I never felt as though I had a place in this world as myself until I found the art of wordsmithing. I spent most of my childhood playing video games, reading, and pretending I was somebody else. Whether I was exploring the playground as Spiderman, Thrall, or Sarah Kerrigan, my imagination has always run rampant.

I started writing all of my dreams down in journals, and the cartoons weren’t enough for me anymore. While I loved the stories I was filling my mind with, they weren’t the story I wanted. I started to write stories about my favorite characters meeting and the craziness that would ensue. I decided as soon as I began that writing was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. At that point, my family and friends told me I should create my own characters, so that’s what I set out and did.

Right before middle school, I created my first few characters. I wrote stories involving them and their superhero, or supervillain, lives. Eventually, as the bullying got worse, I modeled a superhero after myself and created a world that I could escape into. Throughout middle school, I decided I was going to be an author. I met two friends who would forever change my life and my writing. As the three of us powered through the worst years of bullying in my life, I leaned on my escape more than ever. Throughout this hard time, my family and these two close friends were all I had. This was my inspiration for the close-knit friend group in my series Fray!

I’ve always been a huge fan of superheroes, fantasy, and sci-fi. My favorite superheroes have been Spider-Man, Batman, Deku, and the Teen Titans. Some of my favorite fantasy worlds have been Middle Earth, Xanth, and Azeroth. My favorite kinds of stories are those that involve a bullied kid who suddenly gets the power to change his situation. Seeing normal people being gifted powers and deciding to change the world with them really interests me.

I grew up with negativity around me in school and in public. I was bullied for multiple reasons along the way, therefore my books push characters that are unique and anti-prejudice. Somewhere along my journey through school, I started playing World of Warcraft, where I met the love of my life who introduced me to a life I didn’t know I was missing.

I also consider myself to be a part of the Gothic community, liking the style and music of many people who fall into the spectrum. I’ve always loved the darker aspects of life. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. I’ve grown fond of gothic fashion, expressing myself through not only personality, but with clothing.

My writing goal is to hit one million words in my book series Fray. I have 7 books planned, and hope to keep most of them around the same length, give or take. My personal goal is to set an example of how you can reach your goals if you put your mind to them. I want to give others a means of escape. I want to share the world I’ve created throughout these years with you all. Don’t give up just because people want you to change. Everyone has a path they are meant to take. Don’t judge someone because they appear different; they may be your next best friend along your journey through life.

Keep being you.