Lauri Mukkala

I've been a reader for as long as I can remember, but it was J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings that opened the door to fantasy for me, and it remains my favorite book to this day. There's something magical about the idea of creating entire worlds from nothing, populating them with characters who feel real, and watching their stories unfold. Writing has been part of my life since I first learned to form letters on a page, and that fascination with world-building has only grown stronger over the years. My literary influences span from Tolkien's epic landscapes to the surreal narratives of Haruki Murakami, the intricate magic systems of Brandon Sanderson, and the gritty folklore of Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher series.

My creative process is simple: I write fast and edit later. Free-flowing first drafts work best for me, letting the story spill onto the page without overthinking it. I'm a tactile writer at heart, often reaching for notebooks and fountain pens to capture ideas, plot threads, and character moments. There's something about the connection between hand, pen, and paper that keeps my imagination flowing. My stories tend to center on ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances: heroes who don't start out looking for adventure but find themselves on journeys that change everything.

Beyond writing, I'm deeply involved in solo tabletop RPGs, where I can explore narrative possibilities and test story ideas in interactive ways. I also run an Instagram account focused on tarot and witchcraft, which has become another outlet for my storytelling impulses. Tarot, in particular, scratches that creative itch. Each card is a story waiting to be told, a character arc condensed into symbols and imagery. These creative pursuits all feed into my writing, enriching the worlds and characters I create.

My hope is simple: that one day, someone will tell me my writing affected their life in a positive way. Whether it's a story that helped them through a difficult time, sparked their imagination, or simply gave them an escape when they needed it most, that's what drives me to keep creating. Fantasy has the power to transform, inspire, and connect us, and I want to be part of that tradition.