin) of Redscone: My user name is an anagram of esconder. During my stint as an active role-player, an old friend of mine came up with the idea. It stuck with me, and I’ve used it ever since. And, for those of you who are at all interested, the original word, esconder, is Portuguese or Spanish for, “to hide.”

I’ve been writing and concocting crazy, weird stories ever since I could remember. As a young boy, I used to  plead with my parents to take me to Borders (or similar places) that had empty, hard-cover books, which I could then fill with the aforementioned stories. They’d always buy them, of course — and I’d always fill them. I titled the first empty book I got, “The Book of Stuart’s Stories.” And, of course, every subsequent book I received, I titled the same — I only added a 2, or a 3, to the end to be able to differentiate.

None of the stories contained in those hand-written books would have won a Hugo award, or gone on to become a New York Times bestseller, but I sure as heck enjoyed writing them, and seeing the reactions of those I wrote it for. Which, I think, is the entire driving point of becoming a writer.

Oh, and I can’t forget about the infamous book I wrote called, “Quest of Quests.” Another hand-written story. I’d probably be appalled if I dug it up and read it.

As I look back at the stories that I wrote in the past—even as close as a year ago—I can see mistakes I made in my writing that I would never make now: syntax, grammar, spelling, and all-around storytelling. And, as I look back at my previous writing, it hits me every time: I’m improving, I’m getting better at this. And I’m filled with renewed vigor and hope because of it.