Writing, Community, and What's Next

This year has gotten away from me.

At the beginning of the year, I decided that I was going to cut back on the frequency of my blogs. This has given me the freedom to focus on querying Called from Darkness, start another novel project, and support budding writers.

I love writing and supporting writers, especially those who are just starting their journeys. I still have a long way to go on my path to publishing, but I’ve had quite a few short stories, essays, and articles published in print and online. I’ve learned a lot from submitting my writing, collaborating with editors, and promoting my work. These experiences have given me knowledge to support and guide other writers. 

Me presenting on email marketing at the 2025 Virginia Writers Club Annual Symposium

I’ve also been working in content writing for over a decade now, and while writing blog posts, emails, ads, and other marketing materials isn’t quite the same as writing a novel, they are still important tools for authors to have in their toolbelt, especially in today’s publishing landscape. Last summer, I had the opportunity to present on email marketing at the Virginia Writers Club Annual Symposium. That experience gave me a taste of what it’s like to share my knowledge with others, and I really enjoyed it! I would love to teach courses on other topics in the future, but I know I need to gain more knowledge and experience to do so.

In my role as facilitator a critique group that meets at a local community center, I share my knowledge, but I also serve as a connector. There are people in the group who have decades more experience than I have. Who have self-published books or had their books traditionally published. Who have won awards. Who speak regularly on podcasts and YouTube channels. We even have a member who is a professor for a prestigious MFA in Creative Writing program.

I recently became acquainted with a New York Times bestselling author who lives in my town and wants to start a group to teach authors about publishing. While I am experienced with short-form publishing, I am still in the trenches of querying a full-length manuscript. I’m so excited to share this opportunity with my community of writers, especially those who have a manuscript polished and ready to start querying. 

All of this goes to say—2026 has been an incredibly busy and fulfilling year. Outside of my writing community, I also had the opportunity to attend three graduations for the charter schools as part of my full-time job. There, I got to talk to graduates and their families about their experiences with our schools, but also, their plans for the future.

Education—whether it is a high school diploma or a community writer’s class—inspires. Hearing their dreams for the future was one of the most powerful experiences I’ve had in recent memory. I’m humbled and grateful any time I get to play a part in helping others realize their dreams. 

I’ll try to blog more often—what kind of things would you like to hear about? Book reviews, updates on writing projects, sources of inspiration? Share with me in the comments what you’d like to see more of, and I’ll do my best to deliver.