Dragons & Origin Stories: A chat with Garrett K Jones
For many writers, inspiration strikes in quiet moments. But for fantasy author Garrett K. Jones, the spark came in third grade — during a classroom writing prompt inspired by the live‑action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. That playful assignment helped set him on a creative path leading to the fantasy series he’s now building.
Early Days & Fan‑Fiction Roots
Growing up in Central California, Jones was immersed in comics and action figures. “The first piece I really wrote was when I was in third grade — I imagined meeting the Ninja Turtles in New York.”
That moment, he says, “was my first piece of fan‑fiction.”
From there, his imagination expanded: inserting himself into Power Rangers, the X‑Men, creating his own teams and costumes. As he explains: “I started writing stories that were based on what I was watching… I inserted myself as a character in Power Rangers, I came in as the 7th Ranger.”
Real‑Life Influences & Storytelling
Jones didn’t stop at fandom. He began weaving real‑life experiences into his work. One of his characters is modeled after a hero who rescued a daughter from danger — an event turned into a dinner‑scene setting in his novel: “One of my heroes rescued their daughter from enemies in the middle of the story — and when I modeled a scene after that, my dad said, ‘Well played.’”
The Fantasy Series: Big Stakes & Legacy
His first fantasy novel opens with a warlord determined to eradicate all dragons… and comes dangerously close. Then the story jumps 250 years forward, following the heirs and the warriors selected to stop the legacy. The series evolves into shifting perspectives and time‑skips — Book 3 refocuses the viewpoint, Book 4 re‑contexts things, and Book 5 leaps ahead twenty years.
About the title of that book, Jones says: “The title came pretty naturally because I based it off the central threat of the story.”
What He Hopes Readers Take Away
While many authors aim to teach or provoke, Jones has a simpler, yet no less powerful goal:
“My goal is to help [readers] escape for just a short time and experience magic in whatever form that takes. If they are inspired to write afterwards, then that feels like an extra blessing.”
Why It Matters
In a publishing world often chasing trends, Garrett’s path stands out — rooted in childhood passion, carried forward by authenticity, built on the joy of storytelling. For readers who ever day‑dreamed or sketched heroes in notebooks, his journey says: yes, your stories matter.
Call to Action
If you’re seeking an immersive fantasy escape—or are a creator curious how your own childhood legends could come to life—dive into Garrett K. Jones’s series. You might even be inspired to dust off that old notebook; there could be a story waiting inside. Plus, for his fantasy series, Garrett has started creating matching candles to enhance the reading experience. I’ll be sharing more details in The Lock Box, so be sure to subscribe—it’s free!
