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Why do you write? What drives you? What inspires you to keep pushing forward?

12/20/25

I write because it makes me happy. Writing fulfills my desire to create like no other creative endeavor I’ve tried has. I love getting an idea and seeing what adventures it takes me on. Or coming up with a character and getting to know them through their story.

My drive to write comes from the joy it gives me, and the excitement of discovery. I continue to write because I feel like it is why I am here on this earth. To write. To tell stories. To bring joy to others and myself through creative writing.

I hope you enjoy my stories as much as I enjoy writing them and sharing them with you.

What inspired you to become an author?

12/29/25

I always enjoyed using my imagination as a child. I wrote stories for as long as I can remember! I also would put together plays or re enact movies with action figures (think The Little Mermaid or The Lion King). So creativity was just always there in my mind. As I got older I learned more about writing in school and how people actually became authors.

We had a fantastic program on our home computer growing up called Storybook Weaver. I loved that program and wish I could get it again! I created tons of books there like the one children’s book I wrote, Chickory the squirrel.

I loved writing in high school and wrote my first novella my senior year. I never did publish it. I also wrote a lot of poetry back then.

The writing has always been in my soul, I just had to go through the growth phases to find where to go on this journey. I’m excited to start expanding my writing into novels and see where it goes!

I have tried out many different creative outlets in my life, and writing is the one thing that truly feels like home.

What purpose do you hope to accomplish with your books? Do you write to help people? Entertain? Educate? Inspire? Escape?

1/4/26

Honestly I have never thought of the purpose of my writing (other than when I wrote devotionals). Ultimately Id love to entertain and inspire others with my writing. I would love to see my books in actual book form someday. I write to escape at times, its always fun to step into the fictitious world I’ve created. In my imagination it is enveloping, I see all the things my character sees, hear things they hear, feel things they feel. I love creating a world and sending my main character on a journey or an adventure. The devotionals I wrote were definitely written to help people. I hope they did.

What were your favorite books and stories growing up? How did they inspire you?

1/11/26

I remember my very first favorite book was Little Debbie Goes to Nursery School. It was my favorite book to check out at the library.

As I grew up I loved the American Girl books. My favorites are Kirstin and Samantha.

I also loved the Thoroughbred series. Highly recommended for horse lovers.

Of course I always love to read a good classic like Gone With The Wind or Little Women.

I feel like these books definitely inspired many things I wrote. Reading teaches us how to tell a story as well as new or different words to use in our own writing.

Reading is so important to our brain and well being. I want to encourage you, not just because I’m a writer, to read as much as you can. Encourage the children you know to read as well. Read with them!

I’m sure I wouldn’t have half the imagination I do if I wasn’t a reader. Reading is imperative to writing like writing is to reading!

What does your writing process look like? Are you a pantser or a plotter? Do you have a regular daily schedule, or do you squeeze writing time in wherever you can?

1/19/26

First I better explain the difference between a pantser and a plotter.

A pantser is someone who just writes without planning what they will write. No plot outline or anything.

Obviously a plotter is the opposite, someone who plans every detail out.

Honestly I think I’m somewhere in between. I definitely start as a pantser. The initial idea just comes out and the story begins. But I end up plotting at least a little bit, I need to make a list of the things I want to happen as I think of them so I remember what I want to do. But I also plan which order I’d like them to happen too.

Generally my writing process starts with a plot idea, some sort of vague setting ideas, and a main character name. Then as I move into the story, events, characters, and plot twists pop into my head so I start making a list of these things. I use them to help me keep my main character on track in the story.

As for a writing schedule, I honestly don’t have a set schedule. I write as much as possible throughout the day. If I get an idea or come up with something I want to happen in a story I’m writing, I put it into a word doc. I always have my phone, and it’s easy to type it into a word doc.

Did you always want to be an author? If not, what career path did you think you wanted instead?

1/25/26

I wanted to be a singer as well for a long time. So I worked at a music career, became a songwriter, and played local shows. I loved making music, but I never felt like I was good enough at it to be playing shows, or to “make it”. I played shows anyway, had fun, and its an experience I will never forget. How did I know it wasn’t for me? It didn’t fulfill me. It brought me a little joy, but it was always nerve wracking and stressful.

I do get a different, more peaceful joy from writing. Writing makes my heart feel full. There is no way to express how it feels when I put pen to paper. It’s like all is right in the world when I write. I get to be silent, and in my own little introverted mind. I just go off into a world I created.

What research did you have to do for your book? Did you need to learn more about foreign places, different cultures, body anatomy, fighting styles, et cetera?

2/2/26

I have had to do a lot of research on how to write fantasy. I haven’t ever tried before. I am finding I love it! I love the world building aspect, creating my own races, creatures, food, plants, everything! I get to really flex that creative part of my brain!

