Episode description

Episode 341 - Taylor Duran - A Fantasy Story That Addresses Trauma and Recovery Through Story

My name’s Taylor Duran, and I’m from San Antonio. I love playing pool, spending time with family and writing unique stories that are relatable. I attended the University of Texas at San Antonio, on and off for five years, and have nothing to show for it. That’s okay, because college isn’t for everyone.

I fell into my book series without warning and without prior knowledge of my writing abilities. I am writing a fantasy book series about overcoming the effects of trauma in one’s mind in a realistic and honest way. As much as this series is about fantasy, it’s even more so about the mental health journey.

Often, in our darkest places, a single ray of hope in the face of adversity shines its brightest. This line is the reason it’s being written, for hope, and to end the stigma.

I am most proud of the readers’ take-a-way of my novel. Those who’ve read it end up laughing, crying, and rooting for my main character. I am proud of what this is going to do for the world, and what it stands for. This journey from feeling broken, to becoming comfortable being uncomfortable, then to being okay with being vulnerable is difficult.

I was in so much pain for so long; I learned to love it. I yearned for it. When I started my journey, it was scary, and unbearable to me. The closer I came to being healthy and letting my pain go, the more my fears took control. The questions I had playing on a loop in my mind were.

One of my all-time favorite quotes is “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain.

I believe we all have a purpose for being born, a calling to make an impact. However small or large that impact is, doesn’t matter, just that we live up to it. My freshman year in high school I was hit with my purpose, to affect great change in the world. Sadly, I didn’t know how I was going to achieve that.

Life had been kicking me so hard around that time, to the point I wasn’t capable of being the man I am today. It prevented me from growing, and flourishing into a healthy person. For years, I wallowed in my own mental pain, until it came to a head when I contemplated suicide. Realizing these thoughts, I checked myself into a behavioral health facility and began the healing process. It was in that facility, in October 2021, I found my passion for writing a story. Not only writing it, but making it easy for the readers to identify with my main character’s struggles.

Website: https://www.officialtaylorduran.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anenlightenmentseries/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enlightenmentseries
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-duran-401845100/
Other: https://www.writersrepublic.com/bookshop/kayla-find-me-enlightenment-series
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podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/
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podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/

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