Who is IJ.A.L.?

My name is Drake, although to some I am known by a different name. IJ.A.L. are my initials, and by those initials I decided I wanted to be known as a writer. I'm originally from The Netherlands, and when I was younger and needed a name that was compatible in English. I decided to go with the name of the main character from the first story I ever wrote. Therefore, I am now known as Drake Fannings to most. But you, you can call me whatever you'd like. I am 20 years old, and even though that may sound like a young age for a writer, I've been writing for over seven years and published two books no longer than a year ago. While I had started writing the first one when I was 13, later I did not only rewrite and make the story better, but also translate it. While this happened a year ago, I wrote a screenplay before that. Last May I released the final version of The Story of Drake Fannings, and last November I released Ofiad. Currently I am working on my third book, of which the title remains a surprise. My hobbies, besides writing, are animation, drawing and music. I have a degree in animation, film and design, although the comercialised business quickly proved to be a community I rather didn't want to get entangled in. I make digital drawings from time to time, which I post on a different Instagram account. In case you're interested you can find those when you look up 'drake fannings'. I've played the bassoon for 10 years, love to make music, listen to music and learn more about music. Music has always been a huge inspiration to me, and I don't ever write without it. From time to time I love to play video games, but I never play many at a time. Usually I play them for the story. For some I just like the lore behind the game, even if the game lacks a connection to their lore. Anything with a good story can grab my attention. Above all, I love writing. I love to create a universe with the use of a mere hand movement. It's so beautiful to be able to literally create anything we can think of, and sometimes that can lead to amazing, spectacular stories. My dream is to create inspiration and motivation, and to inspire those who have read and or witnessed my stories. Perhaps one day, these stories will make it to the big screen. I hope to see you there!

~Drake