Deric Budendorf and his novel "Quentel"
Imagine a world in which everyone over the age of 20 has perished because of a genetically-mutated virus released by bio-terrorists. Many surviving children band together into clans to stay alive but find their troubles do not end. This is the premise of Quentel, a post-apocalyptic novel written by Deric Budendorf, a B-W junior from Powell.
His writing “career” began with a short story in fourth grade. He sent it to a famous storyteller whom he admired. He received a handwritten letter in return in which the writer discussed the youngster’s story, then ended, “Keep up with your dreams.” Signed…Stephen Spielberg.
Those words continue to inspire Budendorf today, he said. He envisioned the plot of Quentel while in eighth grade and finished it while still in high school. The book is written for a juvenille audience, he said. In some ways he tried to emulate one of his favorite authors, C.S. Lewis.
“C.S. Lewis could create a fun story that was interesting to everybody but also carried a deeper message,” Budendorf said. “My book is a lot about good and evil.” Although he finished the book in high school, he learned that, in some ways, publishing a book is more difficult than writing it in the first place. He met an agent for business books who suggested that self-publishing a first novel was the way to get other publishers to look at it. Budendorf took the suggestion and the book was published in 2007.
“Quentel could easily be a series,” Budendorf said. In fact he has plots and the ending figured out already. “But I was told not to write a sequel yet,” he added, so his second book (just finished) is based on his father’s story of his high school team’s run for a state championship in 1975. Budendorf also wanted to prove to a future agent that he could write in another genre.
One might assume that Budendorf is an English major but, in truth, his major is biology with a chemistry minor. He’s considering a career in dentistry, perhaps oral surgery.
“One of the big things I want to do is give back in the health field,” said Budendorf. A guiding principle of his life, passed down from his great-grandfather (a former head of the Methodist Children’s Home in Berea) is service. Budendorf modeled that through missionary work with his church and has continued that philosophy as a B-W student.
Last year, after learning that students at an urban high school in Columbus were not permitted to carry typical book bags, he mobilized fellow B-W students. Mustering the support of campus groups, he raised funds to provide 1,000 acceptable book bags to the students, which he and his friends delivered.
When he graduates next year, Budendorf will be upholding a long family tradition. In 2005 his extended family received the B-W Family Heritage Award during Alumni Weekend. The family spans four generations and includes 16 who have graduated from the College, a B-W employee and Les Gigax, former chairman of the B-W Board of Trustees.
Budendorf’s book, Quentel, is available through amazon.com, borders.com and barnes&noble.com.
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