I did need to learn how writing fantasy works, as there are “rules” to make something a fantasy novel or not. I have enjoyed learning about all the different fantasy tropes. I plan to try writing in each trope to see which one I enjoy the best.

The biggest challenges so far are keeping all the story lines straight, and coming up with unique names for things.

What is your ultimate goal with your book(s)? Do you dream of being a bestselling author someday? Do you strive to see your work transformed into a different medium such as an audiobook, television series, video game, movie, et cetera?

2/12/26

My ultimate goal with my books is to be a bestselling author someday and write books for a living. I’d love to have not only hard copies of my book, but ebooks, and audiobooks too. My newest book I am writing would be a fun movie to make someday! It’s a dream of mine to make a living doing what I love.

Overcoming Writer’s Block

3/4/26

A lot of writers struggle with Writer’s Block. Call it what you will, it can be difficult to overcome. I have learned how to overcome it through the years of writing, and found a few simple tricks.

Number One, write about a different topic. Sometimes we focus so hard on the one story we are writing that our creativity drains. So I start working on another story, something fresh and new can get the creativity juices running again, and I can come back to the other WIP a little later with ideas.

Number Two, take a break. Easy right? Just take a break! Go outside, get fresh air. Go for a walk, take a hot shower, do some small housework tasks, anything to get you busy doing something else can usually get that creative spark to come out again.

Number Three, read. Read your WIP, or another book you wrote. Read something from your favorite author. Sometimes we push too hard on that creative muscle and dont let it relax and take in other’s creativity to inspire us.

I guess my point is to take a step away from your WIP, do something else for a while. Take a day off of writing, a week, a month. It will be there when you come back, refreshed and ready to join your M.C. on their adventure.

How have you grown throughout the writing and/or publishing process?

3/12/26

I have definitely learned a lot! I have grown as a writer, I understand a lot more about the technical side of things. I have learned to write different genres and it is definitely refreshing to do something different!

I started as a fiction only writer, and now recently have written 2 devotionals, one fantasy novel, to drafts of other fantasy novels, and a Christian fiction novel. Exploring different genres has definitely taught me a lot more about the writing process. Each project teaches me something new as a writer. So trying new things is very important!

I am learning to not just enjoy the creative process but work on the business side of being an author as well. I have been learning about the different aspects of publishing, literary agents, editors and all sorts of things and people needed to actually get your books out into the world.

I have done research on self publishing vs traditional publishing as well. For me personally I feel traditional publishing will be the best route for me currently. But everyone needs to do what works for their specific writing journey.

What is your ultimate goal with your book(s)? Do you dream of being a bestselling author someday? Do you strive to see your work transformed into a different medium such as audiobook, t.v. series, video game, or a movie?

3/19/26

My ultimate goal with my books is to be a bestselling author some day and write books for a living. I’d love to have not only hard copies of my book, but ebooks, and audiobooks too. My newest book I am writing would be a fun movie to make some day!

I want to keep the joy of reading alive. It’s good for people to have that quiet time to sit down and just read. Our world is such a busy place and full of noise, it’s important to escape that once in a while and reading is a great escape!

What are your qualifications for writing your book? Why are YOU the best person to tell the story? What skills, talents, and experiences do you have that directly contributed?

3/28/26

Honestly I have no training and haven’t ever gone to school for anything. Other than creative writing classes in high school I haven’t had any formal training. I have watched some training from professors on YouTube about creative writing.

I feel I’m the best person to write these stories because God gave me the ideas to write them. It’s just that simple. I write because it is the gift I was given, and I want to use it to bring joy and happiness to others.

I have always had a love of words, and writing lets me use the words I have learned. I wrote for and was an editor of my high school newspaper back in the day, I also was a writer for The Herald Journal (a local newspaper) many years ago. I currently write occasional pieces for one of the women’s ministries at my church.

I wrote my first novel in high school, my junior/senior year. I only sent it off to a publisher one time, it wasn’t quite ready for that. But I learned a lot!

Plotting A Story

4/11/26

I am not much of a plotter, I keep it very basic. If I give myself too much of what is going to happen in the whole story, I lose interest and wont finish it.

But to plot a story, I gather the basics of what I need to know to write it. I make a list of main characters and their descriptions first. Then the main villain and description. If there is a love interest in the book I will add them in and their description. I also list any minor characters or companions.

I keep it as basic as possible, if I get too in depth I lose interest. Just a short description of the characters’ point in the story, what they look like basics, and their relation to the main character or main villain.

Next I make a list of the locations I want in the story, names of locations, and a quick description of what it looks like.

Last I will make a list of bullet point ideas I want to have happen in the story. Not necessarily in order, and not every event that will happen. Just events I know I want to happen at some point.

Then I write the story! Other events happen as I write, and that is ok! It makes it fun and exciting when things happen I didn’t see coming!