What do writing, Godzilla and Dreamcatchers have in common? They all fall under Colin’s fascinating umbrella of expertise.
From short stories to content marketing to a brand new novel, there are few things Colin hasn’t written – making him a dynamic addition to Brafton’s editorial team.
In celebration of his work with Brafton and most recent personal writing achievement, here’s a look at Colin’s world:
A man of words
There are very few moments when Colin doesn’t have pen to paper – or fingers to keyboard. Starting with scribbling down short stories as a kid to drafting novels in elementary school, Colin’s writing career started at a young age.
In Colin’s words: “If everyone has one single passion that overrides all others, mine is writing.”
“If everyone has one single passion that overrides all others, mine is writing.”
Committed to writing
With a love of writing apparent early on, it seems only natural that Colin’s career path led him to his current position: Content Writer.
And clearly Colin wasn’t a newbie to the writing world when he started at Brafton. By this point, he has been writing for about 20 years. Beyond personal projects, Colin’s past professional experiences also involved his passion for the written word.
“Every job I’ve worked before this one involves writing in some way,” he said.
Before Brafton, Colin spent time working for smaller businesses, including a startup. That makes Brafton the largest company he’s added to his resume. How does he feel about the transition?
“It’s a lot of writing, [but] I really enjoy the flexibility,” he said.
Despite its size, Brafton doesn’t forget to show its employees some much-deserved appreciation. While many writing and editing positions require employees to travel unnecessary distances to reach the office each morning, Brafton offers its writers more freedom in their schedules.
“I like that Brafton [lets] me work from home when I have to,” Colin said.
Whether he’s in the office or working from home, Colin breaks out his expert writing process, complete with his signature morning brew.
“I like to start every morning with tea and some research before diving into the articles I’ve chosen to do that day,” he said.
And while working from home is a definite perk, there is a draw to heading into the office: “My co-workers are also a pretty fun bunch.”
When asked about his personal successes at Brafton, Colin was quick to compliment his fellow writers.
“I don’t think I’m any more or less successful than any of the other talented writers on this team,” he said. “We’ve been moving forward as a group – and that’s good!”
To which we say: Added to his writing chops, Colin is also a top-notch team member.
“I’m a writer both here and at home.”
There’s cause for celebration when it comes to Colin’s writing outside of his Brafton duties.
Drumroll please … Colin’s first novel, The Dreamcatchers, launches Aug. 21!
Here’s Colin’s elevator pitch of the premise: “It’s a young adult fantasy novel set in the world of dreams and nightmares.”
Intrigued? We’ve got more details.The novel introduces us to the Dreamcatchers, who have been watching over us as we sleep for hundreds of years. Specifically, they monitor sleeping children to keep them safe from nightmares. The adventure follows one Dreamcatcher, Vakarian, as he tries to save a nine-year-old boy from a shape-shifting night terror – the worst he’s ever seen. Added to that, Vakarian is supposed to be training his new pupil.
Colin gives readers a fresh take on what happens when we fall asleep, creating a fantastical journey among dreams and nightmares. Head over to Amazon to pre-order your copy, with paperback versions available soon.
Congrats to Colin!
Beyond the writing
Along with writing, what else grabs Colin’s attention? Well – he has dabbled in distance swimming and fencing.
We can also confidently add “Avid Godzilla Fan and Connoisseur” to his resume, complete with a killer tattoo of the iconic character. Last Halloween, he showed up to the Brafton party rocking a well-executed (and nothing short of impressive) Godzilla costume. Plus, he doesn’t let his knowledge go to waste, often attending or leading conference panels to discuss the Godzilla films.
While he hasn’t written a Godzilla script yet, he did write a version of Jurassic Park 4 … “because [he’s] cool like that.” Jesting aside, we’d have to agree.
A word of advice
With years of writing under his belt, Colin offered his perspective for aspiring writers:
“Writers must do two things to be successful: Read other people’s writing and write your own stuff. Do that as often as you can and you’ll probably find success.”
“Writers must do two things to be successful: Read other people’s writing and write your own stuff. Do that as often as you can and you’ll probably find success.”
A cup of tea on the side may do the trick to get your gears running, too. If that doesn’t work, maybe reading The Dreamcatchers will.
