I’ve been telling stories since I knew what stories were. I remember inventing very dramatic plots for my dolls and other toys (most of them involved death) to live out. My first story was The Missing Unicorn, penned at age 6, followed by The Lost Cat, both published in the school library. I’ve been writing since.
In second and third grade, I received some awards for short stories I wrote. In fourth grade, I was a part of a writing club where we printed our work into a picture book. Mine was a tale about my dog.
At age 11, I formally proclaimed myself a writer. I knew it was my destiny to tell stories. I completed my first novella at age 12.