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I started this website over four years ago. I remember being obsessed with becoming an author, watching every “how to get published” video on YouTube, taking notes on every writing tip available, and writing constantly.

In my head I was going to be a published author and nothing was going to stop me. I sprinted through two novels: the first too simple and with no real plot, the second written with a thesaurus as a guide instead of head and heart. Both were written and “completed” before I had much life experience, especially in the second one where I wrote about a lawyer. As a law student now, I cringe reading back over some of the depiction of a disgruntled legal career.

Putting that second novel, Sunset Cove, to the side for a couple years and letting it fester as I grew up, proved to be the best thing to happen. My editor’s eye is more keen than ever. I’m not attached to words and phrases I was so fond of years ago. I can change the plot around to make it make more sense and actually talk about things I have knowledge of. Beneath the surface-level understanding of the daily life of an attorney, overly complex word choices, imitation writing, and some struggling plot lines, there is a structure to build a legitimate novel.

Now it’s time to tackle this thing. The first step is to edit what is already in place. Second is to re-work some plot line. Third is to give some characters some more identity and strength. Then, finally, to submit for publication. In an ideal world this could be completed by the end of the summer, before my second year of law school starts, but I don’t want to rush this process, either.

I want to savor the process. It’s not for the money (because obviously first-time authors make bank, right?), but for my own goals, satisfaction, and for my soul. What Conroy said is prophetic: “A story untold could be the one that kills you.” I have stories I don’t just want to get out, but need to get out for the sake of my own humanity.

That might border on melodrama, but it’s the honest to God truth. Creating art in any form is life. With a pen in hand and an empty piece of paper or a blank word document, I can create anything I want to. I can create life, make my readers feel and visualize it, all while giving myself life. The absolute best therapy for me in my life has been writing poetry or prose. Any emotions I’m feeling can be released, preserved, elevated, and documented all at the same time.

To anyone who is viewing this website for the first time and just now keeping up with my artistic journey, welcome. Let’s see where this goes together.