About the Author​

My Writing Journey​

Like many others, I began reading at a very young age. My parents were both big sci-fi/fantasy readers, so my childhood was filled with Star Trek and Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings and Earthsea, among others.

I’ve been writing for as long as I’ve been reading, starting with small stories related to my life (such as what my puffles did when I was away from my Club Penguin igloo) to more complex tales that I often wrote for other people. When I entered middle school, I began writing what I consider my first “book,” a historical romance set in 1700’s Polynesia, which I abandoned after 70,000 words when I realized how much research was required for historical fiction, and that I didn’t like romance.

Throughout high school I wrote stories here and there about elves or fairies or little creatures who lived under mushrooms, but nothing was particularly inspired or worthwhile. I began to feel self-conscious of my art, and I stopped sharing it with others. But I kept reading, Brent Weeks and Tad Williams and Terry Brooks. During undergrad, I had tons of ideas for books, but my ridiculously busy schedule kept me from making them into anything more than outlines or notes scribbled on the final pages of my notebooks.

But still, I kept reading. Robert Jordan and Patrick Rothfuss and Robin Hobb all accompanied me through college. I studied linguistics because I loved languages, like Tolkien, and dreamed of someday, maybe, making my own fantasy worlds to escape in.

I was very focused on working the first few years after I graduated, so I didn’t write anything creative at all. I mostly stopped reading, too, until I met my now-husband. He did not grow up in a family of readers and had never read a full book on his own for fun. I introduced him to epic fantasy, and we started a habit of reading together every evening (which we still do). Reading all my favorites over again with someone brand new to fantasy reinvigorated my love for the genre, and I began writing in earnest again.

After a year of living and working in South Korea, my husband encouraged me to pursue writing as a career. I fought him on it, citing my lack of know-how and professional experience, so he suggested I take some classes. I applied for, and was accepted to, an MFA in 2025, and I began to work on my thesis novel, which I hope to publish soon.

I still am not writing full-time for a living. I still feel lacking in skill. But I have faith that someday, maybe, my dream will come true.