Meet Omar Apodaca | Author and Editor
We had the good fortune of connecting with Omar Apodaca and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Omar, why did you pursue a creative career?
It’s something that just happened. It’s hard to explain exactly why I ended up taking this path. A strong sense of intuition that propelled me forward, to write. I’ve always had a strong academic background. Excelling in my classes throughout high school. I got my bachelor’s degree in business management at San Francisco State University. Going through certain life experiences gave me the inspiration and motivation to eventually write a major work myself someday. Such as my childhood, travels, and adventures I’ve partaken in. It’s all reflected in my writings. I answered the calling from the muses, as it happens to most if not all creatives. This has to be followed by decisive action, or it just remains as ideas in one’s head that never see the light of day.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My book, 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰, is an epic tale in poem format. It’s an adventure story about a hero’s journey and the exploration of different worlds. Covering themes such as loss, tragedy, rebirth, and revelation. I’d like to think of it as a modern-day version of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘺 by Dante Alighieri, with elements of science fiction and fantasy blended into the story. I self-published my book on Amazon.
Initially I was not sure what my book would be about or how it would look, but I knew that I had to piece everything together over time. I started writing in my notebook, which ended up being the main foundation for the final draft. I found inspiration writing in parks, cafes, my room, at the beach, and settings in nature in general. It was a process that took two years, with countless brainstorming. This included aspects such as piecing together the plot, creating the chapter titles, formulating the concept for the cover, and arranging the pages so they would tell a cohesive and intricate narrative.
What sets me apart is my authenticity to remain true to myself and the blending of art and science to create the literary tapestry of my book. I am most proud about finishing 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰 despite all the numerous setbacks and hardships I’ve encountered throughout the process of drafting and publishing it. It was far from easy, but definitely worth it. My relentless drive is the primary reason for overcoming these challenges. The main lessons I’ve learned throughout this process are that you can’t rush greatness, and that you never know how things will turn out exactly. You just have to follow the steps that are immediately in front of you: you won’t know how it will turn out until the foundation is set and the dust has settled. Putting in the work is all the in between stuff.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting the area I would show him Old Town to see an iconic western setting, like going back in time to the 1800s. We would also go to the downtown area of San Diego and see the USS Midway Museum and the Unconditional Surrender statue. To show him the strong sense of patriotism and ties to the Navy the city has. Then we’d see a nice view of the Coronado Bridge. I would take him to Peterson’s Donut Corner in Escondido for a delicious snack and have some boba afterwards in Mira Mesa. We would see other iconic areas of San Diego such as La Jolla and Balboa Park, which are big tourist attractions. Then to tour the Palomar Observatory. Lastly, I’d take him to an underrated spot in the city to help recapture that magic in us we had as children: Legoland.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to give a shoutout to my parents, who have given me everything in this life to succeed and make the most of my opportunities. As well as for their constant support. I would also like to shoutout my brothers Tito and Alexander, who have been a constant pillar of support throughout the years. I want to give some recognition to Erik De La Cruz as well. For being my right-hand man, helping me fine-tune and polish my book. For always challenging me to grow and evolve alongside him. As well as the honor in being Erik’s official editor for his books, his most recent work being 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oapodaca/
Image Credits
Front and back book cover images by Johnathan Sek. Book cover designed by Javier De La Cruz.
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