All About Ruel Knudson

I am Ruel Knudson, an independent author. You landed on this page with the intent to learn something about me. You either want to know about the person or my writing. I will try to provide both of these explanations below and hopefully satisfy your curiosity.

I was born in Orlando, Florida, in 1976. I was reading by age three and writing by age five. I submitted work in school competitions at age six and have continued writing in some form or other ever since. My parents were readers and avid supporters of my art.

As an adult, a husband, a father, and a high school dropout, I wasn’t able to pursue writing as a career. In order to “pay the bills,” my passion was relegated to some light professional work, but mostly hobbyist pursuits. I got my GED and was lucky enough to find mentors who empowered and nurtured my creativity. I pursued my education in writing the only way someone with no money can. I read the books on writing that colleges require. I watched lectures. I worked with other writers. I wrote. I read. I found friends and allies to create with. 

I've raised three beautiful children. My eldest son serves in the United States Air Force. My middle child serves in the United States Navy. And my youngest is currently in college pursuing a degree in Psychology. I am currently married to a very wonderful woman who, upon embarking on her career, was kind enough to allow me some freedom to write full-time.

Which brings us to now.

For the most part, I write stories that can be described as gothic and fantastic. I grew up reading "The Lord of the Rings," Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories, and various literary classics which are too numerous to name here. Some might say I escaped into fantasy worlds. I like to think that I explored those worlds and their myths to discover something real.

My literary heroes are Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Edgar Allan Poe. How that informs my writing, I can’t really say. What I can point out is the love I have for how those authors pulled readers into their stories. Themes such as love, joy, tragedy, fear, and humanity can’t be experienced in any other way and in such completeness as you can when exploring them with those writers. What I hope this says about my writing is this: Be honest with readers. Don’t be afraid to confront what you are afraid of. Share the experience with them. Let fiction be the way they can understand a truth as I see it.