In the first draft of the Knights Templar creepypasta, as well as the first draft of the journal of Clive Bennett, I wrote as “Saul Micaiah.” I nearly went with that as a pen name and it took a lot of wrestling to end up using my real name. I know that there is “wisdom in many counselors” so I asked friends about my decision. Some of the feedback I got was mixed, on the surface folks thought the fake name was obvious, and suggested some might wonder why I was trying to hide? To some extent I was. My day to day calling (read “job”) connects me with folks who might find this subject matter too dark or supernatural. Others may automatically see me in a different light if they know what that calling is. Even the name “Saul Micaiah” is a combination of an obscure Jewish prophet, and a name shared by a Jewish King and Christian Apostle, the latter of which I was trying to reference, because of his training in Greek Rhetoric. If someone knew who I was, how would it color their perception of my writing? I wanted my work to stand for itself and be enjoyed by all.

That was the heart of it. I want you, and everyone else, to read and enjoy this for what is. We can agree to disagree. I don’t expect you to think like me or behave as if you believe what I believe. I want us to escape some of the division of our world together, in fiction. Maybe we will find some common ground along the way. Maybe you will see yourself in some characters more than others. Maybe even if we disagree on some issues, we can share our hobbies together. Hopefully you will see me writing characters of various beliefs authentically, even if they are opposites of my own. Yes, my worldview will come out in fiction, and often good stories feature a well taught lesson, but my stories aren’t a platform to “preach,” I have another platform for that.