Nutmeg Lit Fest Podcast
Where stories speak. The Nutmeg Lit Fest Podcast features conversations with authors, poets, and creatives, highlighting the voices and stories that shape our literary community on and off the festival stage.
Nutmeg Lit Fest Podcast
Suspension , Resilience, and the Power of Storytelling with Jordan Lopez
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What does it take to turn imagination into impact?
In this episode of the Nutmeg Lit Fest Podcast, Janaya Hernandez sits down with author and advocate Jordan Lopez to explore the power of storytelling, resilience, and finding your voice through creativity.
From building immersive fantasy worlds to navigating personal and professional challenges, Jordan shares the inspiration behind his books Looked Down Upon: A Masked Wickedness and Looked Down Upon: The Exiled Kin, and how storytelling became both an escape and a form of empowerment.
This conversation goes beyond writing. It dives into identity, perseverance, and the courage it takes to keep showing up — even when the path is uncertain.
If you’ve ever questioned your voice, your journey, or your purpose, this episode will remind you that your story matters.
Where stories speak.
Welcome to the NetMeklip Fest Podcast for Story Speaker. This is a space that celebrates authors, storytellers, poets, and creatives from Connecticut and New York. Here we are looking at voices, sharing stories, and spotlighting the creativity that brings our literary community to life. Whether you're a writer, a reader, or simply someone who loves a powerful story, this podcast is for you. Get ready for conversations that inspire, connect, and celebrate the magic of storytelling. This is the Nat Magic OFS podcast.
SPEAKER_01Hello, hello, hello. We are back, and you know the drill. Every book has a story behind it, and every author has a moment when they decide to tell it. And this is the Nutmeg Lit Fest podcast, or Story Speak. I'm your host, Janaea Hernandez, and this podcast is a celebration of authors, their voices, their journeys, and the stories they bring into the world. Each week we sit down with writers to talk about the path to the page, the moments that shape their work, and the stories they're excited to share with readers. Today I am joined by Jordan Lopez, author of Suspense series Looked Down Upon, including the exile Ken and Mask Wickedness. Did I get it right, Jordan? Did I get it right? Oh, good, good, gord. Jordan creates immersive words filled with adventures, resilience, and powerful storytelling that invites readers to escape while also reflecting on strength and identity. Jordan, welcome to Nutmeg Lipfest Podcast. How are you?
SPEAKER_02I'm great. I'd be better uh if there wasn't a blizzard outside, but otherwise I'm very excited to be here.
SPEAKER_01Oh, sharing all the misery with all of our New England friends. I cannot wait for spring. With that being said, we also do like the snow, however, because if it's snowing and you can't leave, then you're reading.
SPEAKER_02Good point, good point.
SPEAKER_01It works in our favor. Jordan, do us a favor and introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your books.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Uh my name is Jordan Lopez. I was born and raised in Bristol, Connecticut. Um, I am on the Alpha and Spectrum, so I always knew growing up I was a little different from the uh other kids. I learned differently and at different paces. Um so for a while I was actually very insecure about my disability, but now I've I've kind of accepted that it's a part part of myself. It makes me me. So I actually wro uh wrote the stories to help me uh cope my uh disability. And also some other hobbies of mine when I'm not write stories, stories of uh successful stories, I enjoy growing plants, hanging out with my friends, and I'm also an athlete and a global messenger for Spress and Olympics.
SPEAKER_01Oh my goodness. So I have lots of questions because you've just given me lots of things. So I hope you're prepared. I love that you're an advocate um for adults and children on the spectrum. I like to hear a little bit, like, who gave you the courage to start writing? How did that happen?
SPEAKER_02It it's funny because I'll probably dive into a little later, but like I didn't uh grow up uh reading and writing that much essay, but that all changed in college uh during my English uh class. My professor brought me over after one of our essays. I think it was about you know the dangers of like social media or something like that. But she was so impressed with my essay that she encouraged me to publish in the school magazine, which I did, yeah, and to keep writing. And afterwards I used writing as both a cognism as an emotional outlet to you know convey my emotions. Uh so I wrote a lot of poems and uh short stories, and that vessel blossomed into the uh look down upon series, which I'm uh currently still working on.
