Growing up an avid reader, junior Hector Gonzales became interested in writing in the sixth grade upon the completion of a narrative writing assignment. As he found himself more dedicated to the craft, Gonzalez bought several different journals to keep track of all of his stories.

Gonzales keeps an open mind, which allows him to find inspiration in almost anything. He is often influenced by television, video games, and books. He mostly enjoys writing works of fiction, but he does sometimes dabble with nonfiction.

“Though I do try to avoid [real life events] due to the fact that there are much more repercussions and weight to using real life events as inspiration for fictional works. One has to be very careful to have the utmost respect when working on something that requires source material,” Gonzalez said. “No matter what I tend to dedicate myself wholeheartedly into working on my fictional worlds.”

“No matter what I tend to dedicate myself wholeheartedly into working on my fictional worlds.”

While some believe video games numb the creative process, Gonzalez couldn’t use them more to his advantage. He mostly enjoys playing first person shooters and role playing games, where every choice impacts some aspect of that digital world. Role playing games tend to have a story, and show character progression.

“Character progression is one thing that I love as a writer, seeing a character grow is so satisfying even if you are the one paving the path they will grow on,” Gonzalez explained. “My two biggest hobbies are writing and playing video games; I would imagine you would be hard pressed to find me after school without a pencil or a controller in my hands.”

“My two biggest hobbies are writing and playing video games; I would imagine you would be hard pressed to find me after school without a pencil or a controller in my hands.”

Not only have role playing games helped Gonzales show the growth in his characters over the course of his stories, but they also gave them a backstory as well.

“His writing is very unique and fun to read. His story lines are intricate and creative, and you can definitely feel his passion for the story when you read it,” said junior Summer Khouvilay.

As another friend who admires his work, junior Angel Castaneda is able to see Gonzalez’s dedication to his stories.

“The writing and stories he has created over that past few years are something which he should truly be proud of. The stories and the cast of characters he has created are amazing and interesting to read; his stories really make me get lost in the world he has created,” Castaneda said.

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Like all other writers, Gonzalez occasionally finds himself at a creative halt in his writing flow. He believes it’s not in the story’s best interest to power straight through a writer’s block, but to find a way around it. He often does by referring to other literature which may spark an idea.

Gonzalez also lends a helping hand to a friend overseas who just recently developed a passion for writing. He is in the process of helping her find a writing style and an interest in which she would like her stories to build upon. They’re also planning on conducting writing exercises together once she feels more comfortable with her abilities.

Gonzalez’s seemingly obvious career choice would be to publish his novels and become a best-selling author, but Gonzalez knows the hardships of the trade.

“I am fully aware of not only the difficulties of getting book published are, but also the difficulties to pushing it,” he said. “Writing a novel is only a part of publishing a novel, though because of my love for storytelling it is a challenge I am willing to face when I’m a bit older and solidified my style of writing.”

“Writing a novel is only a part of publishing a novel, though because of my love for storytelling it is a challenge I am willing to face when I’m a bit older and solidified my style of writing.”

Instead, Gonzalez would like to pursue a career in writing the stories behind video games or animated shows.

“Video games [are] very interesting since they are an interactive story where the player, that being you, are the main driving force. As for the animated shows, I think that would be the best medium for the kind of stories that I write in my free time,” Gonzalez said.

Featured Photo Credit: Julie Knowles/The Foothill Dragon Press