Jeffrey Herdman

An exiled prince returning to his kingdom. Well, not exactly. Grandiose fantasy tropes aside, I was born in Irvine, but soon began a four year exodus that took me through San Francisco and Chicago before eventually settling on the far away land of Alabama. While a good place to grow up, the area had little to interest me (The humidity certainly didn’t foster any good feelings). I had drifted through school, complacent with the above average, until enrolling in an AP Latin course. The mythology, history, and stories interested me more than the language, so my command of the ancient tongue left much to be desired. I spent the entire year feeling like the weakest link. But the vulnerability ultimately pushed me to work harder than I had ever done previously. Even still, I was sure my AP test score would be a lowly 2 out of 5. I earned a 4, which was tied for highest in the class. Admittedly, it wasn’t a 5, but the number wasn’t as important. I had presented myself a challenge and risen to the occasion. I even discovered what it was like to enjoy the process, even if translating the Aeneid caused many, many headaches. That class developed a sense of discipline and a love of learning that carried me through college in Savannah, Georgia (Watch out for the city squares. If you spend too much time around them, you’ll want to live there. They’re gorgeous).

Afterwards, I took a risk and followed a few college buddies to start an independent game company in Seattle (city number six!). It turned out to be a briefer stint than we’d all hoped, but the best learning often comes from your failures. Now that I’m older and wiser, I’ve made a homecoming of sorts to L.A. with the hopes of making it as a writer one day.