SPEAKER_01That's amazing. What would you say to any young adult or child, children in this same you know, space and they don't really have the courage? Like, what advice would you give them to keep pushing? Because you have two books out. So, you know, that is something to be very proud of. I want you to share. Don't be shy here.
SPEAKER_02I'll try not to be. Um, but like um some words of encouragement, I would say, you know, don't be afra uh afraid, you know, uh of writing the perfect story, which doesn't exist uh for a while. Before my first book, it took me four four years to publish because I wasn't sure one how to if I wanted to sub-publish or go to a publishing house. I ultimately decided to sub-publish. But also I kept going back and like rewording uh things that as I got older because I was like, oh, it's not perfect, but that all changed. Um when my grandmother unfortunately passed away um a year before I published uh look down upon the exiled kin, and she read the first draft and she cried. Really? But like when she did it, she loved it, uh even in in in the rough draft form. But like when she passed away, I knew I had to get out just for her, and I actually dedicated my first book to her.
SPEAKER_01Oh my god, that's amazing. So you you saw those emotions, and that is what told you it's it's ready, it's time. She gave you kind of like the push behind the tears, I I guess we could say.
SPEAKER_02She definitely did, yeah. My my grandma was uh my number one supporter for pretty much my uh my whole uh whole adult life, but it was her and my mom. They go back and forth.
SPEAKER_01We won't tell mom, don't we?
SPEAKER_02She'll hear this though.
SPEAKER_01I love that. I like mom. I love that. Tell tell us a little bit about your about your stories. How did you come up with your titles? How did you come up with the platform, and what do you hope people get out of your stories?
SPEAKER_02Oh. So the title was honestly almost more difficult than uh the sign on the plot, because I had finished like the first rec before I sell on on the title for a while. It was just called like Outcast. Um, but I saw that that was already the name of a book.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And you know, when you're a self-published author, uh you want to get your name out uh name out as much as possible. So I you want you want a title that's really gonna captivate the uh the audience, the reader, but you also wanna you know set yourself apart by having a unique title. So uh I I put I chose look down upon because uh my character my character uh kind of feels looked down upon uh society and other people, so that's how I came up with it. Uh the candle is always you know the subtitle of the uh a book because I was kind of inspired by like the Harry Potter series, where like it says Harry Potter, but book one is the Social Stone, and then it's like uh Chamber of Secrets and so on and so forth. Um so that's what I wanted my series uh to uh look like. For the plots, um honestly, it's funny. I was daydreaming at work, uh, you know, doing mundane tasks, and all of a sudden I got the idea uh for basically the entire plot in my head, and I wrote down on a tie notepad and I started writing on my computer, and I was like, wow, I can turn this turn turn this into something. I came up with the characters, the plots, uh the relationships. It was a very like out of nowhere. It was like a big epiphany, like a light bulb went off.
SPEAKER_01So all that happened while daydreaming. All of that came out.
SPEAKER_02I had no plans of writing the big book. I was perfectly content writing poems uh just for myself and things to share on my uh Instagram stories, but like I was like, wait, I can tear this to um a story, and obviously, you know, I believe writers r uh write what they know, so a lot of it is some of my own experiences, but also I do um embellish some things and come up with other things 'cause uh my love's not crazy. My mom always says uh if you got into that much trouble, you know, uh I I would I ha I have to ask questions.
SPEAKER_01Listen, it's active writing, right? We we have to do a little bit of a craft that you know r um resembles real life. I guess that's what they say. To a point. To you know, to a point.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely, yes.
SPEAKER_01I I hear that there was a hint of further stories because you said you want this to be an extended series. How many books can we expect in your series? Do you know right now?
