Writing is one of those things I do with love, without expecting anything in return. So becoming a writer was not a decision, it was an act of simply letting myself be carried away by a part of me. It happened almost without taking it into account, it was automatic. Many would be surprised to know that I hardly plan my novels, and Climbing Mountains did not start out as a plot construction, but rather an idea to bring characters to life.
It all goes back to that December night, sitting in front of my computer with one idea in mind: to pick up a novel I had abandoned at the age of fifteen.
That story I wanted to take up again was not the same as Climbing Mountains today. I had written many short novels and stories that began with the typical phrase “once upon a time.” I only knew that I needed to write. I wasn’t doing it to be published, I was writing it for myself, but the story I had abandoned at fifteen, in the end remained just that, abandoned, but thanks to that, I was able to write my first novel and publish it at 20 years old. Maybe I remember that December night well because I felt frustrated of not being able to write a word, so I turned off the computer, and suddenly, confusing ideas came to my mind, but I decided to ignore them completely. The funny thing is that it was a different novel, it wasn’t about the typical youth stuff that was in fashion, it was more a life story about a town boy who doesn’t know his purpose, in the absence of his father and with a strong connection to a mountain.
-A silly idea- I thought, maybe I had reasons to think it wasn’t a good idea, but I can confirm that it didn’t leave my mind.
A week passed. Seven days and I was still thinking about the story that I thought I would forget in a couple of minutes. As time went by, I only thought that the idea that I was not writing down would disappear sooner or later, and I would not make an effort to continue it, but… well, the story was calling me. Instead of forgetting it, it only grew stronger, names like Paulo Vargas, Catalina Querrá, Nicholas Querrá, Emma Diaz and other fictional characters kept coming. I walked around my room remembering the story. On day number seven, I decided to get the characters I wanted to bring to life off my chest. Once I started the first words with the chapter titled “Remember my story” I started a story that would make me climb mountains.
I spent over two years finishing it and whenever I had a block in the process, I would just capture the real pieces of my life. And after finishing it, I was left looking at the last sentence I wrote.
“Because every mountain you overcome brings you a little closer to love, forgiveness and the wisdom that life is a journey, and no matter where I go, I will continue; Climbing Mountains”
CLIMBING MOUNTAINS
– Rene De Paz
– It’s perfect- I thought
Once it was finished, what now? I had written the story for myself, but for some strange reason, I wanted to share it. It was already a done deal, I was now a writer.
I was left reflecting, and it was also December. I remembered how this novel had literally been an escape for me and for the busy life I had after being exiled to the United States. In my 22 square meter room, which I shared with my father the first year, who worked all night to sleep during the day and I had to lock myself in the bathroom so as not to wake him up with the sound of my fingers pressing the keyboard or the light that could come from the computer. It is embarrassing to say it, but I wrote my novel on top of the toilet in our small bathroom for months, until I became independent and then, I continued writing, but this time I frequented a Starbucks near my house to break the routine, and from time to time I frequented a reading club at the John F. Kennedy bookstore in Miami, Florida, where retirees who loved writing attended. Perhaps the process of writing a book is not very fun, but I assure you that this novel saved me from the depression and anxiety I suffered. So publishing it could mean that I could also help others as it helped me. Because writing a book is giving away company, and people feel increasingly alone.
Hoy en día, mi novela se puede encontrar en más de 150 tiendas y librerías dentro y fuera de los Estados Unidos. Pero lo que más me emociona son las bibliotecas públicas que sirven a todo el mundo. La primera que me abrió sus puertas fue la Biblioteca John F. Kennedy en Miami, donde ahora se puede encontrar mi novela en exhibición en un estante dedicado a autores locales. Para mí es esencial que la gente tenga acceso a mis novelas de forma gratuita. La literatura debe ser accesible para todos, sin barreras económicas, y las bibliotecas juegan un papel clave en ello. Saber que cualquiera, independientemente de su situación, puede tomar mi libro, leerlo y sumergirse en su historia es una de las mayores satisfacciones que puedo experimentar como escritor.
If I’ve learned anything, it’s that writing isn’t just about telling a story; it’s about finding yourself in the process. And that, more than anything else, is what makes it worthwhile.
Thanks to the readers who gave this emerging novelist a chance.
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