In elementary school – 1st or 2nd grade I think, a visiting author came to my school I don’t remember who they were or what they wrote, but what I do remember is the activity they encouraged us to do.

All of us kids were handed a piece of paper with the shape of a potato and lines to write on inside the potato. We only had a few minutes to jot down a story and I filled my paper quickly and needed more. I kept writing the story when I got home as well. It was at this moment I realized that I loved telling stories. I have a baby book filled with little stories I wrote growing up.

Even when I was in high school I remember staying up late typing up stories late into the night, sometimes procrastinating homework because I had an idea I didn’t want to lose.

Now I have to admit, while majoring in Creative Writing in college- a major I chose while I was in middle school, I didn’t pursue it beyond that.

I still wanted to be an author but I had a job and just left it as a hobby. I am currently writing what I expected to be my first published novel. 25,000 words into a YA fantasy I thought up (and changed) many years ago.
In the meantime, I just released for digital download Outline Adventures Animal Tales inspired by the potato writing activity.