SPEAKER_02Um, yes, I do. Um it's gonna be a trophy, so there's three, so there's only one more book that book that's yet to be published that uh is coming out, and I'm hoping to get that published hopefully um by early next year. I don't know if I'll be able to get it this year because I'm still kinda hammering at the manuscript and I need the edit afterwards.
SPEAKER_01So it's oh so it's almost done. So um so pretty soon? Oh wow, yes.
SPEAKER_02At first I was like, maybe I can turn it into like five or six of them. I'm like, well, you know what? Let me read it back. I think uh three or three's enough, I think.
SPEAKER_01Well, you listen, it depends on your readers, right? Your readers will let you know if they want more. Now, I heard you say that you used to write poetry and maybe like a little bit of short stories. Are any of those published? Can um fill us in on any of those?
SPEAKER_02So they're not published, they are out there. I actually do have a poetry page on Instagram. Um, I'm not I'm not too active on anymore. I've kind of turned my maid paintings to my my uh book page, but I actually did have like a thousand followers at one point.
SPEAKER_01Really?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, and I did publish a lot of my poems there, and my goal is once I'm done with the look down the pound series, I'm gonna publish a poetry um anthology. So that's gonna be like my next project thing.
SPEAKER_01Wow. Do you so listen? I'm gonna I know what the readers want. We need to hear a little bit of either book that you have or share some of your short stories. I would love to hear. You let us know what you have available for us, and I will give you the space to do so.
SPEAKER_02Sure, yeah. I can read uh passes of one of my books. I actually have have them right in front of me. So I'm gonna read like uh a couple paragraphs until I get to a good selling point. Um alright. Ah, here we here we go. So wait, Dr. Washington, what if I need you at college? Dr. Washington's eyes dart to the ceiling and he places his hand on his shin. After a few moments he smiles and reaches into his shirt pocket and pulls out a puzzle piece. The puzzle piece is faded blue, and the peeling edges indicate that it is old. Here you go, Dr. Washington says as he places his uh the puzzle piece into Luke's hand. Luke turns the piece between his fingers and explicits it from different angles. Eventually he raises his eyebrow and looks back at Dr. Washington. A puzzle piece? How'll this help me? Also, where's the rest of the puzzle? Luke asks as he continues to study it. A reminder of me to you. Look deeper, uh, Luke, past the piece itself and find out what the piece symbolizes. What does it symbolize? Dr. Washington's forest wrinkles as he smirks. You're a smart young man. I believe you'll figure it out. If you don't have her, I'll tell you when you come back.
SPEAKER_01Wow. I love it. How have your community responded to your writing so far? Do you feel like we've been supportive? Do you feel like um you really get what you want through your vision of your writing?
SPEAKER_02Oh yes, I think the community's been extremely supportive. Um my first um event that I was a vendor uh selling books, um, I had a uh uh parent uh tell me that you uh you uh uh give me hope uh because uh you know that my child can come with anything because writing the book uh and publishing book is a very big deal and it's not not easy, so that touched my heart. Uh like I I was I was uh I was very uh emotional after that. And that's like my first, you know, um my first day selling books, and like all I had is my name was a couple books, uh a small flyer ton with a little bio. I didn't even have a tablecloth, uh I I didn't have anything, but nowadays I've gotten more experience, so now my book kind of has like uh its own identity now, which I'm very proud of. I try to learn something at every event, like even if I'm not selling books on either networking or I'm trying to find out, huh, how can I make my booth stand out more, how can I add more pizzazz to it?
SPEAKER_01Let me tell you something. You're very good at networking. Um, we introduced ourselves to each other, and you know, I took some key takeaways. Um, just you have a fearless approach, you know, you you're very approachable, you come in, you introduce yourself, which makes you know, customers want to find out more and then want to read and you know just follow up on you. So you should be very proud of yourself. Um hearing that comment from the parent, I know touched like had had to touch your heart because it very, you know, made me very emotional for you right now.
SPEAKER_02Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_01What what would you say to the rest of those parents that haven't had the opportunity to meet you? What advice would you give them if you know their child wanted to dabble into writing?
