"Sorry, this one was a no go again. They want something more in line with what teens read these days and this doesn't fit the bill" said a handsome middle-aged man while handing Ogden a stack of papers.
How would you feel if your dreams were crushed?
Well, from Ogden's perspective there were usually three types of response to that situation.
"Don't let this one keep you down! I think the next one will definitely be published for sure" a young woman in an OL suit suddenly hit Ogden in the back.
Number One; the hopeless romantics. They are the type of people who always sees the positive in any situation. Even if their dreams were crushed now, they hopelessly believed that next time they were going to succeed for sure.
"Haha, don't make me laugh. It's been what? 15 years now? If he couldn't get anything published by now there is no way he is going to succeed in the future" said an arrogant looking young man to the woman.
Number Two; the creditors. They are the type of people who believes that it was not them who failed. Rather, it was the world that let them down. As you can guess their most common characteristic is their arrogance.
"It's okay. I didn't have any hope in the first place" said Ogden while picking up the papers that fell when the woman hit him in the back.
Number Three; the passengers. Ogden believed himself to be a part of this group. They are the type of people that went with the flow or rather the motions of the world. Rather than having their dreams crushed they just declare something to be their dream and go with it because they don't have anything else.
"See, at least he knows his place. If you are ever in need of a job I can hire you as my editor old man!" said the young arrogant man.
"You don't always have to be this rude to him" the woman stood up to the arrogant young man for Ogden's sake.
While they were arguing Ogden finished up picking his papers and left the building. Honestly, from their interactions, it was obvious that they had something going on.
If this world was a romance book they would be the main characters. An arrogant, handsome, young and successful author vs. a naive, idealistic and equally beautiful editor.
The genre would obviously be romance but Ogden wondered what would be their sub-genre. Would it be mystery? For example, the editor and author go on a trip to gain inspirations for their book and get caught up in a series of murder cases that seemed to mirror the previous works of the author which makes him a prime suspect by the police. Then he and the editor would try to gather evidence to prove his innocence.
Too generic. Maybe if we made the main character editor and actually create some evidence that points towards the male lead the novel might be more interesting. No... this is still missing something.
Something that will actually set it apart from other mystery romance books. Something that is not overly unique but at the same time that is not cliché.
"I got it ghosts!"
*THUD*
*SCREECH*
Ogden's world suddenly turned upside down.
He was too absorbed in his own mind that he did not notice the truck heading his way.
If he could speak he would have probably made a joke about how he was going to be reincarnated in another world as a hero now.
And he would be right!
Well, except for the hero part.
As his 33 years of life flashed past his eyes Ogden didn't know what to feel. To be honest even by his own standards (which are pretty low) he had lived a pretty plain life.
He was still a bachelor at this age. He didn't have any immediate family left after his parents died of old age.
His grades were pretty average too so he couldn't really be called a genius.
Ugh, that was not entirely true. He could actually be considered quite talented when it comes to writing. At first, he liked it. He joined a competition for fun and ended coming in first. Who wouldn't like such a situation when they lived a plain, unexciting life?
But he did not know that along with their admiration came a burden known as expectation.
He hated it. He didn't want any expectation placed on him. He wanted to be free of that heart-crushing feeling.
That was why he sabotaged his own writing. He either never finished the books that he started or just wrote something mediocre despite knowing he could do much more.
Well, that was long ago. At this point, Ogden did not know if that was his own pride talking or the truth and from the looks of things, he will never get to find out.
That was when regret took a hold of him. Maybe he shouldn't have been so scared. Maybe he should have tried to publish something without sabotaging himself to find out the truth.
Ogden didn't like the expectations placed on him but he also liked it when someone read something he wrote.
Of course, he always had the fear that they were not going to like it or they were going to criticize him so he should not even attempt in the first place. That way at least he could still hold on to the little bit of pride in his heart.
Then again who could know? Maybe he could have ended up becoming a great author. Maybe even a legend like Edgar Allen Poe or J. R. R. Tolk-
"Hey, you, you are finally awake!" Ogden heard a gruff voice next to him.
"What is this Skyrim like bull-" Ogden couldn't finish his sentence as he looked at the face that was in front of him.
It was the face of a scar-ridden Orc Warrior!!