J. L. KAUFFMAN
THE STORY OF A CREATIVE WRITER
EARLY LIFE, CHILDHOOD, AND STORYTELLING
Kauffman grew up in a family of four in the beautiful Lake Tahoe region. His parents were hard-working and instilled the core values of love, growth, and determination. Growing up, he was a bookworm who enjoyed reading about fantasy worlds. He attributes his early inspiration to stories such as The Wheel of Time, Enders Game, and Harry Potter. At the Age of 7, his parents bought him a Create Your Story kit where he embarked on an ambitious retelling of the Super Mario franchise; this story spanned 2 published novels and a 20-part book series (along with hand-drawn animations).
At 12 years old, Kauffman was inspired to take his storytelling to the next level. Over the following six years, he crafted his first epic fantasy story, The Crystals. During these early years, he took every opportunity to write, whether he was out with friends going on adventures like the Goonies, in the back of the class, or even on a family vacation (so much so that the community called him the writer). It’s also important to note that he credits his early writing journey to working in local bookstores and actively engaging in online role-playing forums.
By the time Kauffman graduated from high school, he had finished writing his first full-length novel, which spanned 12 notebooks.
EDUCATION
Kauffman had always known that he wanted to become a professional writer, so he attended the University of California, Riverside, to pursue a bachelor’s in Creative Writing.
During this period, he honed his craft and explored the various types of storytelling. He learned to practice writing and structuring short stories, novels, stage plays, and screenplays.
While participating in college theater, he continued to find joy in the spotlight, and his public speaking skills flourished. This was further elevated when he brought his 10 years of violin expertise to share in public performance pieces.
Kauffman also found his love for being a filmmaker. Inspired by the rise of online storytelling through visual media, he embarked on a journey to create his very own web series. He wrote, developed, and produced the first season of The Ultimate Fantasy Bible, a fantasy series that spoofed familiar fantasy tropes and pop culture.
The more he learned about the complexities of writing and how they deterred the average writer from finishing their stories, the more he decided to embark on a new mission to support beginner writers. So, he proposed and launched the University’s first Creative Writing club, Creative Masterminds.
Creative Masterminds was a dedicated collaborative experience that provided study sessions, workshops, and published author Q&A to unite other writers around the craft of creative writing and show them that it could be fun. He ended his college education by passing off a fully functioning Creative Writing club for future writers to participate in.
EARLY CAREER & GHOSTWRITING
Eventually, he graduated and moved to Los Angeles to pursue the Hollywood dream of being a working writer on a production set or in a writers’s room. He landed his first internship with an independent production company, Reel Vision Entertainment, where he began his Hollywood education. While interning, he landed his first gig not as a writer but as a professional Ghostwriter.
While balancing his day job as a Starbucks manager, he networked and learned from working writers, industry professionals, and studio executives. He enjoyed learning about others' writing journeys over a cup of coffee.
Kauffman also pursued freelance ghostwriting, copywriting, and editing gigs, where he was continuously reminded of his love for storytelling. As a result, he joined, networked, and eventually led various writer’s groups.
Over time, the writers in his network would come to him for storytelling advice because it was apparent that the craft of structuring a story, whether a novel or a script, came naturally to him. He hit a point where he was helping screenwriters, novelists, and social media influencers bring their work to life, but there was still one thing holding him back…
THE CREATIVE GHOST, WRITING CHALLENGES, AND A NEW MISSION
After nearly 10 years of management in the customer service industry, all while taking on freelance writing gigs on the side, Kauffman knew that something needed to change. Until this point, he had pursued a few years of creating online inspirational and writing videos, all while struggling to find time to work on his own stories and make a living.
He realized he felt trapped by his circumstances only because he wasn’t doing what he loved, writing. Despite the trials over the years to find a balance between a day job and a night job, it was never enough for him (for other people, it’s the perfect lifestyle). He was so passionate about storytelling and the art of creative writing that he reached a crossroads moment.
He finally dared to quit the customer service industry and pursue his dream.
It was the best decision he ever made.
Kauffman founded the world’s first creative writing company, The Creative Ghost LLC, which offers coaching, editing, and ghostwriting services for writers who seek motivation, accountability, or skill building.
Kauffman also realized, because of his innate skill, that it was his duty to help creative writers by sharing his own process. So, he challenged himself to write 30 minutes daily for one year, all while livestreaming the process to keep himself accountable. This was the beginning of Kauffman Writes, a live stream experience unlike any other, where he includes his community in the journey each and every day of writing his next feature-length fantasy novel, The Last Scarecrow. He also shares insight, motivation, and techniques to help the beginner writer. He offers live, free editing & critique services through The Saturday Critique Show. He also launched the Creative, Write Now! Podcast, where he interviews published authors and industry professionals.
Kauffman considers himself a student of Creative Writing.
He’s on a mission to connect with every creative writer in the world and show them just how fun the entire creative writing process can be.