SPEAKER_02Um, I would say, you know, always support uh uh your child, you know, a lot a lot of parents, you know, I think either pressure or try to make their kid uh into a little mini version of them to like uh so they try to um I want to say force, but like influence their hobbies and onto their children, uh but maybe they don't like that. They you kind of have to let them be their own person and also, you know, um don't uh don't let like you know like a doctor kind of like put like a cap on like their potential, you know, like uh if they have like a disability. Like I I have a well I have a cousin uh who has who I think I think nowadays they didn't have to skip it. They they uh they have like I think stages now I think not stages but like levels, yeah, like level three autism, and they're like, oh she'll never talk or or all this, but like um I know as a kid there was a l uh uh when I got diagnosed, they were like, Oh, he won't be able to do this, uh A, B, or C, but I've done um a lot uh a lot. Like I I've gotten a job, I've gotten a driver's license, I've gone to school, uh I published the book, obviously.
SPEAKER_01Jordan, your story is very aspiring. I hope that you continue to share it with you know with with many others. I I know just even as a parent, um, it's encouraging to see the milestones that you've taken and to do the things that people probably told you once to even to your parents, like you won't be able to do that, and you're like, nope, I'm going to be able to do that to hear that you have a driver's license. I mean, you're a self-published author, um, and I'm sure you do advocacy. Have you ever gone back to schools and just you know, given examples of what just determination and just staying focused can do? Um, I I would hope so. If not, we will have to let schools know how they can get in contact with you. So please have have you thought about that?
SPEAKER_02Um, I think once I actually would match my um old uh post-secondary like education uh program called uh futures. I did go back there after I posted my first book and then talked about my first book and a little a little bit like that, but otherwise not not not really. I haven't spoken too much at uh schools. I I will say uh speaking is a little uh a little uh scary to me. Like I'll try it in the end, but it's not necessarily my biggest strength because you know sometimes I do stutter like uh especially when I get nervous or anxious, but I do try my my my best, you know.
SPEAKER_01You you're you're doing phenomenal, better than your best. Just just so you know. I encourage you uh, you know, battle you a little bit, just give you a little push. Um, you have a very important story, and I hope you find the strength to, you know, let more not just readers um know and please pick up Jordan's book there actually very, very well, but just you know, a glimpse into like a day in the life of Jordan because there are parents out there, just like that parent that went up to you, who you know sometimes they also need to push to see, you know, not to your point always listen to what the doctors say. Um, you know, believe in your children. Um I'm sure your mom was, you know, hesitant at first, and then she was like, Nope, I'm gonna believe in Jordan, and now look where you are um, you know, today. You there's more books in the works, you have thousands of followers. Um you know that's something to be spoken for. So I I I push you just I challenge you just a little bit to you know schools get out there like and and connect because you're a um a positive real life example, and that's something that you should um should share. So uh thank you. I would like to hear what is in the future for Jordan. I know we got the trilogy happening, but what else would you like to do and what else would you like to share with uh with your audience?
SPEAKER_02Um yes, as as you said, you know, the trilogy is in the works. I've um I I have a couple more more events planned. Uh I'll I'll probably uh have a table about the autism walk in May. I'll be at the Number Luther's Brantford event in in May. And recently I actually reached uh a new bookstore opened up in Jewitt uh City, reached out to me and bought six copies, three of each of my two books, and I signed them and mailed them out and they're having them out uh displayed in their book. I just saw their Facebook page, uh Facebook post the other day.
SPEAKER_01What's the name of this book bookstore? We must know, so we can go. Wow, that's amazing. Jordan, you're doing big things. You should be very proud of yourself. I want to thank you today. I want to thank you for sharing your voice. I want to thank you for sharing your creativity and your story with us today. Um, for our listeners, if today's conversation resonated with you, we encourage you to support this author and spend some time with his work on the page. Thank you for listening to the Nutmeg LipFest podcast where Story Speak. New episodes drop every Tuesday. Ladies and gentlemen, until next time, keep reading, keep learning, and keep letting stories speak.