Portrait of an Aspiring Writer

Writing has been a part of my identity for my entire life. My parents exposed me to all kinds of literature from a very early age, and I was able to read long before I began school. So I can't think of a time when I didn't want to share my experience of the world in words.

I've written poems, short stories, songs, a play and a YA novel. I've had some success publishing my poems in several wonderful online journals, but have yet to earn money with my writing.

Currently, I am writing one short story a week, and posting the drafts to the Tumblr site: 52 Stories In 52 Weeks. I undertook this challenge in order to master my craft and find greater confidence in my creativity. I write from Sunday to Sunday, and post the stories around the middle of the week. I encourage all wannabe writers to join me! #52 stories.

My literary influences are J.D. Salinger, Mark Twain, Dorothy Allison, Chris Adrian, Jhumpa Lahiri, Alice Munro, and Junot Diaz.

My favorite YA authors are Robin Brande, Sarah Dessen, Sherman Alexie, Sara Zarr, Suzanne Collins, and Robert Cormier.

For other aspiring writers like me, I'll include some links to websites and other resources that inspire, help, and motivate me to keep working on my craft.