How I got into writing:
It’s a long answer, but here we go!
Writing isn’t something I’ve been doing all my life. You often hear authors say they’ve been scribbling down stories since they were wee little things and such, but that wasn’t me. I found my way to it later on because, for me, at least, for a long time I deeply feared being bad at things, and I would often quit something (aka talk myself out of it) before I even started. I was such a wild perfectionist that it often led to not giving anything a chance, to fear failure so much that I couldn’t imagine or hold out for the possibility of future success.
In 2008, I graduated from my undergrad university with a dual bachelor’s in Spanish language and literature, and comparative literature, so I knew that I loved language and stories, but I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with them. And then the economy took a total nosedive that year. So I worked in a retail clothing store and in a greenhouse tending lavender and tomato plants, as well as teaching preschool and nannying for some really great families. But still, I knew those weren’t the careers or fulfilling life purposes I was searching for.
Then came 2013. And, honestly, I don’t really remember how, but a story popped into my head. It was middle grade before I knew that word for it, and the story was about this young boy who moves to a new town with his mother after his father passes away, and of course, unbeknownst to him, the house he moves into is haunted. Bum Bum BUM! Ghostly chaos ensues!
For whatever reason, I decided to write the first few scenes to that story, but then I didn’t know what to do next so I searched online for writing groups and found a local writing group, The Children’s Book Writers of Los Angeles, near where I lived at the time. I attended their next writing critique group, feeling a little scared but excited to learn and share the story I’d written. And luckily, everyone was so kind and encouraging from the start, and the overall message I took away from it was: The voice is strong, and you have talent. Keep writing and learn what you don’t know along the way. And the praise genuinely blew me away so I set to work learning what I didn’t know about writing.
Turns out, that something was a whole lot! But I decided to jump straight in, and with the encouragement of my amazing husband, I applied to grad school. At the time, I told myself I’d become an English professor (what I felt was a more stable career) and that I’d write in my spare time. I even attended two separate grad programs simultaneously so I could learn how to both teach and write creatively. So, during the fall and spring semesters, I attended Cal State Fullerton to work on my MA (academic studies) and focus on trauma literature, and then during the summer, I made my way to Virginia to attend Hollins University—which is renowned for its children’s literature program—and work on my MFA (creative writing), specifically writing for a young adult audience. During this time, I also became an active member in SCBWI and joined the board of directors for the Children’s Book Writers of Los Angeles, the same group where I attended that first writing critique that started it all.
Still, it took me about halfway through my coursework to realize that I didn’t want to teach. I wanted to write. And so I pivoted my plan and focused all my energy on doing what I’d come to love most—writing for young adults!
So that’s the very long answer, which is to say be brave and try new things, though that doesn’t have to mean everyone should go back to school and wrack up student loans. Rather, listen to where your heart is leading you. It’s oftentimes a beautiful place you never expected.