About R. K. Brainerd

I have been living in my own little world and writing it all down since I was itty bitty. Having grown up devouring fantasy, sci-fi, and anything weird, I naturally gravitate towards that in my writing.

Probably because of all this speculative fiction, social commentary of some element and intelligence always finds itself somewhere in my stories. It also explains why I went and got a degree in politics. It doesn’t, however, explain why romance ends up in my writing too.

I have a problem staying within a genre. I do, however, love writing real people that hit upon genuine meaning: I am a character writer, through and through.

The meaning of AwakeDragon:

Dragons are highly representational of strength, wisdom, and ferocity; and they’re just plain awesome.

Being “awake” means paying attention, being aware of what’s happening in the world, and actively engaging with it — a reminder to me as much as those who may read what I write.

This blog not only details the usual ‘writer blog’ subjects (rambles on writing, trials and tribulations on honing my craft and getting published), but is also a way to write out my understanding of this complex world we all inhabit. Ultimately, that is what writing is: whether it’s a space opera or a story of war, we write to understand being these crazy two-legged omnivores.

On a personal note… I live near Portland, Oregon. I’m obsessed with anything related to dragons, myth and magic, and political/social commentary. I know how to make kombucha, build a house out of straw (no, seriously, I have the pictures to prove it), and Irish Dance.

And I raise dairy goats, who are probably the most amazing animals ever.

If you’re interested in reading a blog about goats, you can find that here:

dairygoatdiariesblog.wordpress.com

Welcome to the adventure.