Seeking new opportunities in the writing field
Seeking new opportunities in the writing field
My writing journey began in first grade when I was assigned to do daily journaling exercises. About a month into the school year, my teacher, Mrs. Ogden, decided my journal entry would be the class’s first ‘published book.’ Now, obviously, I don’t mean a literal published book that went on the New York Times Best Seller list. I mean published in the sense that Mrs. Ogden pulled out construction paper and made a makeshift book about the size of a leaflet. She copied the title of my journal entry onto the front cover and then a sentence or two of my writing onto each of the following pages. She then gave me the book, and I drew accompanying pictures on the pages. At story time later in the week, Mrs. Ogden read the published book to the class as though I was a real author. I owe everything, really, to Mrs. Ogden. She got me started on my writing journey; she believed in me and my work.
As the years progressed, I became enthralled by words and literary devices. I delved into poetry and treated every English essay with utmost importance. When it came time to pursue a college major, I had no doubts that I wanted to study creative writing.
My time at Knox College was perhaps best spent in countless late-night workshops. I learned how to share feedback and implement it into my work, strengthening my craft in a variety of genres. While poetry will always be my first love, creative nonfiction also holds a special place in my heart. I love how carefully constructed a poem is—how lines can break off unexpectedly and give duality. I love the informality created by polysyndeton—how a stream of 'ands' creates a rush, a connection of conjunctions that push and reach. Yet, at the same time, I love the space an essay allows for—all the extra breaths and room to provide details. And how I love to edit. What started as me editing friends' papers in exchange for late-night snacks quickly evolved into an on-campus job as an editor for the Knox College literary publication Quiver. There, situated on a worn couch in the school publication office, I learned what met the criteria for publication acceptance and when a piece needed a complete overhaul. I learned how to edit a script and when to nix unnecessary dialogue. But most of all, I learned what it was to be part of a literary team.
While away from Knox, I expanded my writing skills by exploring the commercial side of writing. In 2020, I worked as a summer intern at the Vilas County News-Review in northern Wisconsin, interviewing, editing, and learning AP style guidelines. I loved communicating with local business owners and conveying their passions and products into a story. And I was awed by the exchange—how doing something I loved could help others achieve their own success.
Since graduation, I have continued to write commercially and creatively. In 2022, I spent seven months putting my reading and writing skills to the test by working as a book reviewer for IndieReader. It was a rewarding experience to give new authors critical feedback and guide them in their careers as authors. In return, I discovered some great literature.
As far as my creative work goes, I’ve been keeping busy. In August 2023, I published my debut poetry chapbook, Meditations from My Childhood Bedroom. It was thrilling to collaborate with the team at the Garden Party Collective and have the book come to fruition. (For more information on my chapbook, click on Creative Writing in the navigation menu.)
I am currently working as a freelance ghostwriter on a self-care nonfiction book.
However, I am always looking for new projects and am actively hunting for new opportunities in the writing or editing field. If you are also ardent about the Oxford comma, enjambment, and the power that a single sentence can hold, then I think we're destined to work together. And if writing or editing are not your areas of expertise, I am also happy to be of assistance.
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