Local Author Spends 20 Years on Epic Poem

Remember that little screenplay or short story or song you started writing so many years but never finished? A few people read it and seemed to like it, but life just got in the way, right?

Well William Brower, of Coral Springs, isn't a quitter like you. The 34-year-old grew up reading--and loving--the epic poems of Homer, and when he was in high school, he started writing one himself. The story of a warrior in a distant, wartorn land, was at least partly inspired by the notebook-paper sketches of his friends, who drew odd characters ready for battle.

After 18 years of work ("on and off," he says), Brower has published his epic: Chronicles of the Dragon's Bane.

Yes, if you read it, you'll notice there are more than a few grammatical errors, but Brower says they're all intentional. "This way young readers will be able to point out the mistakes as they go," he says. "I believe mine is the first book if it's kind."

In the beginning of the book, you'll also find some of the original high school-era drawings that inspired his tales. This is the first book in what should be a trilogy, says Brower, who also wrote and performed a one-man play about the Titanic. He says he's also in talks with an animator, in hopes the book might soon spawn an animated series.

You can meet the man himself tomorrow at the

Waldenbooks in Coral Springs, from 2 to 4 p.m.

After the jump, a music video by a group inspired by Brower's book. Seriously.